NESN Claims '11 Sox Better than '27 Yanks

Last week, NESN.com writer Eric Ortiz wrapped this late Christmas gift for Sox fans everywhere: the chance to vote on the nickname for new first baseman Adrian Gonzalez! (As you know, all great sports nicknames are artificially manufactured online then put to a fan vote before the player actually plays a game for that team...).


But this wasn't the mortal sin committed by Ortiz as he attempts, rather successfully, to ignore baseball before the year 2004.


No, Ortiz decided to spit on Red Sox and baseball history just a bit more by claiming, "There will never be another Ted Williams, but Adrian Gonzalez is close."


Sox fans everywhere should be crying, OUTRAGE! BLASPHEMY! SACRILEGE!


This week, Ortiz was at it again.


Clearly trying to irk Yanks fans everywhere, the title of his latest post reads, "2011 Red Sox Will Challenge 1927 Yankees for Title of Greatest Team in Major League History."


OUTRAGE! BLASPHEMY! SACRILEGE!


I need to hand this one to Ortiz: his ploy to prod the already frustrated Yankees fan base worked wonders, at least in the case of this Cranky Yankee Fan. Once I finished cleaning my room from tossing every movable object around in pure outrage and shock, I looked up the numbers from that '27 Yankees team:

• 110-44 record.
• Swept the Pirates in the World Series.
• Four pitchers with 18 or more wins.
• Team ERA of 3.20 and WHIP of 1.30.
• Team BA of .307.
• Murders' Row lineup that featured (in order of plate appearances): Earle Combs, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Tony Lazzeri, Bob Meusel, Mark Koenig, Joe Dugan, and Pat Collins.

In his ode to awful ideas, Ortiz essentially equates Dustin Pedroia, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis to Combs, Gehrig, Ruth and Lazzeri. 

By the way, those Yankee stat lines, in case you (or Ortiz) wanted to look at -- oh I don't know -- actual performance?

Combs: .356/.414/.511, 6 HR, 64 RBI, 15 SB

Gehrig: .373/.474/.765, 47 HR, 175 RBI

Ruth: .356/.486/.772, 60 HR, 164 RBI

Lazzeri:  .309/.383/.482, 18 HR, 102 RBI, 22 SB

If we toss in Meusel for good measure, that adds a none-too-pedestrian .337/.393/.510, 8 HR, 103 RBI, 24 SB.

I almost hate myself for needing to point this out. By arguing against this NESN blogger's homer hogwash, I almost dignify the idea that the 2011 Red Sox would compete with the 1927 Yankees for alleged "best team ever". But this had to be said -- it's too ridiculous a claim (ESPECIALLY before they've even won the World Series...OR EVEN REPORTED TO CAMP!).

The Ortiz blog on NESN.com is called "Instant Opinion."

I think it should be re-named "Instant Coffee." As in, crap.

And now, the Rundown...please save me from this insanity, Other Red Sox/Yankees News. Sigh...

• The Yankees remain ahead of the Sox in ticket demand, according to this article by the Boston Herald.
• The always-entertaining and informative Yankee U blog subscribes to the credo of Axl Rose: Patience.
• MLB.com offers a list of league 2011 Resolutions, and equates Burnett to Beckett.

Yanks/Sox Worst Nightmare: The Boston Yanks

Part of the impetus of this blog was trying to discover and/or build a community of Yankees fans living in enemy territory in Boston.


I can say with certainty that there are thousands of Yankees fans living in and around Boston without a meeting place, bar, community hall or so much as a street corner where they can convene.


Yanks fans in Boston are, in a nut shell, hermits of the sports world: huddling inside, never revealing their true passions too loudly in public, and nary a glance outside (especially when the Sox sign major free agents...).


So you can imagine my shock and amusement when Googling "boston yanks" revealed the following: Boston Yanks, NFL team from 1944-48.

So, what if the Yanks moved to Boston and became the Boston Yankees? After all, it's not the franchise itself but the location that breeds a fan base (just look at teams that shift locations, from the baseball Giants to the Sonics/Thunder in the NBA.) Would I be forced into rooting for the Mets? For a Boston-based team?


Would New York suddenly despise Derek Jeter? How would the city of Boston receive the incoming Yankees? How would they sell any tickets in that market? What would happen to the rivalry? Would the Yanks suddenly sport tons of facial hair and stop showering?


Better move to the rundown before my head explodes -- this is like contemplating infinity.

• It's no secret just how lefty-heavy the Sox will be...does the team agree that this is a problem?
• Just uncovered a solid new site for deep fantasy leagues called DeepLeague.com: check out the second-tier prospects listed and how the Yanks and Sox stack up (hint: it's pretty lopsided).
• Everyone is talking about how the Sox will be the team to beat in the AL East. But has there really been a changing of the guard in the division? Last time I checked, titles aren't won in December. Come to think of it, regular season games aren't won in December. Patience, people!

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Thanks for reading - Happy Holidays!

Future Free Agents Not So Bright

Since failing to sign Cliff Lee, the party line I've heard most from staunch Yankees fans has been to point out that the team known for spending smart and spending big now has a ton of extra cash to blow. This could only mean more/better players to surround an already potent core. Right?


Not so fast.


Take a look at the future class of free agents next offseason. Specifically, scroll down to the list of future available SPs.


Slim pickin's if you're the Yanks, no?


The best case scenario is that they sign somebody like CJ Wilson, who has proven himself to be a capable No. 2 starter, throws hard from the left side, and is, by his own admittance, a less talented Cliff Lee.


But he will be 31 next offseason, and the Yanks aren't getting any younger. Looking around the league at other top-of-the-rotation anchors worthy of long-term contracts and you'll see the trend -- all the good young arms came up in that team's system (for the most part). The list includes Felix Hernandez, Zack Greinke, Adam Wainwright, Tim Lincecum, David Price, John Lester, and Ubaldo Jimenez.


They all seem to have risen within their own organizations to prominence, which gives their teams a distinct financial advantage until they start to command more dollars after minor league contracts expire.


I'm not saying that the Yanks have no chance to land a solid young arm via trade, but I do believe it's time we start paying at least half as much attention to developing minor league talent that can one day elevate to the top of the rotation -- the next Phil Hughes or (gasp) Joba Chamberlain, if you will.


Otherwise, we risk the worst fate any team can suffer (and no, not losing) -- becoming a stale, aging, middle of the road team that reaches the playoffs but never wins.


This is a premature assumption, but given the A-Rod deal, Jeter, Mariano, Posada, and the rotation behind CC, it's a valid one as we enter a new decade.

First LeBron, Now Lee? What's Wrong, New York?

I read an interesting post on the howiGit blog (that's How I G It) about how the Yanks lost their mojo because they failed to sign Crawford. The comments section blew up because nobody this side of the Mass Pike believed that to be true - the Yanks were simply focusing on the free agent that could make the biggest impact on the division and playoffs in Cliff Lee. Crawford made far less sense for his price tag and position than the lefty from Arkansas.


Well, now that the Yanks whiffed on Lee -- arguably the biggest swing and a miss since the Knicks' missed on the LeBron-a-thon -- I'm siting here in Boston, cowering inside my office, hoping my coworkers and local friends forget that I'm a Yanks aficionado. Considering the banner, drawings and mug at my desk, something tells me I've made myself known.





Either way, I can finally understand the Red Sox mentality pre-2004 (and the mentality that still lingers for most fans). I saw the Sox pay big bucks for a big free agent, make a swift trade using their minor league resources, and now gloat over the Yanks losing out on their one must-have free agent.


Coupled with my love of LeBron's Heat early struggles (damn you, 9 game winning streak...), I at last relate to the pleasure Sox fans get from the Yanks' misery, and the pain they feel when the Yanks succeed.


I've been in Boston two years, three months and 13 days, and I am at long last feeling the sting that my neighbors know too well.


Now if you'll excuse me, I hear someone coming and must take cover under this desk.

Christmas Wish List

This holiday season, give thanks...that you root for one side or the other in this great rivalry.

Red Sox Out-Yankee the Yankees

Quick - name this baseball team:


It trades for big names to extend them with big money, signs high profile position players to record contracts, trots out All Stars at most positions, has a soft-spoken, unimposing GM who gets the job done every season, and a fan base that's become so used to winning, anything short of a pennant or title is considered failure.


Ladies and gentlemen, your Boston Red Sox.


Okay, okay...so I've written about the similarities between the Sox and Yanks before. This is nothing new. I'm just trying to knock Sox fans down from their high after they acquired both Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, the top two acquisitions thus far and the top two not named Cliff Lee.


But the new-age, new-roster Red Sox are making it increasingly difficult for a Yanks fan to earn an honest living in Boston! No more widespread misery and doubt -- just absurd spending and talent. As one friend and diehard Sox fan told me, "Money argument aside, we are f***ing STACKED!"


There goes the neighborhood for this pinstripe-clad citizen...


Let's bring the money argument back in -- has this changed the rivalry? Eh, not really. The teams will still play an obscene number of times. ESPN will still run the game previews, analysis and highlights through their overworked hype machine. And the fan bases will be at each others' throats just the same.


But this might change the rivalry to a third party -- finally pushing them over the edge. This is sure starting to look less like the battle between good and evil and more like Alien vs. Predator.


No matter who wins -- most of humanity loses.


(Oh...and if you're wondering, the idea of the Sox essentially cementing themselves as no different than their most hated rival makes me 5% happy, 95% want to hide...)

Adrian Gonzalez May Mean No Carl Crawford for Boston

Adrian Gonzalez coming to the Red Sox means the Yankees will now need to pitch around another deadly hitter -- this one, a lefty who can easily pull one out in both New York and Boston.


But the trade by Boston, though swift by offseason standards, may have come just a tad too late and with a few too many uncertainties attached for the Red Sox if they still hope to sign Carl Crawford.


Let me explain the domino effect here...


Domino 1: Nationals sign Jayson Werth.
Werth, rumored to be on the radar of Boston GM Theo Epstein, landed a whale of a deal with Washington (seven years/$126 million), thus jacking the price for Crawford, who was likely valued higher on the Red Sox offseason wish list. (He's younger, better defensively, and most importantly, would be moving away from the Sox' divisional rival in Tampa.)


It's easy to recognize that super agent Scott Boras is going to use the Werth deal as a benchmark to exceed when pitching his client Crawford around the league.


Domino 2: Red Sox trade for Adrian Gonzalez without extending him.
The initial thinking by the media was that the Sox would only trade for Gonzo if they knew they could sign him, as hinted at here. However, in a move that fans seem to love (perhaps without recognizing any longer term domino effect), Boston wound up with the big first baseman in the end, without signing him to an extension.


This means that the Sox have A-Gon for 2011 for $6.2 million -- a bargain deal that will be more than tripled by the time he signs his next contract.


The Sox are hoping beyond hope that he will sign sometime between now and the end of next season, but negotiations are ongoing. (A-Gon wants a Teixeira-like deal in the neighborhood of eight years/$180 million; Boston is countering with seven/$154 million). It's dangerous for the Sox to give up some top prospects without a deal in place, but they allegedly have the framework for the extension ready to sign, and Gonzalez apparently really wanted to be in Boston.


Bottom line: the Red Sox have given up talent for Gonzalez in '11, so the extension must now be a top priority for the organization.


Domino 3: Yet to fall. My guess? Cliff Lee.
Should the Yankees (or Rangers) sign Lee -- who is also being pursued by the Red Sox -- it would ideally turn Boston's full attention on Crawford if you're a Sox fan. However, with Gonzalez already having cost the Sox some resources in the trade, it wouldn't make sense for them to abandon that plan or even focus a large deal on Crawford before Gonzo. They've completed a trade and must now commit serious money to that player first.


In the end, the Sox may lose on both Lee and Crawford for someone who may just be a replacement to the 2010 Beltre and an upgrade from the usual Beltre (ignoring any questions on Kevin Youkilis-to-third). The solution might be that the Sox heap more money onto the team's salary if they can, or they could opt to use Mike Cameron and/or JD Drew (both expiring) as trade bait. 


Either way, the next major domino to fall this offseason might be Crawford, but chances look slim that it would land by Landsdowne Street.


And now, the rundown!

• Despite the influx of power bats to the AL East, the Yanks have remained quiet thus far.
• NESN asks if Patriots-Jets has passed Sox-Yanks as the best Boston-NY rivalry. The world responds: um, no?
• howiGit offers the Boston take on the new Adrian in Boston.
• Is Russell Martin the next player for which both the Yanks and Sox compete?

Kevin Youkilis Is Beautiful

Cliff Lee to the Yankees Campaign

Created this to help rally for Cliff Lee in 2011...

Video: Red Sox Fan vs. Yankees Fan

I traveled the streets of New York and New England to film some fan interactions recently. Here's one that particularly jumped out. Enjoy...

Yanks/Sox Rivalry Ninth Commandment

There's nothing more terrifying than knowing you're surrounded by the enemy. Well, perhaps that's trumped by knowing even the law enforcement who serve and protect would sympathize with your attacker should anyone hear me shout in favor of the Yanks.


Living in Boston, I've learned to love the abundance of sports bars and pubs and loathe the sports fans who inhabit them. I imagine the same would hold true if the scenery shifted to New York, with one notable exception - there are zero New York-friendly bars in Boston. Everything is too small, too homogenous, and too centered on the Red Sox.


On the rare occasion when I venture to a pub for games, I've been forced into a series of knee-high fist pumps under the table, coupled with some discreet, satisfied nodding. That's a sad existence for any Sox or Yanks fan.


In my travels around the Boston area, I've seen Georgia Bulldogs, Minnesota Vikings, and New Orleans Saints all represented in local watering holes, but Googling 'yankees bar boston' returns simply...

Yankees/Red Sox Rivalry Commandments

1. Thou shalt choose a side. Forever.

2. Thou shalt not accept bandwagon fans.

3. I am your announcer. You shall have no other announcers before me.

4. Honor thy baseball forefathers.

5. Keep holy Opening Day.

6. Thou shalt hate the jersey.

7. Thou shalt win at all costs.

8. Thou shalt worship surprise call-ups.

Forbes "Best Fans" List: An Unfair Measurement

On Monday, Forbes released this list of the best fans in all of sports. Sixteen teams across the Big Four sports in the US (baseball, basketball, football and, somehow, hockey) made the list, with the Yankees faithful finishing a disappointing 14th and Red Sox Nation landing the top spot.

I'm here to tell you: this wasn't a level playing field. One major characteristic each makes a comparison of Sox and Yanks fans anything but apples to apples.

(Source)

First, start with the way these teams are viewed by their fans.

The teams in the rankings essentially fall into two categories. The much larger group is, predictably, franchises who win or have historically won, resulting in passionate fans because, hey, everybody loves a winner. In order of titles, this half is comprised of the Yanks (27), Canadiens (23), Celtics (17), Lakers (16), Red Wings (11), St. Louis Cardinals (10), Steelers (6), Cowboys (5), Spurs (4), Penguins (3), Patriots (3), and Colts (2).

In the other half are teams that are undeniably non-winners but whose fans are diehard, wearing team logos like a badge of honor. These are the Blackhawks, Phillies and Cavs. (You could make the case for the Phillies inching their way to the top group, but it seems too soon to move them over.)

Still missing from either group are those Red Sox fans. That's because they're in the unique position of balancing both sides. The 1918-2004 stretch promoted diehard fans who grew close to the team through the suffering, while the recent stretch could plant them among the winners circle.

The result is an unprecedented group of fans in a top-three market.

Second, the Sox fans don't have a choice.

This is a bit simpler to understand: put simply, the Red Sox are the only baseball team in their very large market, and the city is full of people who care.

In the Forbes list, only the Lakers and Yankees have to contend with fans that have options in the same sport and city (Clippers and Mets). Neither fan base makes the top 10 (the Lakers are 12), and neither could ever hope to make it. Both LA and New York are full of countless fans who can choose other teams in a given sport, meaning the Lakers and Yankees don't get that unified feeling across their markets the way Boston (and most of New England) does. 


On top of that, factor in the millions of people in these two cities who either aren't sports fans or are transplanted fans of other teams, and the diversity of LA and New York work against them heavily in the Forbes list.

Given all of this, it's easy to see how the Sox fan base ranks ahead of Yanks fans in a runaway.

Am I conceding here that Boston fans are better then those in New York? Absolutely not. They're just two completely different beasts which can't be compared under the Forbes standards. That's all I'm saying.

(And that Yanks fans are clearly better...)

• Sox fans heading to Yankee Stadium this weekend brave the backlash of boos and beers. "The Pretty Good Sports Show" takes a comical look at Yanks fans offering fashion tips to the enemy. (The second half of the video is hilarious.)
• NESN produces another Sox/Yanks gem with this rivalry trivia. My favorite part? When I finished and got to leave NESN.com...
• With Youkilis out for the season, the Sox work out former Jays and Mets slugger Carlos Delgado.
• And finally, to feed my post-series obsession with LOST, check out these Yankees players' cameos, much to Jack's dismay ("Red Sox Nation for life - get lost!") in this LOST spoof.

Johnny Damon Returns to Fenway

Did you know that Johnny Damon grew out his beard as a member of the Red Sox because it hurt to shave following a concussion in 2003? (He played with that concussion in the playoffs that year, mind you. That explains the beard...not sure about the speech thing.)


Did you know that, in 2003 and '04, Damon was third and fourth respectively in assists for Major League center fielders, and that his .992 fielding percentage is 14th best all-time at the position? (source)


Did you know that in the video game Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey, Jr., Damon is black??? (It's true - check it out. And play the game, because it's simply classic.) 

The player some called the caveman and others called Baseball Jesus returns to Fenway tomorrow night for the first time as a non-Yankee visitor. Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe believes it's time to give him his long overdue ovation.


If you're on either side of the Sox/Yanks rivalry, it's worth a look, along with this gallery of Damon through the years.

Yanks/Sox Rivalry Eighth Commandment

Ted Williams set his own success aside when he said, "Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer." While four out of ten was his claim to fame when he hit .406 in 1941, his point is clear - it's hard to succeed in baseball.


It's no surprise, then, that in the two organizations where succeeding is imperative, the Red Sox and Yankees, fans adore an overlooked but vital breed of player - the surprise summer call-up.


Over 162 games, players inevitably get hurt or struggle. This paves the way for the minor leaguers who get that fateful call to join The Show. And when they help the Red Sox or Yankees keep winning, you better believe they'll be remembered fondly for a long, long time regardless of their career path afterwards.


They're usually not the top talent either. Those No. 1 studs need to be eased into a comfortable situation when the timing is right (or the financial roadmap - see Strasburg, Stephen). The unsung call-ups are also given a great deal of responsibility early in their careers - they're a Band-Aid fix for an injured regular, perhaps even a star.


But when they succeed, they earn their place in the hearts of Yanks and Sox fans who witness it.


Shane Spencer and Shelly Duncan did it with homers. Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner did it with stolen bases. Aaron Small did it with perfection (10-0).


And unfortunately for the A-Rods and JD Drews of the rivalry, these players are given "worthy" status almost immediately, in a few short summer weeks. (Being homegrown doesn't hurt either.)


I was there in 2006, just a over a month into Melky Cabrera's first full Major League season, and sitting in front of me was a young girl with a sign: "The Melk Man Delivers on Sundays" (it was a Sunday game). I was there in 2008 when Brett Gardner laced a single to right for his first hit and RBI. And I can tell you firsthand that the fans cheered louder for these two than almost any player except the Core Four.


Why? Because they prove themselves quickly in big spots and help their team continue winning despite the players they're called up to replace. They're succeed on grit in a game that values getting your hands dirty.


Speed is also king. The big boppers are nice, but the speedsters are endearing because they're scrappy- never THE MAN or athletic specimens but contributors who fit in.


Despite not being the prize players groomed for future success, and despite being thrust into the thick of a summer divisional race, these players respond, "Screw you, watch me succeed."


Few things scream New York and Boston more.

• Speaking of speedy former call-ups, is Jacoby Ellsbury really all the Sox need to claim first in the division?
• It's a slow trade market, but the Sox and Yanks are at it again over big names like...Scott Downs. Nevermind. (And should the Sox be sellers instead?)
• Curt Schilling's bloody sock is now the center of a political campaign, as yet another New England politician angers Sox fans.
• Dom Amore at the Hartford Courant wonders, Why is no one watching the Red Sox?

Yankees/Red Sox Rivalry Commandments

1. Thou shalt choose a side. Forever.

2. Thou shalt not accept bandwagon fans.

3. I am your announcer. You shall have no other announcers before me.

4. Honor thy baseball forefathers.

5. Keep holy Opening Day.

6. Thou shalt hate the jersey.

7. Thou shalt win at all costs.

Tales from Abroad: Yanks & Sox Still Unequal

Across the US, the Yankees and the Red Sox are both synonymous with winning. (The two teams have combined to win four of the last nine titles, to say nothing of their division and league success.)

They're also synonymous with baseball - all the history, all the current financial balance questions, and all the "cool" of donning those logos. You can't speak of sports or Major League Baseball in this country without bringing these two franchises into the conversation.

Yet abroad, the story is much different. Though the number of Sox fans has been growing by leaps and bounds since '04, the Yankees remain much more visible -- partly due to their baseball team and partly due to the popularity of that interlocking N-Y. Through international stars on and off the field (Jay-Z, Hideki Matsui, Mariano Rivera, etc.), international endorsements of all kinds (Derek Jeter and Gatorade or Nike's Jumpman apparel, to name two), and unbelievable feats on the field, the Yankees have reached international shores in every conceivable way.

While I was in Rome, I walked down Via del Corso, a packed street in the heart of the city renowned for its shopping and style. Consider it the Fifth Avenue of Rome. I was struck by how many Yanks hats walked past me -- many, it seemed, worn by locals.

In two weeks in Italy in Rome, Florence, Amalfi and Capri, I failed to see a single Sox hat. Coincidence? I'm sure it was. But the key point here is that I saw more Yanks hats 4,000 miles from New York than I do 300 miles away in Boston.

Take a look at this Google tool, called Insights for Search, which reveals the search volume on Google for various terms. In this case, when neither the Sox or Yanks win a title ('05, '06, and '08) the Yanks double the search volume of the Sox. Even in championship years for Boston, they only manage to surpass New York in the month of or following their victory.

An even closer look below the graph reveals that the Yanks far surpass the Sox in Google searches out of Rome and Milan, two of Italy's most developed and international cities.

But there's more. Take a look at the following countries too-

United Kingdom

France

Germany

Australia

Japan

Finally, take a look at the most popular MLB teams on Facebook and Twitter (both international sites launched in the US), and the numbers are quite staggering.

It's good being home in Boston, but in an altogether too strange way, I was even more at home in Rome.

• An article in the WSJ is causing quite a stir, since it states that the Sox are more hated than the Yanks of all teams in baseball (No. 2 vs. No 5, while the Indians took top prize). However, ESPN claims that the survey was for this year rather than all-time, and that the analysis was misinterpreted.
• Here are eight issues the Sox need to overcome this year - and sooner rather than later if they're to catch the Rays and Yankees.
• Derek Jeter and his fellow Yanks friends and Sox foes appear to be slowing down the sport, as they play the longest games in baseball.
• Poor, poor David Ortiz. Even Mike Lowell is being favored by Terry Francona.

No. 6: Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Uni!

In this post: Yankees/Red Sox Fan Commandment #6; ESPN's Matthew Berry hates on the Yanks; and today's Rivalry Rundown.

Of all the things complete strangers can do to make a Yanks or Sox fan despise them, the hierarchy looks something like this:

1. Physically or emotionally wound a loved one.

2. Sign with the Sox or Yanks.

Don't believe me? Let's try a mental exercise.

I want you to picture your favorite Boston or New York player in uniform: heroic, radiant in that white and red or proud in those pinstripes, ready to do battle for the good guys.

Now, picture them wearing the other jersey. Envision Derek Jeter with two red stripes down his chest. Picture Big Papi stomping to the plate in Yanks gear. If you can resist the overwhelming urge to claw at your temples with a rake, imagine that player wearing that jersey against your team...18 teams a year.

Horrifying, right? Your stomach does somersaults. Quick, here's a picture of Heidi Klum to make you feel better..

That was close. Anyways, the jersey remains the single most transformative piece of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry -- you need look no further than Johnny Damon, who can only now wear both World Series rings he won (one with each team) but who was hated by each side at one point and loved by the other, simply because of his jersey.

Players about whom you have no opinion (or even a favorable one) become instant enemies with the letters across their chest. Sorry, Mike Cameron -- I'm sure you're a nice guy, but you're now one of the 25 most evil men in America to millions of people.)

Nothing is worse, however, than a player who changes sides. David Cone and David Wells come to mind as Yankees who "crossed over".  Eric Hinske and Damon won rings with both teams, while neither side will ever forget Boston fan favorite Wade Boggs and his epic ride around Yankee Stadium on a police horse after winning as a Bomber.

We'll refer to switching sides -- perhaps the ultimate rivalry sin -- as the Doc Adkins. Doc was a pitcher who began with Boston in 1902 and switched sides the next season, becoming the first known player to change jerseys.

I'll leave you with this: there is one player in the history of baseball who, though he played for one side (Boston), can incur no consistent hatred. No matter how red his Sox uniform glowed, a Yankees fan's blood simply won't boil. That player.....is Dick Pole.

• ESPN's Matthew Berry talks about his first horrible experience at Yankee Stadium and why he loathes the Bombers.
• The Yanks and Sox averaged the longest games in the majors last season. Jonathan Papelbon is okay with that and says fans should be too.
• A-Rod may be the most hated man in Boston, and his confidence may be driven by...a bracelet?
• In a sad report, Doc Gooden is still struggling to get his life on track.
• On a happier note, there are still some Sox fans who are paranoid about their team. One blogger asks, will 2010 be the worst year ever thanks to Papelbon?

Yankees/Red Sox Rivalry Commandments

1. Thou shalt choose a side. Forever.

2. Thou shalt not accept bandwagon fans.

3. I am your announcer. You shall have no other announcers before me.

4. Honor thy baseball forefathers.

5. Keep holy Opening Day.

Rivalry Rundown: Sox Projected to Stink?

Okay, so the Sox aren't projected to be a terrible team, per se. But by Yankees and Red Sox standards, would finishing third in the division qualify as a major disappointment? In a word, yes. In two words, hell yes.


And in a word Homer Simpson made up, unpossible!

It's worth noting in today's age of infinite metrics in sports (a topic for another post) that  a mathematician has calculated the final standings for each division. He projects the Sox to finish just behind the Rays in the AL East, in third place and out of the playoffs. 


This is notable for three reasons. First, it can't sit well with Sox Nation to hear that, especially given that Theo Epstein loves his baseball data to make decisions (Mike Cameron, Adrian Beltre, Marco Scutaro -- all prime examples).


Second, this mathematician is actually accurate with his predictive formula. He's beaten the odds in SIX of eight seasons (and yet somehow he hasn't exploded onto the gambling scene?).


And third, his method could and should be used by the MLB if it continues to prove itself. It'd be a great asset to Bud Selig's panel of experts as they discuss options to level the playing field. They've talked about overhauling divisions by allowing teams to float across them, all in the hope of giving everyone a fair chance at winning -- why not use this predictive formula to help?


Here's some more goodness from today from around the rivalry:

• Boston.com offers five things to know about Nomar and his illustrious career.
• Here's a  rundown of the top 10 pitching performances in Yankees history. One enormous oversight: Jim Abbott's 1993 no hitter against the Indians. The man had one arm! How does that miss the cut??? There are two-armed pitchers that allowed several hits in the slideshow, and Abbott can't crack the top 10??? I literally read this list four consecutive times because I thought I'd missed it. Unbelievable.
• NESN reports that the Sox are interested in bringing back lefty reliever Alan Embree. As a Yanks fan, I can only pray they bring back Mike Timlin with him. Or sign Kyle Farnsworth to a minor league deal.
• Phil Hughes is making a strong case to claim the fifth spot in the Yankees' rotation, challenging Alfredo Aceves. Joe Girardi has been blunt with Joba Chamberlain, and now's the time for him to man up and pitch better if he hopes to stay in the running.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everybody!