Yanks, Sawx
This is it, as it always seems to, the Major League baseball season has boiled down to one inevitable truth; The Yankees versus the Red Sox is the most storied and talked about rivalry in the history of sports. And it is the most sustained dramatic episode in the landscape of the sporting world, the most current incarnation of which has stretched over the past 8-10 years. You can give me all the rhetoric in the world, “just a typical northeast bias,” “nobody outside of Yanks and Sawx fans really care,” “it is fall and football is what matters,” “nobody really likes baseball anymore.” I have one word for all of that, BULLSHIT.
Everyone here takes a side, there is no middle ground. It is not unlike President Bush’s declaration shortly after September 11 “You are either with the terrorists, or you are with us, no distinction will be made.” Now you can call the Yankees the “terrorists” in this equation or the “Evil Empire.” Call them what you want, as long as the games matter that is all Yankee fans care about. Nobody is calling the Royals anything, why, they don’t play games that matter.
Baseball is steeped in the tradition of each city where these teams have played for such a long time. Yes there are great rivalries in football, both pro and college, and in basketball, but not like this. The teams virtues and values are engrained within the people who surround the stadium and buy the tickets. They bleed the colors their team wears. Ask Red Sox fans what last year felt like; I know one Sox fan who claimed that his life was now complete, and this was an intelligent learned man. Not just some dumb Irishmen from Waltham.
Oh, you want to try and disagree that this is the single most important sporting event since the last time these two teams met last fall? Well then think about this, who won the World Series two years ago? Kind of hard to remember, the Marlins did. Can you visualize anything that happened in that Marlins series, can you close your eyes and see one moment from that series? No, you can’t. What happened in the ALCS that year? The Yanks beat the Sawx on Aaron Boone’s walk off homerun into the Bronx night. Now close your eyes, you can see Boone running to first arms outstretched. Last year, the Sawx beat the Cardinals in the World Series. How many people actually watched that series? Well according to the ratings not nearly as many as watched the ALCS. What happened in the ALCS? The Sawx became the first team to come back from an 0-3 hole. Can you close your eyes and see anything that happened in the Cardinals series? No, but you can close your eyes and see Curt Schilling, ketchuped sock and all, mowing down the Yankees one by one, and the Johnny Damon’s game 7 homeruns.
This series is also important for one more reason; it will most likely determine who will be named MVP in the American League. Now we all know I love A-Rod and always have, but I also love Big Papi, how could you not? I have been a supporter of Big Papi all season for MVP. Recently, however, A-Rod has picked up his play and really started coming through in some important spots, and then you look at the fact that in the last 90 games he has only made 1 error you think, hey maybe he should be the MVP. Then the Bell tolled one last time for Big Papi. His team down a full game going into the night and after seeing the Yankees had won against Baltimore he shifted gears into MVP mode. All he did was tie the game with his 47th homerun of the season. That became the 20th time that Ortiz had tied the game or given his team the lead with a homerun this season. Then in the bottom of the ninth he strolled to the plate and took a slider the other way for the game winning hit. His teams season was on the line, everything, the defense of their World Championship was gone, the Yankees had a 2 game lead with three to play. Impossible for the Sawx to get a sweep like that, but indeed they did not have to, because Papi raised up and drove in another huge run for the Sawx
Yanks, Sawx, it always comes down to this, it is the only thing that matters.
Everyone here takes a side, there is no middle ground. It is not unlike President Bush’s declaration shortly after September 11 “You are either with the terrorists, or you are with us, no distinction will be made.” Now you can call the Yankees the “terrorists” in this equation or the “Evil Empire.” Call them what you want, as long as the games matter that is all Yankee fans care about. Nobody is calling the Royals anything, why, they don’t play games that matter.
Baseball is steeped in the tradition of each city where these teams have played for such a long time. Yes there are great rivalries in football, both pro and college, and in basketball, but not like this. The teams virtues and values are engrained within the people who surround the stadium and buy the tickets. They bleed the colors their team wears. Ask Red Sox fans what last year felt like; I know one Sox fan who claimed that his life was now complete, and this was an intelligent learned man. Not just some dumb Irishmen from Waltham.
Oh, you want to try and disagree that this is the single most important sporting event since the last time these two teams met last fall? Well then think about this, who won the World Series two years ago? Kind of hard to remember, the Marlins did. Can you visualize anything that happened in that Marlins series, can you close your eyes and see one moment from that series? No, you can’t. What happened in the ALCS that year? The Yanks beat the Sawx on Aaron Boone’s walk off homerun into the Bronx night. Now close your eyes, you can see Boone running to first arms outstretched. Last year, the Sawx beat the Cardinals in the World Series. How many people actually watched that series? Well according to the ratings not nearly as many as watched the ALCS. What happened in the ALCS? The Sawx became the first team to come back from an 0-3 hole. Can you close your eyes and see anything that happened in the Cardinals series? No, but you can close your eyes and see Curt Schilling, ketchuped sock and all, mowing down the Yankees one by one, and the Johnny Damon’s game 7 homeruns.
This series is also important for one more reason; it will most likely determine who will be named MVP in the American League. Now we all know I love A-Rod and always have, but I also love Big Papi, how could you not? I have been a supporter of Big Papi all season for MVP. Recently, however, A-Rod has picked up his play and really started coming through in some important spots, and then you look at the fact that in the last 90 games he has only made 1 error you think, hey maybe he should be the MVP. Then the Bell tolled one last time for Big Papi. His team down a full game going into the night and after seeing the Yankees had won against Baltimore he shifted gears into MVP mode. All he did was tie the game with his 47th homerun of the season. That became the 20th time that Ortiz had tied the game or given his team the lead with a homerun this season. Then in the bottom of the ninth he strolled to the plate and took a slider the other way for the game winning hit. His teams season was on the line, everything, the defense of their World Championship was gone, the Yankees had a 2 game lead with three to play. Impossible for the Sawx to get a sweep like that, but indeed they did not have to, because Papi raised up and drove in another huge run for the Sawx
Yanks, Sawx, it always comes down to this, it is the only thing that matters.
1 Comments:
Totally agree. You make some very good point sabout the rivalry. I hate the Yanks and enjoy red Sox misery almost as much as I love the Amazin Mutts, but their games are always classic. I am really looking forward to the series this weekend. And actually hope the Sox win 2 of 3 Sundays game goes 20 innings so that Mondays game is played with nothing but passion, heart, emotion, and will.....but then again isn't the enitre series going to be like that! I love this time of year, regardless who's in it, and I'm routing for the Sox and Indians for 1 simple reason. Just so I can watch Aaron Boone propell the Injuns into the World Series with a game 7 walk off HR....OHHHHH the irony!!!
At this point I'm similiar to you in that both Arod and Papi are pretty deserving of the award. I of course favor Arod, but won't be as upset if Papi wins it. The man truely is amazing in the clutch!
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