Absolutely pivotal series for both teams. And outside of "Fuck Boston", not much more need be said. Gm 1: Freddy Garcia vs Jon Lester Gm 2: AJ Burnett vs Tim Wakefield Gm 3: CC Sabathia vs Josh Beckett
I don't see how this is a pivotal series at all for either team. If the Sox sweep it leaves the Yankees 2 games back. If they split in any way the Yankees leave in first with the Sox a game back or even. Even if the Yankees sweep it's only a 4 game lead for the Bombers. June isn't even a week old yet. These unbalanced schedules are stupid. The Yankees and Red Sox should meet for home-and-home series right before the All-Star break and in September. Not 19 times every year. It doesn't make a damned bit of difference who wins this series. There will still be a dozen games left between them. (I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but those are close, I'm sure.) There are 4 more months of games to be played. As a Yankee fan, I'm not looking past the Sox, but I'm a lot more concerned that we're playing a few good teams in a row with no days off for another 16-day stretch. It's far more important to me to get quality starts from our rotation than to win. The pen is going to be needed at least a few times over the next two and half weeks. I can't believe MLB has made it so I don't get excited for Yankees/Sox series anymore. I'll still watch all of them, but I'm not nearly as pumped to see them as I have always previously been. That said, go Yanks!
red cawks. well the yankees bats have been alot better of recent, so hopefully we can get 2 of the three. sox are on a mission right now though.
It wasn't intended to be clever, simply to the point. Go Yanks. Alio, I think the AL East will come down to the wire. Every game between the two is crucial IMO. They got the drop on us thus far.
From a standings perspective its not a pivotal series, but just from a confidence standpoint its important for the Yanks to win the series I got tix for Thursdays game, excited as hell
I just can't get excited for these games anymore. They're so overhyped and everyone in the media is trying to come up with a fresh storyline, which is impossible after so many years, but they nevertheless come up with a crappy one and proceed to beat us over the head with it for the entire series. Talk to me in August or September. Maybe I'll care more then.
I'm happy to see a Beckett vs. CC battle again. Beckett's been incredible this season, especially against the Yanks. Hopefully Jonny rights the ship tonight.
That's exactly it. There are no stories anymore. There isn't even the "Curse" to talk about. Now it's just a rivalry. One that isn't even felt by the teams playing, just the fanbases.
It should be. And it would be, if it weren't for people trying to make it out to be more than that every time they meet.
Or if it weren't 18 to 19 times every single year. Not counting playoffs! That's too many games. Each game's overall impact is diluted. It's just too hard to get that excited when the individual games don't hold a lot of sway in the balance of who wins the division.
Well, I still give a fuck and hope the Yanks beat the shit out of them. We're in tough today against Lester, and I'm still not very confident Garcia can handle a lineup like the Sux. Hopefully I'm wrong on that one.
Of course every game is diluted, but the conversation revolves more around the series and the excitement it generates. Also, when judging individual games, ones against the Sox or Rays "weigh" more than against, say, the White Sox. Every win or loss against the other contenders in the division counts as two for the sake of the standings (it's one more loss for one team and one less for the other). Season series wins are also important in the event of a tie at the top at the end. I'd definitely agree with anyone who says Yankees/Sox games are more important than non-divisional games. I just can't get as excited for them anymore is all. I still care, don't get me wrong. I want to embarass them, not just beat them. Once the game starts I'll be glued to the tv just like any other game. That's just it though, I'll be glued just like any other game. As for Garcia vs. Lester, it's almost as if Girardi figured "Hell, we're not winning a Lester start unless both teams are deep into their pens anyway, so I'm not going to waste a starter on this game." I don't dislike Garcia, but I also have very little faith in him on the mound. He's a good fifth starter and that's about it.
Yankees/Sox is still great, but if you compare it to what it was circa 2003/04, you're bound to be disappointed. That was a pretty magical time that may never happen again in any rivalry. In draft news, the Yankees have done basically the same thing they did last year: safe in the first round (Dante Bichette's son) and expensive, high upside players later on. Lots of corner position players early with power potential.
