Saturday, June 2, 2007

The Best Rivalry in Baseball

It’s been a long time since I wound my way along Storrow Drive, parallel to the Charles River, on my way to classes at Northeastern University: One of my best memories is the last leg of that drive, past Boston University, towards Yawkey Way, with Fenway Park to my right, home of the 37 foot-high Green Monster in left field.

Last night, the Yankees took full advantage of that venerable wall to shellac the Red Sox. A check of the current standings in the American League East (see: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/index.jsp?ymd=20070602) shows the Red Sox in first place, with the best record in baseball – up 12.5 games over the Yankees -- just before game time this afternoon.

However, as any Red Sox fan knows, you shouldn’t count your chips until the dealing’s done. Despite Boston’s current standing, last night’s game at Fenway Park showed only too well what happens when BoSox pitching collapses and Yankee bats wake up and take charge.

It’s going to be a long summer, and no one can predict who is going to be holding the American League Pennant when the last pitch crosses the plate. Anything can happen between these two teams, and the only sure thing is the crazy excitement and loyalty that the fans bring to each of their venerated teams.

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