Friday, September 24, 2010

10 Reasons to watch this weekend's Red Sox/Yankees Series

When the 2010 schedule was published showing the season beginning and ending with Red Sox and Yankee series, it sure felt exciting, didn't it?

Perhaps there would be a great showdown for the AL East... maybe playoff positioning?

When the Red Sox were hovering around contention the 6 head to head meetings over the final 10 games sure looked inviting.

Now...
Flop.

The Red Sox are all but done... the tragic number is 4. They are playing out the string and getting ready to play golf this October.

The Yankees are cruising to another October appearance and trying to right their pitching staff while jockeying for position with the Rays and Twins.

So why should Red Sox fans even watch this series?
There are some reasons...


1. WIN THE SERIES AND THE RED SOX HOLD OFF ELIMINATION

Yeah elimination will be inevitable... but if it can be held off until Monday, then as a point of pride we can say "We weren't eliminated until the last week of the season."

With all the injuries on the team, that's a nice (if misleading) thing to say.


2. DELAY THE YANKEE CELEBRATION

It's clear by the way Joe Girardi is managing that he is simply trying to make the post season without worrying about the Division... sure he would LIKE to win the Division but he'd RATHER have a healthy pitching staff. So the Yankees clinching a playoff spot seems to be the goal.

They'll get there, but it doesn't have to be on OUR watch.


3. JON LESTER, COMPROMISE CY YOUNG CANDIDATE?

Can Jon Lester get to 20 wins? If he does will he be a Cy Young Candidate? (Sabathia's 20 wins seem to be his only qualification over Felix Hernandez but he is talked about as the front runner.)

If Lester gets 20, his name will be in the mix. He goes for win #19 on Saturday.


4. 90 WINS IS A GOOD GOAL FOR THIS TEAM

Seriously, with all the injuries and strife on this team to finish with 90 wins would be a real accomplishment.

They need to win 6 games out of their last 10 to pull that off. That would give Francona six 90 win seasons out of seven years in Boston. Not bad.


5. MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE WILL GET HURT

The Red Sox have had 19 guys on their disabled list.
Why not 20? Seriously... a nice round number is easier to remember. And that would be the legacy of the 2010 Red Sox... 20 dudes on the DL.

That would make 90 wins even MORE impressive.






6. IT WILL TAKE YOUR MIND OFF OF THE PATRIOTS/JETS LOSS

Perhaps seeing a New England team beat a New York team will take the sting out of it.

Yeah that is petty... but so are we!



7. YOU'LL GET TO SEE THE RED SOX SEE THE SUBTLE STEINBRENNER MEMORIAL

Then again they can probably see it from Fenway Park.






8. MAYBE THEY'LL SHOW SOME CLIPS OF THE 2004 ALCS

Those are always fun to see.

Granted they will also show clips of Bucky Dent, Aaron Boone etc... but those don't hurt as much since '04 and '07.

Plus it is always interesting to see how they can spin the rivalry since the whole Bambino thing is over.




9. NO MATTER WHAT THE STANDINGS ARE, IT IS ALWAYS FUN TO SEE THE YANKEES LOSE

It isn't nice to admit that, but it is true.

Admit it Sox fans... when you saw that the Yankees were getting killed last night, you checked in... hoping to see Joba and Vazquez get slapped around. Seeing the seed of doubt creep into Yankee land, especially on the dawn of the playoffs, is a beautiful thing. Why not see the Sox contribute to that?


10. YOU WILL SEE THE BEGINNING OF THE GREATEST END OF THE SEASON COLLAPSE IN YANKEE HISTORY AND THE RED SOX STORM INTO THE PLAYOFFS

Hey... how is that any less likely than the Red Sox coming back from a 3-0 series hole, trailing in the 9th facing Mariano Rivera?

I bet you thought we were dead then too!

The come back starts NOW!



So have fun, and remember Sox fans who make the trip, you will be in THEIR home. Play nicely.

Besides, Red Sox fans and Yankee fans should be friends.

So play ball! Go Sox and make us proud in what is left of this season.
(And let's hope Joba gets an appearance or two.)



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13 comments:

  1. Anonymous8:34 AM

    Bunch of haters. Anyone wearing a Sox hat or shirt this weekend is in for an earful, and I DARE them to try talking back.

    I'd rather see the Yanks celebrate on Fenway's turf anyway, in front of another soldout* crowd.

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  2. Anonymous8:40 AM

    THE COMEBACK STARTS NOW!!!

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  3. I love the "Bunch of Haters" comment from a Yankee fan commenting on a Red Sox post.

    Pot.. kettle... black

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  4. It's also an odd thing that the first anonymous poster typed.

    "I'd rather see the Yanks celebrate on Fenway's turf anyway"

    They don't play the Sox in Boston until NEXT week.
    Which means he'd rather have the Yankees have a disastrous series at home and then evidently lose the series in Toronto before clinching a playoff spot in Boston, no doubt hobbling to the finish line and sacrificing home field to Tampa AND Minnesota...

    All to stick to Boston fans?

    And I'M the hater?

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  5. Anonymous9:08 AM

    Julian!!

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  6. Sully, if your uncle is still alive, I wouldn't suggest that you and your brother dial him in anticipation of a win, as you tried in 1986.

    For the Sox fans who read this site, beware of Yankee Fans bearing gifts, but if you are thinking of coming down, this may help: http://unclemikesmusings.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-be-red-sox-fan-in-new-york.html

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  7. Anonymous10:42 AM

    Bunch of haters. *boohoo*....

    Sox are in the tank and this clown is worried about Red Sox Fans..

    Get a life.

    Great post Sully and great advice from Uncle Mike.

    Let's Go Red Sox!

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  8. Vito from NYC12:03 PM

    The Yankees are a very good baseball team.
    It is the Yankee fans that SUCK!

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  9. Psatact945:43 PM

    Hey Sully,
    Why do I feel deja vu reading this post? Oh yeah, your 2006 post, haha. Seriously, though great work, love your posts, no werewolves this time...

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  10. Hey, Saltalamacchia is out with a bad left thumb! TWENTY!

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  12. Hey, Bob, you beat me to it. I should read Extra Bases on Boston.com more often.

    As for Point 10, although I had written off the season after the last Rays series in Tampa, I thought "wouldn't it be epic if the Red Sox were responsible for the Yankees greatest collapses?" First, coming back from 0-3 in 2004 and then sending the Yankees home in 2010. Here's hoping!

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  13. Anonymous6:12 PM

    Hello. I am a 20th Century Red Sox fan. I've followed the team since I was 10. I followed my team when a good year was finishing no lower than third, or finishing over .500. I have no use for you guys screaming at each other. I have tickets to the next-to last-game. However it comes out, I'm still going to root for my team. I'm still going to enjoy the GAME. Maybe next year we'll do better.

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