The Great Rivalry

Girardi Cries Over Spilled Milk

     Apparently, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi thinks that when Brad Penny drilled Alex Rodriguez during the Red Sox' 4-3 win on Thursday, it was on purpose. Excellent deduction Joe.

     This leads me to two conclusions. Either A) A-Rod wasn't aware that the Yankees were due for a hit batsman (which I thought was unlikely, considering the classy way he took his base after a 97 mph heater to the ribs), and Girardi was defending him, or B) Girardi was unaware that the Yankees are owed a serious amount of beanballs.

     Girardi apparently complained to the media about the beaning on Friday, and also called the Commisioner's Office to look into the matter. You know what the League Office is going to see, Joe?

     They're going to see Joba throwing at Kevin Youkilis so many times you can't count on one hand over the last two years, including 3 - 3 times at his head.

     They're going to see that Yankee pitchers have hit 9 Boston batters to the Red Sox' two before this incident.

     They're going to see Bay get nailed twice last time the two teams played, both times by fastballs between the numbers.

     They're going to see, after Bay's second beaning, the entire Red Sox clubhouse talk about how it couldn't be unintentional at that point, and how they basically openly declared they were going to police this themselves. The Office will also see Manny Delcarmen try to hit Jeter twice on Wednesday night, though fail miserably both times. If the league didn't step in after all this, they clearly know what all of baseball knows.

     New York had it coming. Someone was going to get hit this series, the Yankees deserved it. The league knew it, Boston knew it, all the fans knew it, the umpires knew it, and they all knew that the Sox owed New York one. Apparently everyone but New York, or at least Girardi knows it.

     The problem with Girardi's comments isn't that he was just saying the right things. I could understand that. But to talk about it again Friday, and to call the League about it?

     Look, I've always thought Joe Girardi was a good players' manager and a great baseball person. He, of all people, should know this situation. For him to go crying to the Commisioner over this, well, it just doesn't look good on him.

     Maybe he was just upset about losing to the Sox again, for the eighth time this season. Maybe he was upset because he thought his ace could take Brad Penny, only to watch Penny keep the Yankees quiet with high-nineties stuff all night while the Red Sox finally broke through and chased the Hefty Lefty out of the eighth. Maybe he was upset because the New York bullpen couldn't stop the bleeding in time, while he has to watch the Red Sox' bullpen be far and away the best in the game.

     Either way, Joe, I know you're a classy guy, so just please, get over it.

    -Matt

Another Good Day?

    Beating the Yankees 7-0 can't get much sweeter than the linescore, but there was a lot to be happy about in this one.

    Beckett goes 6 dominant innings. 2 hits, 8 K's. He was filthy for most of the outing, though he did use a lot of pitches. He was into the 70's in the fourth. Beckett had everything working last night, especially his two-seamer. What a great pitch to have for Teixiera. Beckett had a no-hitter into the fourth, when Pedroia nearly made a patented Pedey play. Going hard to his left, Pedroia got to a ball that was much closer to the right-field line then the second base bag (it was just a few feet away from Youkilis). He did a little hop-up-spin as only Pedroia can, and had the runner dead, but he lost the ball in transition. I know there's been a lot of speculation as to who's the best second baseman in the game, and I know that Kinsler is a great hitter, Hill is a great all-around player, but nobody comes close to making that play. Pedey has got to be the best defensive second baseman in the majors.

    Ortiz goes deep. Very deep. Ortiz took Burnett for a serious ride in the second, putting up a two spot en route to chasing AJ early. This was his most solid homer of the year, not a squeker into the camera well (a feat in itself, to be sure), or a Pesky Pole dinger. This one was a dozen rows back into centerfield. I think I'm starting to regain confidence in the big fellow. He could very well break out here sometime, and there would be no better time than the present. As far as the other hitters go, Bay is struggling a bit right now. He's still driving in runs, but he's hitting .270 something on the year. The .340 average was not to be expected, but Bay is one of the most consistent hitters in the game. If I were to bet on anyones batting average, I'd put money on Bay hitting .280.

    Bard hits 100. Awesome. I think Bard might be smarter than Papelbon with his heat, too. Don't get me wrong, Papelbon blasting 96's by Alex Rodriguez is fun to watch, but A-Rod is a great hitter, and trying to ring him up has burned us in the past. Bard seems to just want outs. Even though he was hitting triple-digits with ease, he was trying to bust A-Rod in, and went after some guys with the breaking ball, eventually getting Cano swinging. This kid is legit.

    Last night's game was the one I had the most confidence in. Beckett is unhittable right now. Tonight I put our chances at exactly 50%. Timmy will be great or get shelled. Maybe he'll be great for 5 innings, then get knocked out. Who knows, but Wang certainly hasn't been inspiring lately, that's for sure. Could be a slugfest.

    Thanks for stopping in,

    -Matt

A Good Day

     Saturday night's contest versus the Texas Rangers has been one of the brightest spots of the past month or so, for a medley of reasons:

     1. Jon Lester. Brilliant. I don't know when the last time was I saw a pitcher deal like that. Vintage Pedro, maybe? Maybe. Lester was perfect for six and a third, with a ridiculous 10 K's through the first six. After the first couple of inning I stopped guessing what pitch he was going to use to ring guys up because he was mixing so well, and I can only imaging what the Rangers batters were going through up there. The fastball was sitting in the mid-90's, with pinpoint control and was absolutely unhittable. The curve was going where he wanted it to, the cutter was acting like a Randy Johnson slider, just attacking the feet of (swinging) right-handed batters. Even the changeup was on tonight. Best pitching performance of any pitcher this year, best performance of his career, better than last years no-no, hands down, especially the first six frames. Outstanding.

     2. Papi goes yard. Sure, it's a foul ball down the line in any other park in the majors, but you know what? It's an HR for David Ortiz, and I'll will take quite literally ANYTHING we get for him right now.

     3. Timely hitting. Pedey, Ellsbury, Ortiz, Lowell, the list goes on. The Sox offense was working last night, and I hope to see more of it.

     With our bullpen far and away the best in the game, and our starters and hitters now (dare I say it?) firing on all cylinders, and with interleague play coming up - a time of year the Sox usually dominate, look for boston to go on a serious run here and look to put us in a good position over the East by the Break.

     With everything looking hunky-dory (Dice-K's Sunday start pending), I think we're ready for New York. With the team running like this, in our house, this is the time to put us up a few games to start interleague play.

     This will be my first 'Rivalry' series with this column, so I am really looking forward to it. Hope you guys check in.

    

Waiting patiently for Father Smoltz,

    -Matt

Short Hops and Quick Thoughts

     First, on some news around the league:

     Randy Johnson goes for 300: Johnson was one of the most dominant pitchers of our generation, and, frankly, probably the most entertaining pitcher in decades. Coincidentally, he will try for 300 against the Nationals, the franchise that drafted and developed him over two decades ago. He is chalk-full of accomplishments, 5 Cy Youngs, a World Championship, more strikeout titles than I care to count. He ain't what he used to be, but he's still a future Hall of Famer, and I will have no problem if he is the last 300 game winner in Major League history.

     This Manny being in the All-Star game thing is starting to annoy me, to be honest. The issue is apparently whether or not Manny should be allowed to play in the All-Star Game, if elected. I don't see why or how it's an issue. Last time I checked, you and I pay Manny's salary, the other 749 players' salaries, and we get one day a year to influence a game, and this is it. If the fans want to see Manny, then guess what, Manny plays, end of story. For Selig (who, I may add, is on my payroll as well) to say that he'll nix it, or even 'take a look at the situation', or whatever he said, is an insult to the fan base as far as I'm concerned. This is just another example of Selig's administration taking the smallest thing and making it an issue.

     They should have seen this coming and just taken him off the ballot. If I was Selig, or the league, and could work it out with the union, I'd have the rule state that if you're not playing in the MLB because you didn't want to play by the MLB's rules, you aren't part of the MLB, which means no games, no pay, no votes. Id have him off the ballot until he suits up for a game again. If he gets voted in in that week and a half somehow, good for him, let him play, no worries. As it is, I don't think there's much the league can do. If Manny gets voted in (I don't support the idea), then the majority of fans (or fans that care enough to vote) want to see him there, and if Selig stops that, it'll be the most anti-fan move outside of the NHL.

     Also, for the people that think that the All-Star game is a 'flawed system', and is ruined by ballot-stuffers, you know what? You're right. But you'll have a hard time convincing me that Manny might get in unfairly because only Dodger fans and Manny Ramirez fans are stuffing the boxes. Something tells me that maybe it isn't the majority of baseball fans who elect Jeter every year. If you don't like that, you can overvote for everybody else to even the odds, file a complaint with Major League Baseball, or get used to it.

     In more specifically Red Sox news, I think I'm losing patience with David Ortiz. Not even the normal 2009 patience, either. After about three weeks of the slump, I was basically resigned to automatic outs when he came up. Now I think I like Varitek over Ortiz. Really. All week you could basically sit and call the swings and misses when Papi came up. I really don't know how to feel. On one hand, there are all of those RBI's over the past half-decade, as well as the knowledge that Ortiz could, theoretically, with one good series become a fearsome bat again. On the other hand, there are are few other numbers. Namely .187, Ortiz' batting average going into Wednesday nights game. There is .282, his OBP, and my favourite, 1. You all know what that stands for. Either way, we don't have long to wait. He's been dropped, which is about all we can do for now. His judgement day is coming, as interleague play will be the test he will either pass or fail, making him the DH or a PH for the rest of the year.

     Speaking of the lineup changes, I have to say Francona put together a pretty healthy lineup, despite the oddities. Ellsbury doesn't have the patience to be an effective leadoff hitter, so he's down to eighth. Personally, I'd hit him 6th or 7th, as he is a very good hitter, plus I want that speed as high as I can get it. Pedey is an effective leadoff man, Drew was, as far as I'm concerned, born for the top of the order, with his careful approach and respectable wheels. Youk and Bay are a formidable 3-4 pair, and Lowell is a natural 5th hitter.

     Where has Julio Lugo gone. He can't hit, he can't field, but I do miss the little guy. He's as good a fielder as Green, if not as dependable. And he was hitting decently before he disappeared. Management says he isn't at 100%, but I would like to see him out there again.

     Terry Francona wins 500 as Sox manager. Sure, he isn't the greatest field manager in the majors. He likes consistency, and isn't very radical most times. And sure, he's had his sare of 'coma moments. But I think he's probably the best players manager in the game, and one of the most well-prepared baseball people around. It's why the FO likes him, and it's why I like him. It's why he's already among elite all-time Sox skippers, and why I hope he'll win 500 more.

     Thanks,

    -Matt

Pettitte Keeps Rolling

The talk in the offseason was all about C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett and how they would reinvent the New York Yankees starting rotation. Andy Pettitte? Well he was an afterthought. That afterthought has again shown that he is a winner and a steady member of the rotation that eats innings and wins games. Pettitte is still one of the important ingredients for this team.

At 36 (he turns 37 on June 15) Pettitte may not be the pitcher he was a few years ago, but with a 4-1 record he is the winningest pitcher on the staff and has averaged more than 6 innings per start. His 4.30 ERA is more than respectible. Andy is not a top of the rotation guy anymore but putting him up against other teams number 4 or 5 starters gives the Yankees a huge advantage.

When you look at successful teams, in addition to having a solid number 1 and 2 pitcher, they also have that "Steady Eddie" guy at the back of their rotation that can eat up innings and give your team a chance to win almost everytime they start. Andy Pettitte has become that guy for the Bronx Bombers. I look at the Phillies with Jamie Moyer and the Red Sox with Tim Wakefield. Compare the three and the Yankees are way ahead of the game! Hopefully Pettitte can continue to be this guy for the Yankees for years to come!

I Was About to...

...write a piece about how I thought Papelbon might have been better than ever this season, until he served up a gopher to Santos in the top of the 9th tonight. Alas, it doesn't change the pitcher he is, so here's the piece:

     In the first three weeks or so, I had begun to wonder if he had begun to falter. The worries were legitimate. Pap was walking or giving up hits to at least one or two men per appearance, and was bringing the heat at around 92, 93 mph, about 5 tics less than his usual self. And when a blazing fastball is 80% of his arsenal, that's a legitimate concern.

     However, in the last few weeks, he has regained my belief in him as the most dominant mound presence in the game of baseball. There was that game a couple of weeks ago where he put tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with no outs, then cranked it up to 97, 98 to get three K's. That reinstated my belief in his fastball.

     Also, I've noticed a ridiculous two-seam fastball. I'm not sure if he is purposely throwing a two-seamer or just letting the ball run a bit, but when it breaks, it BREAKS. I mean 6, 7 inches of tailing action on a 95 mph pitch. Unhittable. Combine that with the upper-90's "rising" fastball, a good splitter, and a developing slider, and Papelbon might have the best stuff out of the bullpen this side of Fransisco Rodriguez.

     Plus, besides tonight's 'Fenway taketh away' blown save, Pap had been perfect in 11 save opportunities, dropped his ERA to 0.95 and raised his K/9 to nearly 10. He has, essentially, been Papelbon.

     I wrote a bit on the intricacies of Papelbons situation in the organization on my MLBLog a while ago, check that out if you're interested.

     Even tonight was not a poor performance for Papelbon. Despite blowing the lead, the save, and the game, he gave up just the one hittable pitch, and even then, to be fair, Santos put a hell of a hack on it.

    This series has been disappointing so far, dropping two to the Mets, but there's a lot to be heartened by. Friday night doesn't count because frankly, there isn't a team on the planet that can hit Johan Santana. The only pitcher I would put in his league right now is Roy Halladay, and Jake Peavy, #3 in my book, is a distant #3. However, Johan stinks at Fenway, and the Sox did get a few good swing in against him. In that game, Daisuke made his comeback, and if Lugo doesn't make his error, Dice probably goes 6 strong, allowing two runs and just a couple of walks. He pounded the stike zone for most of that game (especially for him), which warms my heart in the best way.

     Tonight was something to take warmly to as well. Beckett was the Beckett we'll need to go the distance this year, 8 innings without an earned run, and deserved a much better fate. Lowell made a nice play, displaying yet again how valuable his glove is over there, and how far over that hip surgery he is. And, as I mentioned, Pap was strong, making David Wright and another Met look bad. If only we could get that one pitch back. Oh well, that's baseball, right?

     In other positive news, I think we all know what happened on Wednesday night at Fenway. Big Papi David Ortiz went deep to straightaway center for his first jack of '09. This was probably the most exciting moment of the season, right up there with the steal of home and the walkoff win against the Yanks a couple of weeks ago.

     Anyways, I can't wait to see if the Sox can get a 'W' for all the positives they've put together in the past couple of days.

     Let's go Tim-may!

    -Matt

About Time

     The Red Sox are finally sitting Ortiz. After Papi single-handedly left 12 men on base Thursday night in his latest show of ineptitude, Sox management has done the unthinkable, but probably necessary. David Ortiz will get one day to get his head clear, then two more days (while the team faces lefties) to get ready for Fenway and an attempt at a midseason recovery.

     He got Friday night off, and will presumably get the rest of the series and the weekend off as well. He will be back in there Tuesday, though I'm not sure if it will be in the 3 hole or not.

     As much as I hate to say this, this is something the Sox really needed to do. I was going to give them another week before moving him down, but they could have done this anytime this month, really. Unfortunately, they don't get Youkilis back for a few more days, so losing Papi couldn't have come at a worse time (assuming he could be a productive bat). I think the Sox will scrape by in their absence, though. Ellsbury is hot, Pedroia, Bay and Lowell are all hitting, and even Drew and Lugo are heating up at the dish. What scares me are the hitters 6-9. In that span, Varitek is probably their biggest offensive threat.

     Unfortunately, I am still undecided about Ortiz' comeback. The last few weeks I've found myself not even considering the possibility of a bomb when he steps in. A wall-ball double, maybe, but no jacks. I know he almost certainly will not be returning to the 140 RBI behemoth he once was, but now it's looking like the '08 Ortiz might even be a stretch. I mean, the Sox tried to let him get it together, but if this doesn't work, and if moving him down in the lineup doesn't work, then what...? I guess they could bring up Lars Andersen or Chris Carter (despite the fact that he looked awful up there earlier this season). Frank Thomas doesn't have a home yet... Boston doesn't have a lot of depth options right now to cover for Ortiz' loss. If they lose him, they lose much more than a bat. They lose an important 'L' beside his name in the batting order. They have already lost his presence, the fear he instilled in opposing pitchers.

     Right now, I think the Sox just take this in stride. When Youk comes back, the lineup will be back to a strong top six hitters, which is better than a lot of teams. Right now, my number one concern is the starting pitching. You can't win without it. The Sox have been lucky so far this season - a dominant bullpen and timely hitting have made up for the lack of starting pitching, but they can't play six months without a few guys having some sustained success, and expect to win.

     Getting seven strong from Beckett tonight would be a huge bonus for the Sox.

     Thanks for stopping in,

    -Matt

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Time to Win

The Yankees are slow starters. C.C. Sabathia is a slow starter. Mark Teixeira always starts slow. Wait until the Yankees get A-Rod back. I could probably fill the page with these statements. The bottom line is that Joe Girardi has been given more talent then any manager in a generation this year and the Yankees need to start playing up to their capabilities. Coming into mid May and being in fourth place 5 1/2 games out while 2 games under .500 is just not acceptable.

One could blame the losses to the Red Sox as the reason the Bombers are behind in the standings and that is a plausible reason statistically. But could it be deeper? Could it be that Joe Girardi is not the man to manage this type of talent and these types of players? When Girardi was successful in Florida, he had a bunch of no name kids and was able to help them develop. He made them act like a team and stretched them a bit to play better than they were capable at that point in their careers.

Now he has some of the best talent in baseball and in his second season we are seeing some of the same trends. 30 games into the season we should not still be talking about slow starts. These players need to take more batting practice or work more with the pitching coach on mechanics or deal with whatever the issue is that is getting them behind in the American League East.

This team has what it takes to win 100 games. I am just not sure that Joe Girardi is the manager to get them to that level. The time to win is now Joe. Get this team together and get them playing up to their potential or you will be back calling games on Fox!

Dom DiMaggio Passes at 92

     Being fairly young as a Sox fan, I have spent the past 5 years or so catching up on my Red Sox history. Of course, probably the most important era of Red Sox history was probably the 40's Red Sox. I always enjoyed reading about them. Dimaggio, Pesky, Williams, Doerr. Two Hall of Famers, four war veterans, four stand up guys, three of whom have their numbers hung on the right-field facade of Fenway Park. These four men were probably the best collection of teammates, and more importantly, friends, in Sox history.

     According to the official MLB.com release, DiMaggio, "The Little Prfoessor", a seven-time All-Star, died surrounded by his family at his home in Massachusets late last night.

     Dominic DiMaggio spent his entire career being overshadowed by the giants he grew up with (Joe) and the giants he played with (Williams, Doerr, Foxx). He was a career .298 hitter with acceptable power, good speed, and was one of the premier defensive outfielders of his time. He was a very important table-setter, along with Pesky, for those aforementioned sluggers (scored 243 runs in '50-'51, and 1046 over his short career). More importantly, he hit the ball and made it go - he ran the bases fast, not slow - and was better than his brother, Joe - he was Dominic DiMaggio. I'm sorry if you don't get that reference, young 'uns.

     Ted Williams spent the better part of the second half of the 19th century trying to get DiMaggio and Pesky HoF consideration. To be fair, they were both not even close to Hall of Famers as far as production goes. But add in lost war years (DiMaggio lost three to the Navy) and I think they have a chance. I agree with Williams in that DiMaggio was probably one of the most underrated MLB players ever, and maybe the best player not in the Hall. Aside from the lost WWII years, DiMaggio also felt disrespected by the Red Sox, and retired early, three games into the 1953 season at age 36, after hitting .294 the previous year.

     Now comes the number retirement discussion. DiMaggio had a good, but not legendary career. And unlike Pesky, who was a Sox lifer for a half century (and counting) after his departure from the team, DiMaggio isn't a guy who is associated with the team as intimately as some others, some who had their numbers retired for that reason. I mean, DiMaggio was a stand up guy - for years, while running a successful upholstry business, he donated all proceeds from autograph sessions to pension-less ex-ball players. I think I'd like to see the number 7 up there simply because the other three teammates are up there.

     Dom was one of my favourite characters in Sox lore, and I feel like a big piece of the fabric of Red Sox history was lost today. Best wishes to Emily, his wife of 61 years, and their family,

    -Matt

Manny Being Manny v. 2009

     So far in 2009, Manuel Ramirez has had next to no shenanigans. There was the rumor in April that he was already talking about waiving his player option and going to Cleveland next year, but that was dismissed mainly as just that - a rumor.

     Yesterday, baseball was (I wouldn't 'rocked', but...) surprised with the news that Manny had tested positive for an unnamed PED, and was handed a 50 game suspension. As a sox fan, I had to smile, but as a baseball fan, this is getting old. Now, Manny claims that he has tested negative fifteen times over the past five years, that this was a one-time instance brought on by taking soemthing prescribed by a physician for a personal 'health issue'. I have some issues with the sketchy details, but I believe him, actually. I just hope (and I'm pretty sure that) this won't go down as another 'Manny being Manny' episode.

     Manny being Manny is double-gunslinger fingers. It's sitting on a ball. It's high-fiving fans in mid-play, it's having questionable injuries late in the season, it's skipping team photo's annually. It's driving in clutch runs in pinch-hit appearances after all of Fenway thought he was traded. Manny being Manny died, for me, last summer. Around the blatantly fake injuries, the secretary shoving, the public fury at the Front office, Manny turned into the show some now call Mannywood. Go ahead and embrace that, LA. However, failing to double-check a prescription given out by a doctor (assuming the story checks out) is not Manny being Manny, not anymore. It is being ignorant, arrogant, irresponsible or at the very least, incompetent, but it is not being Manny.

     Of course the big question now is how Manny's career will now be viewed. I dont think it hurts his legacy a bit, to be honest. I think his 533 HR's are legit, his 1745 RBI's should count, his .315 career batting average and his legendary 1.006 OPS are for real. If anything, I think this instance will only add to his legacy. Unfortunately, I think it is the cherry on top of a series of phenomena that have regrettably turned a legendary career into an elaborate joke.

     Anyways, the next few days and weeks should be fun watching this thing unfold.

     Thanks,

    -Matt

First Post

     Hey, everybody! My name is Matt, and I guess I'm a new author for MyTeamRivals/The Great Rivalry. I'm totally new at this, so forgive my nativity, though I have been running an MLBlog since the winter. Feel free to check that out at mattshaw.mlblogs.com.

     I just wanted to throw a first post out there to try and get a grasp of this new site. I am under the impression that I will be covering the Red Sox side of the greatest rivalry in sports, which includes thoughts and comments on the team both in and out of the context of the rivalry.

     Thanks for being present for my maiden voyage,

    -Matt

Joba: Starter or Reliever?

Is Joba Chamberlain a starter or reliever? Should the Yankees keep him in the rotation or is he better suited in the bullpen? What should the team do?

Joba Chamberlain is a great talent that came onto the scene and was lights out in the bullpen. Yes he is a starter, and yes he could be an effective starter at the big league level, but the Yankees should use him in the pen.

He has had great success in the pen, how many players have great success at the big league level in any role? Very few. He could become a starter, get hit around, lose his confidence, and ruin his career. Even if that is not the case, will he be as dominating as a starter as he is a reliever? That would be hard to believe and is yet to be the case.

The bullpen is weaker that the starting rotation right now. Yes they will need a number 5 pitcher but Phil Hughes looks like he may finally be able to help. Besides, what is more needed, a number 5 starter or someone to close out the eighth inning and get the ball to Mariano?

Joba could also know his role and get comfortable with being one of the pen men. Mariano Rivera is not getting any younger and Joba could learn from Rivera and be groomed to be the teams next closer. Imagine what a career he could have in front of him as a closer for the Yankees.

The Bronx Bombers need to put Joba Chamberlain in the bullpen where he belongs. It makes sense for the team. It makes sense for Joba. After the first inning of tonight's game, it just makes baseball sense.

Yankees vs. Red Sox 5/5/2009: Lineup and Game Chat

After getting swept in Boston and losing the opener to the Red Sox yesterday, the Yankees look to return to their winning ways against the Red Sox tonight. Joba Chamberlain takes the hill for the Bombers while the Bo Sox counter with Josh Beckett. Below are the lineups and feel free to discuss the game in the comments section.

Lineups:
Red Sox:

1. Ellsbury CF
2. Pedroia 2B
3. Ortiz DH
4. Bay LF
5. Lowell 3B
6. Drew RF
7. Bailey 1B
8. Varitek C
9. Green SS

Beckett P

Yankees:

1. Jeter SS
2. Damon LF
3. Teixeira 1B
4. Matsui DH
5. Cano 2B
6. Swisher RF
7. Cabrera CF
8. Pena 3B
9. Molina C

Chamberlain P

New Author

The Bronx Daily is excited to announce that Ivan will be joining our team as a contributing writer for The Bronx Daily and The Great Rivalry.

Welcome Ivan!

Remember to check out our homepage My Team Rivals and our Mets, Yankees, Rangers, Giants, Jets, Knicks, Yankees Red Sox Rivalry, and Mets Phillies Rivalry page!

Red Sox Author Needed

Are you a Red Sox fan that loves their team? Have you always wanted your own blog? Now is your chance! MyTeamRivals is looking for someone to write a Red Sox blog and contribute to the Yankees Red Sox rivalry pages. There is no charge and a chance for revenue opportunity.

What's the catch? Only that you write regularly on the blog and keep your readers informed of all things Red Sox. Get in on the fun of blogging, email us for more information today.

Bill@myteamrivals.com

Are you a Red Sox fan that loves their team? Have you always wanted your own blog? Now is your chance! MyTeamRivals is looking for someone to write a Red Sox blog and contribute to the Yankees Red Sox rivalry pages. There is no charge and a chance for revenue opportunity.

What's the catch? Only that you write regularly on the blog and keep your readers informed of all things Red Sox. Get in on the fun of blogging, email us for more information today.

Bill@myteamrivals.com

Yankees Look to Keep Red Sox Losing

The New York Yankees will host the final fourth of July series at The House That Ruth Built beginning tonight against the hated Boston Red Sox. With 4 games separating them in the schedule, a sweep by the bombers will be the perfect fireworks to tie the two teams in the standings.

The momentum is in the Yankees favor and it is time for another 4 game Boston Massacre, this time in the Bronx. I feel the sweep coming! Go Yankees!!!

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Yankees Rolling Now

While the Red Sox have been floundering, the Yankees have battled through more injuries than any team should in 5 seasons. Two, arguably three, hall of famers have missed time while the teams young pitchers have faced growing pains along with injuries. Meanwhile the Red Sox have been terrible on the road going 12-19 and have shown they are not a complete team.

Now the Yankees are turning a corner. Jeter has been back, A-Rod is back, and Jorge is returning this week. Mike Mussina has regained his form, Pettitte is solid, and Rasner has been better than expected since his recall. Chien-Ming Wang has been the team's ace and better than most expected. Now the number 5 spot in the rotation is settled as Joba Chamberlain will make his first career start on Tuesday.

The Red Sox had their chance to take a commanding lead, but now it is too late. The Yankees will be right there with them by the All Star break and be ready to run the division for the second half. Look out Beantowners, the Yankees are on the move.

Sox in First, Yankees Worst

There is not much of a pennant race this year as the Red Sox own the AL East and the Yankees own the cellar. It's too bad that the Yankees have spent all that money only to be outplayed by every team in the division. Sorry Hank, all that money can't buy you a championship.

It looks like the Red Sox are on their way to another championship while the Yankees eat more humble pie! Sorry A-Rod, it is fair and about time! This is the Red Sox Century.

Rivalry, Not Murder, Our Goal

We want our readers to get involved and post comments to our blog. It was our goal when we made it. If, however, you get so upset by someones post or comment, please do not run them down with your car  like this woman did after a Yankees Red Sox argument in a bar in Rhode Island.

"She never braked, and she accelerated at a high speed for about 200 feet. She went directly at this group of people," prosecutor Susan Morrell said of Ivonne Hernandez, who is charged with reckless second-degree murder in the death early Friday of Matthew Beaudoin, 29.

Authorities won't describe the argument beforehand in Slade's Food & Spirits, but witnesses said it heated up when Hernandez identified herself as a New York Yankees fan. Like the rest of New Hampshire, Nashua, 45 miles northwest of Boston, is Red Sox country.

Bartender Tanya Moran said the argument spilled outside, and at least one person in a group that included Beaudoin began chanting ``Yankees suck!'' when they saw a Yankees sticker on Hernandez's car.

Hernandez, 43, allegedly gunned her car and struck Beaudoin and his friend Maria Hughes, 21. Hughes had only minor injuries, which Beaudoin's sister Faith said was because her brother shielded his friend.

Hernandez, of Nashua, was arrested at the scene. She acknowledged she had been drinking and refused to take a breath-alcohol test, said Morrell, a senior assistant attorney general. Hernandez said she had been in an argument with the group.

"She indicated to police that she wanted to scare this group of people. She thought they would get out of the way," Morrell said.

Hernandez was ordered held without bail after being arraigned Monday in Nashua District Court. The charges, including aggravated drunken driving, are felonies, so Hernandez could not enter a plea.

Her public defender, James Quay, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Beaudoin died of massive head trauma at a hospital, Morrell said.

Moran told The Telegraph of Nashua during the weekend that Beaudoin came to the bar regularly to socialize, sing karaoke and have fun.

"He came to hang out. He didn't really drink much," she said.

Chris Lovett, a disc jockey at Slade's, told the New Hampshire Union Leader that Beaudoin kept to himself and "wasn't an instigator."

Faith Beaudoin said her brother, who lived in Nashua, was a 1997 graduate of Nashua High School who worked dealing poker at Sharky's in Manchester and Nashua. She said his organs, including his heart, live and kidneys, were donated in hopes of saving other people's lives.

"He was always helping people when he was alive, and he's still saving lives," she said, choking back tears during the weekend.

The moral of the story, argue about sports on MyTeamRivals.com instead of a bar, it is much safer.

 

                                        

 

                               

                               

                

 

         

Yankees Fans Run Their Mouths, Sox Run AL East

The loud mouthed New Yorkers continue to talk about their Yankees being the best team in baseball yet when you look at the standings, the 15-10 Boston Red Sox seem to have the lead while the 12-12 fourth place Yankees flounder at the bottom of the division.

It is hard to understand their arrogance because their team is mediocre at best. Their promising young pitcher Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are both busts and Brian Cashman must be wondering why he did not use one or both of them in a trade for Johan Santana.

There are 68 more days until the Red Sox beat the Yankees again but I have to wonder if the Yankees will even be in the pennant race by then. Looking forward to a fun 4th of July!

The Curse of Big Papi Continues Tonight

The baseball gods frowned upon a fan putting a jersey in baseball's new sanctuary. In response to his jersey being planted in the cement, they have cursed the bat of David Ortiz. Big Papi brings his .113 average to the Bronx tonight where the curse will cement itself. Tough times to be a BoSox fan! Don't worry 86 years will go by in a flash!

A typical Red Sox fan.

Yankees Ready to Continue Dominance Over Sox

The New York Yankees are 480-280 at Yankees Stadium against the Boston Red Sox. Tonight the dominance continues as Chien-Ming Wang looks to pitch another gem against the Beantowners while Mike Mussina looks to complete the sweep tomorrow night.

The Yankees are going to win both games this time around and are looking more like the clear favorites in the AL East. Sorry Beantowners, you lucky run is over. The greatest team in the history of sports is back with a vengeance. Don't worry, 86 years isn't too long to wait for your next championship!

Red Sox need to send a message tonight!

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This post will be short and sweet...the Red Sox need to send an early message tonight to the New York Yankees!

The message is simple; we are the  world champs and you are not!

Matsuzaka needs to go out and get it done tonight against the young Phillip Hughes, take two out of three  and set the tone for the season!

Go Sox!

Day Late and a Curse Short

Just like the Boston Red Sox in everything they do, they are just a bit behind the New York Yankees. There will be no curse against sports greatest team and the Red Sox look again like the bottom feeders with classless fans.

It took about five hours, but the Red Sox jersey that was embedded in the concrete of the Yankees' new stadium to place a curse on the New York franchise has been unearthed with jackhammers.

Earlier this week, a construction worker who is a Boston fan working on the concrete crew at the $1.3 billion new Yankee Stadium buried a Red Sox shirt in with the concrete foundation, in the hopes of jinxing the New York Yankees' new home, the New York Post reported.

The newspaper reported Sunday that two workers approached a construction manager with what they thought was the location of the jersey. After digging a two-foot by three-foot hole, the jersey was found.

"They absolutely pinpointed that if it was in the ground, that's where it was," Yankees spokeswoman Alice McGillion told the newspaper.

Initially the Yankees denied the jersey was ever buried in the footings of the new stadium. But clearly the Yankees brass is happier now with the possibility of a curse gone.

"I hope his co-workers kick the [expletive] out of him," Yankees co-chairperson Hal Steinbrenner said.

The newspaper said the jersey felt like a filthy rag, but the word "Red" was clearly visible.

The Yankees plan to donate the jersey to charity, and may pursue a lawsuit against the construction worker.

There are precedents for fans strategically burying trinkets for good luck. During the construction of the ice rink for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, a worker laid a Canadian one-dollar coin (known as a "loonie") at center ice. Canada went on to win its first gold medal in men's ice hockey since 1952.

And Mickey Bradley, a co-author of "Haunted Baseball," told the New York Post that a worker was said to have buried an unknown good-luck charm in a water main trench of the current Yankee Stadium back in 1920.

"Prior to that, they never won a World Series," he told the newspaper.

The Yankees went on to win 26 world championships since.

The Babe Ruth curse lives. Sorry Beantowners, your copy catting did not work!

Wang Down, Two to Go

Chien-Ming Wang showed the Red Sox what a true ace is limiting them to 2 hits in a complete game victory. The one sided rivalry continues as the Yankees dominate like they have throughout the years and the Red Sox commiserate and complain like they always do when they are on the short side of the stick.

By the way, the all time record between the teams is 1087-892. Give us a call Red Sox fans when you even things up, or when David Ortiz decides to start hitting.  Neither will happen anytime soon! 3-40 is a great start Little Papi.

The Sox will dominate this years great rivalry!

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Despite the New York Yankees victory last night....(even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while), it is clear to me that the Boston Red Sox....excuse me....the defending World Champion Boston Red Sox are the superior team.

I will take our pitching, hitting and coaching  (sorry, where  is  Joe  Torre  again)  over the  Yankees  any day of the  week.

You don't win two World Series titles in four seasons without doing something right. The Yanks haven't won a ring in eight years now!  I guess  it's  just  not  their  century.

On another note, I was trying to think of a more bitter rivalry then Sox vs Yanks. This is the only one I could come up with:

 

Yankees Poised to Take 2 out of 3

The New York Yankees are 5-5. The Boston Red Sox are, oh yeah, 5-5. The April lead that the Red Sox enjoyed last year? Not happening. Now the Bronx Bombers are poised to take two out of three from the Beantown boys and continue the dominance they have had up until a few years ago.

The Yankees will win this series with pitching. Ace Chien-Ming Wang will get the team started with a win tonight as the Red Sox counter with Clay Buckholz, a guy who does not even belong in the major leagues. Score it 1-0 Yanks.

Tomorrow Mike Mussina will take on Josh, I have an ERA over 9, Beckett. He will not be able to stop the Bombers potent offense and the runs will come early and often for the 26 time world champions. This will be the toughest game for the Yankees of the 3 but they certainly can pull it out.

Game three features another another ace in the making. Young stud Phil Hughes, an up and coming Cy Young Award winner, will take on Daisuke Matsuzaka. Daisuke has been good this season, but he is no match for Phil Hughes or the potent New York line up.

Did I say 2 out of 3? Looking at these match ups, it may be just another sweep at Fenway. Go Yankees!

The Hughes Era Officially Kicks Off Tonight

21 year old Phil Hughes begins his first full season with the Yankees tonight as he takes the hill against the Toronto Blue Jays. Expect Hughes to be the ace everyone expects him to be and then some.

Hughes will be the difference in the division this year as he will win 15 plus games and solidify the best rotation in the American League East. He will also step up as the leader of this staff and provide an unbelievable one two punch with Andy Pettitte.

It's game time and the Yankees are off to victory!