I've been a Yankees fan for only about 3 years less than you have, but I don't get how anyone could dislike Terry Francona. The Sox's run from about 2003 through 2010 or so was marked by a particularly solid set of citizens. They played smart and they played hard. Manny Ramirez was an exception to that rule, but his talent more than made up for his self-centered ways. I found it nauseating the way media fawned over his so-called eccentricity. They'd always say, "That's Manny being Manny." I never found him to be particularly funny. Instead of "Manny being Manny" I thought it was "Manny being an *******."

I was at Camden Yards last Saturday, cheering for the Sox to help the Yankees by beating the O's. Dustin Pedroia came up in the late innings with a chance to get the Sox back even. I enjoyed having him on my side for a change. He's a player and a half.