# But we still have baseball



## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

To call this week stressful, depressing and angst-ridden would be an understatement. We need a diversion....

Did anyone else see the Cubs' unlikely come-from-behind win over the Brewers today? As a life-long Cubs fan, I was naturally estatic. The magic number is now 2. However, being a life-long Cubs fan and knowing full well the disappointment that comes with being one, I am not counting my chickens before they catch. It's been an incredible season. Much stronger than last year. Could this be "The Year?"

What's the fora's opionion on which teams will make the playoffs and beyond?


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

I grew up a National League fan (Giants), but now I follow the Red Sox. Still, I'd like to see the Cubs make it. Two for a magic number, huh? They could theoretically still blow it, butI like their chances.

In the American League it looks as though the only two questions are whether the Devil Rays or the Red Sox finish first, with the other getting the wild card, and whether Chicago or Minnesota wins the Central and makes the playoffs.


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

I haven't seen the Cubs this year, but I bet you guys in Chicago are pretty excited, the way the Red Sox fans were in 2004.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

That Brewer loss killed me. I'm a huge Brewer fan, and there is no team in baseball I hate more than the Cubs. =(

Don't worry, they'll make the playoffs, but they'll choke.


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## ajo (Oct 22, 2007)

TMMKC said:


> To call this week stressful, depressing and angst-ridden would be an understatement. We need a diversion....
> 
> Did anyone else see the Cubs' unlikely come-from-behind win over the Brewers today? As a life-long Cubs fan, I was naturally estatic. The magic number is now 2. However, being a life-long Cubs fan and knowing full well the disappointment that comes with being one, I am not counting my chickens before they catch. It's been an incredible season. Much stronger than last year. Could this be "The Year?"
> 
> What's the fora's opionion on which teams will make the playoffs and beyond?


I can totally agree with the sentiments expressed here, this past week no matter where you are has been stressful beyond belief, but my passion is Rugby League (and Rugby Union) and tonight we are in the NRL playoffs. Sadly my team West Tigers didn't make the finals(again- mind you we did win the premiership in 2005) but just being able to put the week to rest crack a cold one and put my feet up and watch some serious football is a blessing.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

brokencycle said:


> Don't worry, they'll make the playoffs, but they'll choke.


Yer killin' me! 

I keep worrying about who the next Steve Bartman will be!


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## Helvetia (Apr 8, 2008)

TMMKC said:


> Yer killin' me!
> 
> I keep worrying about who the next Steve Bartman will be!


Just don't let it be you! That guy is probably still in some kind of witness protection program.


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## Karl89 (Feb 20, 2005)

Gents,

If the Mets collapse again this year then I will be heartbroken. I never realized how important middle relief was until these past two years.

Karl


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

The Cubs are going to halve to do a damn sight better than they did yesterday of they hope to wrap this thing up soon.

I heard a really interesting fact yesterday. NYT sports reporter (I forget his name) who contributes to NPR said this is the first year since 1993 that the Yankees will not make the playoffs. I guess $209 million payroll doesn't ensure success. Could it be that revenue sharing is starting to pay off?


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

And this will be the last day Yankee fans will be able to see the stadium.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

Howard said:


> And this will be the last day Yankee fans will be able to see the stadium.


I heard that. It's kind of a sad day, especially when you consider all the history (baseball and otherwise) that was made in The House the Ruth Built.

I hear the new one is going to be incredible, though. Though it's going to cost $800,000 per year to rent a SMALL skybox, it's still a great value if one considers typical Manhattan real estate prices.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

TMMKC said:


> I heard that. It's kind of a sad day, especially when you consider all the history (baseball and otherwise) that was made in The House the Ruth Built.
> 
> I hear the new one is going to be incredible, though. Though it's going to cost $800,000 per year to rent a SMALL skybox, it's still a great value if one considers typical Manhattan real estate prices.


Wow,that's a lot of money.


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

To: TMMKC

Happy? How about Cubs-Red Sox in the Series?


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

jackmccullough said:


> To: TMMKC
> 
> Happy? How about Cubs-Red Sox in the Series?


Estatic, Jack. Thanks for asking. However, as I noted above, I am keeping my enthusiasm in check. There's a lot of baseball to be played yet, but I can assure you I will be glued to the TV come Wednesday evening as the Dodgers go down in (what I hope will be) a crushing defeat.

A Cubs-Sox World Series would definitely be one for the ages.


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## hurling frootmig (Sep 18, 2008)

The cubs have to get through the Dodgers first. One step at a time.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Things could shape up nicely. I'm excited, I have loge (2nd level) seats for game 4 at Miller Park. My seats are right below the press box. Provided there isn't a sweep, I'll get to experience the second playoff game at Miller Park since it was built.


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

TMMKC said:


> Estatic, Jack. Thanks for asking. However, as I noted above, I am keeping my enthusiasm in check. There's a lot of baseball to be played yet, but I can assure you I will be glued to the TV come Wednesday evening as the Dodgers go down in (what I hope will be) a crushing defeat.
> 
> A Cubs-Sox World Series would definitely be one for the ages.


I've got an ulterior motive. As a hereditary (although lapsed) Giants fan, I hate the Dodgers. Therefore, until the World Series with the Red Sox, Go Cubs!


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

First Shea Stadium is gone and now Yankee Stadium,It's a sad day for baseball.


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

I'm approaching the closing of Shea Stadium with mixed emotions. It's time had come and gone and the new Citi Field looks like it will be a nice venue. But it will be a sad thing to see the wreckingball knock down the old place.

I'm still reeling from the team's collapse (again).


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## rgrossicone (Jan 27, 2008)

KenR said:


> I'm approaching the closing of Shea Stadium with mixed emotions. It's time had come and gone and the new Citi Field looks like it will be a nice venue. But it will be a sad thing to see the wreckingball knock down the old place.
> 
> I'm still reeling from the team's collapse (again).


I blame Omar...he did nothing to improve the pen this year except cross his fingers Billy Wagner would be ok. But as much as the pen failed, bats went cold this weekend...no more than 2 runs against the Marlins aint gonna cut it.

We need to pull a Yankees and go after K-Rod, Manny, and Sabathia. Then sure up some decent middle relief. With revenues from the new stadium, the Wilpons can afford it.

Do you know if they are doing that thing where you have to buy the rights to your seat at Citifield like the Giants are doing at their new Stadium? That would pay a years salary for one of those guys.


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

KenR said:


> I'm approaching the closing of Shea Stadium with mixed emotions. It's time had come and gone and the new Citi Field looks like it will be a nice venue. But it will be a sad thing to see the wreckingball knock down the old place.
> 
> I'm still reeling from the team's collapse (again).


Funny, that as with the new Yankee Stadium, you can still get off at the same stop to go to the game.

It's also funny that I don't think I've seen any posts here mourning the loss of Yankee Stadium.


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## Relayer (Nov 9, 2005)

Ok, I'll be the first to mourn the loss of Yankee Stadium. I've never been there, never seen the Yankees play in person, I don't even like the actual Yankees a little bit.

Still, the Yankees and "The House that Ruth Built" are icons in a sport that I love. I'm a very nostalgic person, in general. I might even shed a tear if I was there in person the day they blow it up (if that is what they intend to do).


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

I think the Wilpons have enough money to get who they want, even without new stadium's revenue. I believe about 4 million people went to Shea this year. That ought to be good for some spending money. New bullpen is absolutely needed. Plus there needs to be some consideration concerning filling 2nd base and the corner outfield positions. Another starter or two who can follow Santana, Pelfrey and Maine would be a good pickup.

As for Yankee Stadium, I'm a bit nostalgic also. But the stadium was definitely in need of major work.


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## hurling frootmig (Sep 18, 2008)

Howard said:


> First Shea Stadium is gone and now Yankee Stadium,It's a sad day for baseball.


As a cubs fan I'm not sad to see Shea go. Personally I thought the place was a dump. Not as bad as three rivers but close.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

hurling frootmig said:


> As a cubs fan I'm not sad to see Shea go. Personally I thought the place was a dump. Not as bad as three rivers but close.


I agreed, though I don't think either of those places were as bad as the old Detroit Tigers stadium.


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## rgrossicone (Jan 27, 2008)

KenR said:


> As for Yankee Stadium, I'm a bit nostalgic also. But the stadium was definitely in need of major work.


I love the Mets, but I'm not blinded that they play second fiddle in NY for a reason. I've tried to get to Yankee Stadium every year because it truly is/was a magical place. The smell of the park, the train running behind the old bullpen in right field, the fake facade...it truly was special. I will miss it terribly.

Shea on the otherhand, while it held some magic memories in my mind, was essentially a dump. It didn't have the quaint charm that Yankee Stadium had, but now I hope Citifield will. It looks fantastic, and I hope to get a chance to see some games there next season.

BTW, Hockey season starts up soon, and MSG will also be undergoing a bigtime gutting. I hope my Ranger season tickets aren't affected by it, and look fwd to keep going to that place, which holds a similar charm to Yankee Stadium.


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## mrkleen (Sep 21, 2007)

rgrossicone said:


> Shea on the otherhand, while it held some magic memories in my mind, was essentially a dump. It didn't have the quaint charm that Yankee Stadium had,


Yankees Stadium was a lot of things....but "quaint" wasnt one of them.


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

So that means it's only Fenway and Wrigley left of the old stadiums, right?


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## hurling frootmig (Sep 18, 2008)

jackmccullough said:


> So that means it's only Fenway and Wrigley left of the old stadiums, right?


They are the oldest at 1912 for Fenway and 1914 for Wrigley. The next oldest is 1962 for Dodger Stadium.

Oakland is the next stadium to go.

A number of the stadiums built since 1992 have a decidedly Wrigley flavor to them. Even the new Busch Stadium looks like a homage to Wrigley in a number of ways.

The cubs are going to have to do some major renovations to Wrigley over the next three to five years to keep the ballpark going.


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

Laxplayer and I took in a Mets-Cardinals game in early July at Busch Stadium (thanks Karl!). Beautiful ballpark.


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## rgrossicone (Jan 27, 2008)

mrkleen said:


> Yankees Stadium was a lot of things....but "quaint" wasnt one of them.


Are you serious? Just because it seats nearly 60,000 doesn't mean it didn't have quaint charm. The nooks and crannies of the park, underneath the stands, and in Monumnet Park certainly make it 'quaint" in my mind.


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## Karl89 (Feb 20, 2005)

HF,



hurling frootmig said:


> As a cubs fan I'm not sad to see Shea go. Personally I thought the place was a dump. Not as bad as three rivers but close.


Shea was a dump but she was our dump. And now that Shea will soon be no more, Wrigley can claim its rightful spot as baseball's biggest dump. Cubs fans deserve no better, after all.

Regards,

Karl


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

rgrossicone said:


> Are you serious? Just because it seats nearly 60,000 doesn't mean it didn't have quaint charm. The nooks and crannies of the park, underneath the stands, and in Monumnet Park certainly make it 'quaint" in my mind.


I know from your pictures that you're too young to remember when the monuments were just out in the outfield, in play.


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## mrkleen (Sep 21, 2007)

rgrossicone said:


> Are you serious? Just because it seats nearly 60,000 doesn't mean it didn't have quaint charm. The nooks and crannies of the park, underneath the stands, and in Monumnet Park certainly make it 'quaint" in my mind.


Fair enough. As a Sox fan, I was impressed with many aspects of Yankee Stadium - most of them related to things that are the opposite of quaint - the sheer size and noise the emanates when something big happens - the masses of people - the vastness of center field. Guess it is all in how you look at it.


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## Quay (Mar 29, 2008)

As much as there is to admire in professional baseball, I've always enjoyed college games more. Smaller stadium, more intimate crowds, and the sense that just about any darn thing at all might happen in a game! 

Nevertheless, having been taken to Yankee Stadium as a kid...well, it was a magic moment in so many ways. I'll miss the old place. I also enjoyed watching the Reds in the old Riverfront stadium, but that was back in the time of Rose, Johnny Bench and others. I still remember Bench's ability to catch anything at all and I was very impressed as a kid how much he could do while just "sitting" there. :icon_smile:


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

hurling frootmig said:


> As a cubs fan I'm not sad to see Shea go. Personally I thought the place was a dump. Not as bad as three rivers but close.


I used to go to Shea and I agree it was a dump.


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## hurling frootmig (Sep 18, 2008)

Karl89 said:


> HF,
> 
> Shea was a dump but she was our dump. And now that Shea will soon be no more, Wrigley can claim its rightful spot as baseball's biggest dump. Cubs fans deserve no better, after all.
> 
> ...


Karl,

Wrigley is a great place to watch a game. The worst part about the place is the bathrooms which are terrible. Even with the lousy bathrooms most fans don't view the place as a dump. Quite the contrary. The players generally don't like the accommodations. The locker areas are small as it the weight room. The batting cage sits under the bleachers if it's not out before the game. We have a new field this year and it's a major improvement over the old one. It now drains during a rain.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

hurling frootmig said:


> Karl,
> 
> Wrigley is a great place to watch a game. The worst part about the place is the bathrooms which are terrible. Even with the lousy bathrooms most fans don't view the place as a dump. Quite the contrary. The players generally don't like the accommodations. The locker areas are small as it the weight room. The batting cage sits under the bleachers if it's not out before the game. We have a new field this year and it's a major improvement over the old one. It now drains during a rain.


^+1. As much as I love Wrigley, I can't see it being around in ten years unless they are able to buy up a lot of land around the stadium for a major expansion. Baseball has gotten so expensive that teams really need the extra revenue from high-priced luxury boxes, etc. to pay for inflated salaries, etc. They have done about as much as they can to squeeze nickle out of Wrigley in recent years.


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## hurling frootmig (Sep 18, 2008)

The cubs need to buy up the buildings outside the park and put in suites. They could also put a couple of jumbo screens on a couple to augment the old scoreboard. Another idea I've had involves them rebuilding the upper decks and putting skyboxes above the upper deck. Whatever they do they have to proceed slowly as most of us who are cubs fans don't like them to change the ballpark too much.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

In The NY Daily News there are some pictures of Shea Stadium being demlolished.


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## fenway (May 2, 2006)

So . . . 

Sox? Rays?

Phils? Dodgers?

Any interest?


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

from what I was reading in the Daily News,Yankee Stadium has finally closed it's doors for good.


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

Well, Fenway, I'm guessing that you and I are together on this one. Red Sox all the way. Pedroia to be MVP. Ellsbury as Rookie of the Year.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

I went to Miller Park and watched the Brewers lose the series.... SUPPAN!!!!!

It was a sad moment - first time they've ever lost while I was in attendance.

I don't care who wins anymore, as long as it isn't the Red Sox. The Red Sox come in a close second for teams I dislike. Although, I much prefer the National League in general. They play baseball the way it was meant to be.


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

As a congenital National League fan I can see where you're coming from. I'll just point out, however, that this year's Red Sox team is playing a more traditional National League game than they have historically done. They have some good base stealers and aren't relying quite so much on the long ball and the big inning.

Not that I'm even going to try to get you to like them if you don't.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

I was discussing the Cubs' choking exhibition against The Dodgers with a friend/business partner the other day. He reminded me of a fantastic quote from Gary Gaetti: "It's hard to swing a bat when both your hands are around your neck."


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## Trenditional (Feb 15, 2006)

TMMKC said:


> ^+1. As much as I love Wrigley, I can't see it being around in ten years unless they are able to buy up a lot of land around the stadium for a major expansion. Baseball has gotten so expensive that teams really need the extra revenue from high-priced luxury boxes, etc. to pay for inflated salaries, etc. They have done about as much as they can to squeeze nickle out of Wrigley in recent years.


I heard a news report recently that said one of the owners of the adjacent buildings was going to lose approx. $2.5 million in sales of the seats atop his building after the Cubs got knocked out. I'm thinking if the sales of seats atop those builldings are remotely as profitable throughout the regular season, it will be expensive to buy the land around Wrigley.


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## Trenditional (Feb 15, 2006)

jackmccullough said:


> As a congenital National League fan I can see where you're coming from. I'll just point out, however, that this year's Red Sox team is playing a more traditional National League game than they have historically done. They have some good base stealers and aren't relying quite so much on the long ball and the big inning.
> 
> Not that I'm even going to try to get you to like them if you don't.


Anyone else believe its going to be Boston and L.A.?


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## Relayer (Nov 9, 2005)

I think there's a very good chance.

It's the match-up I'm hoping for.


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## JerseyJohn (Oct 26, 2007)

I was hoping for either a Chicago or LA subway series (I guess that would be an LA freeway series). Oh, well. I'd like to see Boston - Dodgers, with the Dodgers winning. Then us New Yorkers, who aren't happy if we're not b1tching about something, could all jeer at the Steinbrenners for dumping Torre.


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## hurling frootmig (Sep 18, 2008)

I'd like to see Red Sox versus Dodgers. I think that would be an interesting series. I'm not a Manny fan so I'd like to see the Red Sox sweep them.


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## Howard (Dec 7, 2004)

So when did they say Citifield would be open?


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## mrkleen (Sep 21, 2007)

brokencycle said:


> Although, I much prefer the National League in general. They play baseball the way it was meant to be.


National League baseball is like watching paint dry. The bottom third of the order is basically an inning off for the opposing pitcher...where the AL has strong hitters 1 to 9.

Might be more "authentic", but so is washing your clothes on a rock by the side of a stream. Give me good pitching and hitting over a few double switches and 8 sacrafice bunts - any day.


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## Relayer (Nov 9, 2005)

I have to agree completely with *brokencycle* regarding how the game was meant to be played.

I prefer to see the managers employing a little strategy, making game-changing decisions, taking chances in the game - a broad element of interesting possibilities that is missing in the American League game because of its current rules.


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## stant62 (Aug 6, 2008)

With the Yankees (sadly) out of the playoffs, I must say the Rays whooping the Red Sox has been a pleasant surprise. Watching thousands of dejected fans walking back to the overpriced parking lots on BU's campus has been quite satisfying.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

stant62 said:


> With the Yankees (sadly) out of the playoffs, I must say the Rays whooping the Red Sox has been a pleasant surprise. Watching thousands of dejected fans walking back to the overpriced parking lots on BU's campus has been quite satisfying.


Though I am an NL guy, I have to say the Rays have been really fun to watch. Worst to first in one season? It's looking entirely possible.


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## mrkleen (Sep 21, 2007)

stant62 said:


> With the Yankees (sadly) out of the playoffs, I must say the Rays whooping the Red Sox has been a pleasant surprise. Watching thousands of dejected fans walking back to the overpriced parking lots on BU's campus has been quite satisfying.


Yeah, almost as bad as finishing in 4th place.


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## JohnHarvard (Oct 7, 2008)

Go Red Sox 
What a good time to live in Boston


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