Some Kind of Rivalry!

I wrote this article watching the Yankees and Boston play on Sunday. Something funny happened that day. The Yankees started playing like the Cubs. I have never seen a team just lose it like the Yanks did. Ohhh wait, last year in the NLCS... anyway that's a whole 'nother story.

As a midwesterner I must admit I do not like all the hype Red Sox/Yanks gets. But I was just as wrapped up in that series as anyone. I'm happy I was wrong on what I said below.



VERSUS




Let's review:

1978 AL East One Game Playoff: New York 5 - Boston 4 (Bucky F%^&*n' Dent).
1999 ALCS: New York over Boston 4 games to 1.
2003 ALCS: New York over Boston 4 games to 3 (Aaron F%^&*n' Boone).
2004 ALCS: New York over Boston 4 games to .

As much as Fox and ESPN want to sell this as "the best rivalry in sports". I don't see it. The Red Sox try, try and try some more. But whenever anything is at stake the Yankees win.

Boston's obsession with the Yankees probably is the best in sports. I have no doubt that 99.9% of Red Sox Nation hates the Yankees. In New York, the Red Sox are just a nuissance. They're just another speed bump on the Yanks way to their birth right: the AL Pennant and eventual World Series Title.

One sided rivalries ain't much fun. Take a look at the Packer/Bear rivalry which has died. This Yankee/Red Sox rivalry can't get any more one-sided. Still, Fox and ESPN have shoved this thing down our throats for years. If the teams played anywhere but the East Coast it would probably be called out by the National Media as the biggest mythical rivalry in sports.

Watching this past series, I am starting to wonder if the BoSox will ever be able to beat the Yanks when it matters. Before this series, like most baseball fans, I thought this would be the year Boston would win. If they can't do it with Schilling, Pedro, Foulke and the best offense on the planet, will they ever?

When the Sox beat the Yanks with something at stake, it'll be a rivalry. Until that day, sorry Red Sox fans your team is just a speed bump.

How stupid can a guy be? That was such a gritty performance by the Red Sox. But something happened in the series. In Extra Innings in Games 4 & 5 the Yankees started playing not to lose. Joe Torre teams never did that! The breaks started going the Red Sox way. The Red Sox played outstanding baseball. The Yankees just didn't have the starting pitchers they have had recently.