Cashing out
It was a metaphorical jolly stomping in the Fens - an early season referendum on the moves made by Yankees' GM Brian Cashman.
The Sox beat the Yanks in every conceivable way over a three game stretch - out-slugging, out pitching, and just plain out-executing the highest paid team in the majors. The Yankees, with over $200 million in annual salary (since the start of the 2005 season the Steinbrenners have spent over $1 billion on the team and seen their record slide) - again - the Bombers are off to a 9-9 start, have the worst bullpen in baseball, and have the worst overall ERA of any pitching staff in the majors.
Here's what else $200 million has bought New York -
A team outscored 25-16 in three games by their arch-rival.
A team that saw 11 runs and two leads evaporate when the bullpen entered the game.
A team whose second biggest free-agent pitching acquisition was smoked for eight earned after being spotted a 6-0 lead.
A team that saw home stolen on them with two outs in a close game. Let's face it - that last one shows a complete lack of respect for the Yankees. There's no aura left, they're just another team.
And to compound matters - the Red Sox don't even have the second highest payroll in baseball - they're fourth (and a lot closer to being seventh than they are to being third). They lost ugly, are unable to hold a lead, and just look brutal in the field (great play at first by the sure-handed Mark Texiera, huh?).
Anyone else wondering which Celtic team is going to show up for game five? The one that's shot ugly in the close games, or the one that dismantled the Bulls on their home-court in game three?
Kudos to the Bruins for moving on. It would be nice to see Boston land the Stanley Cup before the end of the decade to get that final jewel in the championship crown for the big four. They do it, that will mean that between 2001 and now the city will be home to three Super Bowls, two World Series, an NBA (I still think a second one of these is unlikely this year) and an NHL championship. Not bad.
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2 comments:
"Let's face it - that last one shows a complete lack of respect for the Yankees.'
You know what? I thought exactly the same thing. In fact, for a split second I was a little embarrassed at all the gaiety in the Red Sox dugout afterwards, thinking they really needed to show a guy like Pettitte a little more respect.
I got over it quickly, but it DID cross my mind...
Even last year it was a dog fight with them - this year, so far, they just look like dogs. It was like for two games the Sox were kicking the Yanks in the metaphorical nuts, and then (offensively) they relaxed a little until Jacoby grabbed 'em by the scrotum and asked "is this where it hurts?" before giving 'em a robust squeeze.
There was just something about that Yankees team that didn't come off as the "big bad" anymore.
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