Even in April, losing to Boston never feels good
BOSTON – I try to talk myself into not taking any game in April seriously.
This strategy of mind games has succeeded for the most part and I usually just throw out the results of said game and look ahead to the next day.
When it comes to the games against the Red Sox though, all logic goes out of the window.
This is what “The Rivalry” does. I thought that it had cooled off (and it has) and it would not be the same with some of the old faces that are no longer there.
Silly me.
The intensity is still there. I despise the Red Sox as I always have and though it may not be on the 2003-2004 level (nothing will ever top that) these games still consume me. Winning always brings a good feeling and losing the way it played out last night still stinks.
When Jason Bay’s home run cleared the top of the left centerfield wall off Mariano Rivera, all I could do is look on in stunned disbelief. How could this happen? The Yankees were one out away from winning the first of these 19 death matches with their rivals from 203.4 miles away, and suddenly it was gone.
At that point, I knew the team was playing on borrowed time and it was not going to be long before they put us out of our misery and sent all the fans home.
The characters make it all go in this drama. I probably could have accepted a walk-off homerun by anyone not named Youkilis, Pedroia or Ortiz. Seeing Youkilis up there doing his little shimmy as if he is Jack Parkman in Major League II and then hitting the game winner just makes you ill.
Watching Jon Papelbon do his ridiculous “stare in” before every pitch as if he is really scaring someone in the batters box and then seeing his excessively celebratory jig as just a as annoying. Seeing him get the last laugh by striking out Mark Teixeira left you feeling a little sick.
I remember back in 2002 when I was in Fenway and Rivera came into the game to protect a two-run lead and Shea Hillenbrand took him deep for the three run homer and an eventual Red Sox win. I was stunned. Going out in The Hub that night is never the easiest thing in the world when you are sporting your Yankees cap in front of Red Sox Nation.
And after a loss like that? Even worse.
Two years ago, I saw Rivera again blow a save when he was called on to protect a 3-run lead in the bottom of the eighth. Being there to see this up close is always worse, but watching what I saw last night gave me instant flashbacks.
“The Rivalry” does this to you. Luckily, in baseball you can just forget about it and come back strong tomorrow. If this were football, you would have to carry this for an entire week.
For that, I am thankful this is not football.
But when I think about it, this is why it is so much fun. It really is the greatest rivalry in sports. You can’t get this anywhere else. Try as hard as you can to recreate it and you will fail. It is impossible.
Whether they are playing in April, the middle of July or even in September, and the games are played and it feels like October. Even I wonder how this can be and I can see why the players and managers quietly show their displeasure with all of this. It is like one big death grip and neither team is able to breathe after one of these games with criticism and questioning flying from all over the media and people like myself.
I complain about Joba Chamberlain unable to throw enough strikes last night to stay in the ballgame longer than 5 1/3 innings. Perhaps I can get angry about the team leaving 15 men on base on going only 4 for 19 with runners in scoring position. Maybe I can even get on why Damaso Marte’s presence exists on my television screen.
Normally I would just dismiss this stuff when the Yankees are playing the Indians, Athletics or Orioles. However, when it comes against the Red Sox, my antenna goes way up.
Tomorrow is a new day and another plot will be written.
Just another day in “The Rivalry”.
BOSTON – I try to talk myself into not taking any game in April seriously.
This strategy of mind games has succeeded for the most part and I usually just throw out the results of said game and look ahead to the next day.
When it comes to the games against the Red Sox though, all logic goes out of the window.
This is what “The Rivalry” does. I thought that it had cooled off (and it has) and it would not be the same with some of the old faces that are no longer there.
Silly me.
The intensity is still there. I despise the Red Sox as I always have and though it may not be on the 2003-2004 level (nothing will ever top that) these games still consume me. Winning always brings a good feeling and losing the way it played out last night still stinks.
When Jason Bay’s home run cleared the top of the left centerfield wall off Mariano Rivera, all I could do is look on in stunned disbelief. How could this happen? The Yankees were one out away from winning the first of these 19 death matches with their rivals from 203.4 miles away, and suddenly it was gone.
At that point, I knew the team was playing on borrowed time and it was not going to be long before they put us out of our misery and sent all the fans home.
The characters make it all go in this drama. I probably could have accepted a walk-off homerun by anyone not named Youkilis, Pedroia or Ortiz. Seeing Youkilis up there doing his little shimmy as if he is Jack Parkman in Major League II and then hitting the game winner just makes you ill.
Watching Jon Papelbon do his ridiculous “stare in” before every pitch as if he is really scaring someone in the batters box and then seeing his excessively celebratory jig as just a as annoying. Seeing him get the last laugh by striking out Mark Teixeira left you feeling a little sick.
I remember back in 2002 when I was in Fenway and Rivera came into the game to protect a two-run lead and Shea Hillenbrand took him deep for the three run homer and an eventual Red Sox win. I was stunned. Going out in The Hub that night is never the easiest thing in the world when you are sporting your Yankees cap in front of Red Sox Nation.
And after a loss like that? Even worse.
Two years ago, I saw Rivera again blow a save when he was called on to protect a 3-run lead in the bottom of the eighth. Being there to see this up close is always worse, but watching what I saw last night gave me instant flashbacks.
“The Rivalry” does this to you. Luckily, in baseball you can just forget about it and come back strong tomorrow. If this were football, you would have to carry this for an entire week.
For that, I am thankful this is not football.
But when I think about it, this is why it is so much fun. It really is the greatest rivalry in sports. You can’t get this anywhere else. Try as hard as you can to recreate it and you will fail. It is impossible.
Whether they are playing in April, the middle of July or even in September, and the games are played and it feels like October. Even I wonder how this can be and I can see why the players and managers quietly show their displeasure with all of this. It is like one big death grip and neither team is able to breathe after one of these games with criticism and questioning flying from all over the media and people like myself.
I complain about Joba Chamberlain unable to throw enough strikes last night to stay in the ballgame longer than 5 1/3 innings. Perhaps I can get angry about the team leaving 15 men on base on going only 4 for 19 with runners in scoring position. Maybe I can even get on why Damaso Marte’s presence exists on my television screen.
Normally I would just dismiss this stuff when the Yankees are playing the Indians, Athletics or Orioles. However, when it comes against the Red Sox, my antenna goes way up.
Tomorrow is a new day and another plot will be written.
Just another day in “The Rivalry”.
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