Danny Knobler

The day after I wrote a column wondering how good the Red Sox would have been had they signed Mark Teixeira (as they badly wanted to), a Red Sox official told me the same subject had come up in a casual conversation in their office.

Sox fans, apparently, don't agree with me or with their own front office. And they let me know.

From Desa: "This is the best you can come up with after my Sox go 7-0 up on the Yankees? Making up stories about what might have been? Sure, signing Teixeira would have been nice at the right price but the core of the Sox is the farm system, not the free-agent market."

Good points, except that the Sox also tried very hard to sign Teixeira, and considered him the one player they most wanted on last winter's market.

From Steve: "I doubt they miss him, sure his numbers are great. But by all accounts he is not a good clubhouse team member. Look at the NYY dynasty, they were gamers and won 4 championships the went after big name clubhouse cancers. Nothing since. Red Sox are similiar to the that dynasty, not the prettiest but play well as a TEAM. You generally can't buy a title in sports. So I doubt Tex is being missed as much as you say. Arrogant pains are never missed."

Funny how it works in Boston (and most everywhere else). Had Teixeira signed with the Red Sox, he'd have been a perfect fit on a perfect team. But he signed with the Yankees, so he's an arrogant pain.

From Andy: "In 8 years, Teixiera will be bloated, old and over-paid. Just like Giambi was last year. Once again, the Yankees are undone by their gluttony and greed -- and once again they prove why they so well represent everything that is wrong with our country."

And David Ortiz is in top form as he reaches the end of his contract.

There was more on Teixeira, too, this time on the column I wrote after the first game of last weekend's Subway Series.

From Rick: "I hate the Yankees or Bankees, however, Teixeira is killing the ball and they have been good. Nice article, you are right, Tex waddles around the bases and the drop by Castillo is meaningless."

How many players would have run as hard as Teixeira did on the dropped popup? I still say fewer than half. One scout told me yesterday he thinks it's not even close to half, and that almost a week later he's still talking about what Teixeira did. That's a sad commentary on modern baseball, but a great compliment for Teixeira.

Mets fans, by the way, didn't like the column detailing all the crazy losses this year:

From Anahid: "The fans can forget the losses - apparently you cannot. I've followed the Mets since my Dad took me to my first game in 1962. Are we having a tough year - you bet! Are we overcoming it - yes! With as many injuries as we have had, we shouldn't be anywhere near 4 over 500.Why can't you celebrate the fact that we are overcoming adversity, instead of trying to put us down?"

So true Mets fans can forget the losses? Fine, but that means the 40,000 who show up at Citi Field every night ready to boo at the first hint of a mistake must be untrue Mets fans.

Oh, and guess what? Phillies fans aren't happy, either, after yesterday's column on the Phils' struggles to win at home.

From James: "Hey Danny,why aren't they winning? -- They're in first place in the NL East ahead of your New York Chokers. They have the best road record in the game. How bout a positive Phils article once and a while? Your bias is sickening, and you will eat your words just like last October. See you then, Mr. New York."

James, meet Anahid. Anahid, meet James.

And finally, from Rick: "I'm a Phillie fan transplanted to Raleigh, NC. But, if it were my guess, knowing the fan mentality in Phil., the teams all of them are wrapped too tight when they play in town and don't play as loose relaxed as they need, which is essential for high level performance in any field. Also, in the case of the world champion Phillies, lack of focus, due to non-baseball commitments. What do you think?"

I think that when you moved to North Carolina, you gained some perspective. I also think that since the Phillies have annually had good home records, this year's record is harder to explain. And that probably means that by the end of the season, the Phils will have won more at home than they've lost.