Yankees Must Find A Way To Top Sox
Ok, the Yankees ARE still in a first place tie BUT: just like the Mets have to win in September and make the playoffs, the Yankees have to show they can beat the better teams in the American League. Right now, their top nemesis is their archrival of the last century or so, the Boston Red Sox.
Let's face it: Since the 2004 ALCS collapse, the Yankees have been the sidekick to Boston in tbaseball's greatest rivalry. When it's mattered, the Sox win. The key: Boston not only spends its money well, it does what the Yankees DID in building their dynasty of 1996-2003, with 6 trips to the World Series. THey have home grown talent, particularly with pitching-and their bullpen overall is better. Red Sox fans have players on their team that they've seen and heard of since the kids were in the minors. How many Yankees can that be said about NOW? Hughes, Chamberlain & Wang sure. Jeter, Posada & Rivera won't be around forever. Right now, the Sox are a high market team that spends money carefully. The Mets spend cheaply. The Yankees just spend.
Even if the Yankees pound the crap out of everyone else, the Red Sox will be there one way or another in late September or worse, October. The Yanks better make sure they find a way to have at least 2 consistent starters come postseason, and a way to reach Boston's bullpen-or to quote Derek Jeter "The season is a failure if we don't win the World Series."
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Comments: 3
The New York Yankees are now 0-8 vs. the Boston Red Sox in 2009.
The lesson to learn comes from 1988. The New York Mets were 10-1 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers during the regular season. The Dodgers would win the National League Championship Series 4 games to 3.
Regular season dominance does not always translate into post season success.
Putting the Red Sox early dominance against the Yankees in perspective.
The Yankees played like they were intimidated by the Sox.They need to make a statement that they can beat Boston but they just rolled over.AJ Burnett should worry about pitching instead of shaving cream pies.Swisher needs to learn how to run the bases.Getting doubled up 2x is unacceptable and missing a easy fly ball costing a run.Girardi should have had a talk with him.Wang is not ready,they should have had Huges pitch.Girardi coaching is even a little suspect.You remove Hughes from a possible shut-out because he threw 101 pitches,but you leave CC in after he threw over a well over 100(123)any good team well catch up to a pitcher the 4th time through the order.They did not seem fired up.They were 3/38 with runners in scoring postion.It definitley matters how you play a team throuhout the season cause if you can't beat them during the regular season they have gotten into your head,espceilally in the play-offs.Also,If they end up tied for first in their divison it reverts back to the head to head series.They need to start beating them next series to swing the momentum
The Yankees played like they were intimidated by the Sox.They need to make a statement that they can beat Boston but they just rolled over.AJ Burnett should worry about pitching instead of shaving cream pies.Swisher needs to learn how to run the bases.Getting doubled up 2x is unacceptable and missing a easy fly ball costing a run.Girardi should have had a talk with him.Wang is not ready,they should have had Huges pitch.Girardi coaching is even a little suspect.You remove Hughes from a possible shut-out because he threw 101 pitches,but you leave CC in after he threw over a well over 100(123)any good team well catch up to a pitcher the 4th time through the order.They did not seem fired up.They were 3/38 with runners in scoring postion.It definitley matters how you play a team throuhout the season cause if you can't beat them during the regular season they have gotten into your head,espceilally in the play-offs.Also,If they end up tied for first in their divison it reverts back to the head to head series.They need to start beating them next series to swing the momentum