When I was chatting with the esteemed Argus sports editor Michael Ryan about what I should write for this column, he begged and pleaded with me to not mention the Red Sox and Yankees. Our friend Michael is from the Amish country of Pennsylvania, a simple place where people ride horse-drawn carriages, churn butter and might not appreciate the intense rivalry between the two teams. He, like other non-Nor’ Easterners at Wesleyan, probably doesn’t give a damn about the Red Sox and Yankees and might even get tired of the back and forth banter that occurs in Middletown, a place that could be considered the Mason-Dixon line of New England roots. You see, to the north are all the “true” New England folk, who many have described as people who like their clam chowder (sorry, chowdah) white and their socks red. Southern Connecticut, on the other hand, consists of New York City wannabees, people who hide their Greenwich genes with Jeter jerseys and should probably be excommunicated.
But I digress. I thought about taking Mike’s advice to wait until the two teams met in the ALCS next month, especially after the Sox didn’t fare too well last weekend in the Bronx. But since there is no guarantee that the Yankees will make the ALCS, I couldn’t help but go against Mr. Ryan’s counsel.
Instead of looking at a preview of the big series this weekend, one in which the Sox will surely dominate and the Yankees will lose Gary Sheffield for the season after his injured right shoulder (which appears to be attached to his torso by a combination of scotch tape and twine) falls off, I thought we might take a trip down memory lane for all who might have forgotten some of the memorable contests played out this season by the two teams. Games that have done a wonderful job of ratcheting up this already Cold War-esque rivalry:
April 25 at New York: Red Sox 2, Yankees 0
The Sox closed out their first sweep in the Bronx in five years and took six of the first seven against the Yankees on the season with this masterpiece by Pedro Martinez, who gave up four hits and struck out seven in seven innings. After a 12 inning win the night before, Manny Ramirez gave the Sox all the runs they needed with a two-run homer in the fourth.
But the greatest moment in the game, and probably one of the finest sports memories in my 21 years, was the Yankee fans loudly booing Derek Jeter after he struck out three times and extended his hitless streak to 25 at bats. DEREK JETER! The person who would undeservedly get his bum wiped by any Yankees fan from here to Japan was booed at Yankee Stadium. Wonderful.
July 1 at New York: Yankees 5, Red Sox 4 (13 innings)
Ok, so I guess I must mention a Yankees win. Some balance is needed after all. And this one was not a pretty moment in the season of the Sox. After the Yanks made the Sox look bad in the first two games of the series, Boston at least looked like they could save some face in a match-up between Pedro and minor leaguer Brad Halsey. After trailing 3-0, the Sox tied it in the seventh, and the score stayed the same until the thirteenth despite many opportunities. The Yanks and Sox combined to leave the bases loaded four times. In the twelfth, the Sox had a runner on second when Jeter made his now legendary diving play into the stands to save two runs. Now, I must admit that Jeter’s play was nice, but one of the greatest plays ever, as some have said? Most definitely not. Yes, it saved runs, but anyone could find a better catch in the same game, when Pokey Reese jackknifed over the infield wall and still held onto the ball in the fifth.
I was in attendance at this crushing game, in the upper deck until the ninth inning when what seemed like half of all the fans in the stadium left with the game still tied! That is New York loyalty for you. I managed to have an ENTIRE row to myself three rows behind home plate, and could be seen jovially prancing back and forth in the thirteenth when Ramirez hit what seemed to be the game-winning home run. Unfortunately, I then had to hang my head in shame (and escape the Bronx quickly) when the Yankees had a two out, two run rally in the bottom of the inning to win what many said was possibly the greatest game in the history of this rivalry.
July 24 at Boston: Red Sox 11, Yankees 10
The day after the Yanks pulled out a crushing one run victory to pull ahead in first place by 9 1/2 games, the Sox found themselves staring at a potentially backbreaking loss when they fell behind 3-0 in the third. That was when Bronson Arroyo unintentionally plunked A-Rod with an inside pitch and A-Rod decided that making 25 million and having an average season suddenly qualified him as a “tough-guy.” Jason Varitek took exception and a war of words ensued. It didn’t take long for Tek’s mitt to end up in A-Rod’s face, the dugouts to quickly empty and a few enjoyable under-card battles to ensue. It is unclear what Varitek said to get A-Rod so heated, but there is a rumor that it went something like: “We don’t throw at .260 hitters.” Whether he said it or not, it is still probably the best line ever uttered to a man with frosted tips.
The Sox took the lead the next inning, fell behind again and then won it on an incredible Bill Mueller three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Mariano Rivera in what probably turned the season around for the then mediocre Sox.
I would have loved to talk about Rivera blowing yet another save against Boston last weekend, but if you have made it this far into my rambling column, then the game is probably still fresh in your memory. Needless to say, the rivalry has lived up to the hype this season with three more to go at Fenway. If we’re lucky, there might be seven more in the ALCS. If the Yankees can make it that far.
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