Boston Red Sox: Rivalry with the Yankees Has Its Full Luster Back
August 4, 2011 · Al Daniel · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
As sacrilegious as this might sound, the concept of having too much of a good thing holds true even when it comes to the greatest rivalry in North American professional sports.
Admit it, Red Sox Nation. Four years ago, you were hardly conflicted over the ALDS matchup between the Yankees and Indians. You were weary of rivalry drama and simply didn’t want to risk losing a playoff round to a New York team featuring two of Boston’s one-time World Series heroes.
But time has passed and times have changed back to normalcy. Right about now, as the Sox and Pinstripes engage one another this weekend tied for what is practically a runaway best record in the American League and two months left until the postseason, a renewed appetite for another ALCS bout must be taking over both fanbases.
For so many reasons, the timing feels right to replenish the rivalry at the stage that defines rivalries.
For starters, consider the wave of new blood in both clubhouses. Seven individual participants from the 2003 and/or 2004 ALCS have since switched to the other side of the rivalry and subsequently departed the rivalry altogether: David Wells, John Olerud, Alan Embree, Mark Bellhorn, Mike Myers, Johnny Damon and Doug Mientkiewicz.
Boston’s only holdovers from 2004 are manager Terry Francona, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield. New York’s only constants are Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez.
And generally speaking, each of those players has a fairly less influential role on their team now than they did seven years ago.
Along with the new wave of personnel is a refreshed sense of purpose, particularly on Boston’s front.
When the Yankees abolished the Twins to claim their passport to the 2004 ALCS, they soon began a five-year drought of playoff series wins, losing to the Sox in historic fashion and then losing three straight Division Series before missing the dance in 2008. Meanwhile, Boston won seven playoff rounds while losing only two and claimed a pair of Commissioner’s Trophies.
But since then, the tables have coincidentally turned on both franchises. The Red Sox are now working on three years without advancing beyond the ALDS. Since losing the 2008 pennant, they have been swept by the Angels in 2009 and missed the playoffs in 2010.
Conversely, since Jonathan Papelbon’s infamous self-destruction in Game 3 of the 2009 ALDS, the Yankees have expelled their demons, winning four straight playoff rounds en route to the 2009 championship and a return trip to the ALCS last autumn.
Odds are the Red Sox and their fans would love nothing more than to flip the fortunes of each team back once again and to do so directly and simultaneously.
Furthermore, what better way to finish the centennial season of baseball at Fenway Park than to have the last American League game of the season come in the form of a victorious endeavor against New York?
By the same token, Yankee fans would surely delight in seeing their team inflict a sour ending to Fenway’s special anniversary, much the same way the Bruins enjoyed dropping a quick curtain on the Montreal Canadiens centennial year in 2009.
And either way, the contesting New England and New York fanbases could take a Sox-Yanks ALCS as their multi-sport rubber match for the year.
The calendar year for these two titanic markets began with the Jets stunning the Patriots in the AFC’s divisional round. Three months later, in a rather less surprising upshot, the Celtics virtually squared the score by sweeping the Knicks out of the NBA playoffs.
And now, the two cities’ American League baseball franchises are likewise knotted in the push for the division title, the top mark in the circuit and, in turn, home-field advantage in the event that they cross paths in mid-October.
Can you crave that? How can you not?
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