“Give It A Rest”

For the better part of the last decade, the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry has been as intense as at any time in the 100-plus years that both ballclubs have been dukin’ it out. This chapter of the rivalry dates from 1995, when the Red Sox last won the Eastern Division title. The Yankees subsequently beat out the Red Sox in the playoffs of 1999, and 2003 before the Red Sox finally got the better of them in 2004 in what may be the single greatest choke in baseball history, and every bit as sweet as winning the World Series. New York won the East from 1996-2006, winning six pennants and four World Series. The only era better than that for the Yankees ran from ’47 through ’64, when they won 15 pennants and 10 World Series. Players like Johnny Damon, Roger Clemens and Wade Boggs drifted over to the dark side in this drama to the consternation of the Boston faithful. In return, David Wells and Ramiro Mendoza (“The Embedded Yankee”) were largely forgettable performers in Boston.

Now that the Yankees’ season has ended (a fact over which we take neither pleasure nor dread—we don’t do schadenfreude around here), maybe it’s for the best that the teams doesn’t see each other until next spring. Fans are probably just as beaten up as are the teams. This chapter of the rivalry has produced baseball at its most passionate and intense featuring unforgettable memories, both good and bad.

Best Moments:

1. Coming back from 3-0 deficit to win the American League Pennant.
2. Varitek smacks A-Rod
3. Pedro knocks Zim on his ass
4. A-Rod caught bitch-slapping the ball from Arroyo’s glove
5. “the Men in Green” comeback 4/20/07
6. Lowell levels Cano breaking up a double play
7. Sheffield Incident In Rightfield

Worst Moments:

1. Boone
2. Wade Boggs riding horse
3. Jeter diving into stands/13th inning loss
4. Ronan Tynan
5. Clemens headhunts Manny
6. Who’s Your Daddy?
7. “I could never play for the Yankees…”

Every time these teams meet it's a knockdown, drag out fight. It seems like every game breaks another record for the longest nine-inning game in history, as they always run in excess of four hours. Such contests exact a toll on players and fans alike. There comes a time when enough is enough. Like anything else, there needs to be ebb and flow, and this rivalry has been on high tide for a long, long time. There are a but a few Red Sox fans out there who, in their heart of hearts, would relish another go with the New Yorkers for the American League Pennant. This is not to diminish or slight the Cleveland Indians in any way. They are a fantastic team, and this is shaping up to be an excellent challenge for the Red Sox who are not underestimating the Tribe's talent for a second. Boston knows that it has quite a fight on their hands.

It’s just that people in New England have had their fill of the rivalry for now. It's kind of like eating pizza six times a week. The general feeling is that things have reached a saturation point and we need to let it go for now. These teams face one another 18 times a year and truth be told, the Yankees had the Red Sox’ number this year. There were several games this year where the Red Sox could have buried any postseason hopes the Yankees had and the Sox let them off the hook. The final time the teams met on Sunday night, September 16th, was a microcosm of the 18 games played. The Sox had a lead heading into the eighth-inning when Jeter's three-run homer off Curt Schilling was the difference maker. Despite the Yankees' ineffective starting pitching, Red Sox fans got a sense that somehow, the Yankees would prevail if the teams were to again clash heads for the Pennant.

One suspects that the Red Sox players are not overly disappointed that the Yankees won't be around for the Championship Series. The question is whether they will suffer an emotional letdown. The answers to that will be determined between the lines. There is not a sense of overconfidence, but of cautious optimism. As we in Boston well know, anything can happen, and simply getting to the postseason was arduous. Boston didn’t enter the postseason on a roll, but a tired bunch. No doubt the sweep of Anaheim rejuvenated them. Still, there are a lot of hard miles on this team. The Indians have great starters and set-up guys, although their closer did blow a lot of saves this year. As shown in their most recent series, the Indians have some real studs out there in the everyday lineup. So look for these games to be every bit as hard fought as when the Yankees and Red Sox hook up. It will simply feel different, that’s all.

While we generally don't pay a lot of attention to the machinations of the Yankees, it's always a pretty good idea to make note of the moves that happen in the enemy camp. After all, didn't Don Corleone once say, "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." The Stadium is empty and quiet as The Sons of Steinbrenner plot and scheme the team’s future direction. The New York media has been on red alert regarding the decisions that the team will make for the off season. Although fan sentiment is against it, Torre will most likely be removed as the manager. Rodríguez has to decide whether to stay on in New York, or opt out of this deal for a more lucrative one elsewhere. The Yankees have indicated a willingness to renegotiate his contract, before his contractual option expires (because Texas continues to pay a large chunk of his salary). But A-Rod is a Booras client and that generally means going for the biggest buck, regardless of the destination. And the way that Booras has been tossing around the word “icon” lately, there’s a pretty good idea of what the A-Rod camp will be demanding from potential suitors. Additionally, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera are also in their walk years, and whether they stay or go may be dependent upon who the manager is next season. They have already picked up Bobby Abreu's option and have developed terrific everyday players in Robinson Cano at second, and Melky Cabrera who took over as the everyday centerfielder. They also have fine young arms in Philip Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. These two have already tasted the experience of the postseason, and the baseball world ought to shudder at the thought of both of these guys in their prime. Another intriguing question is what to do about Johnny Damon. His days as a roving centerfielder are in the past and he's a really an expensive option as a fourth outfielder who lacks the power normally associated with the designated hitter's slot. Brian Cashman has done an outstanding job integrating all of his young talent into the mix, and there are surely more phenoms to follow.

While Sox fans and the organization are properly focused on beating Cleveland and moving on to the next round, some consideration ought to be given to some of the likely moves that will happen to Boston's 40-man roster as well come November. More likely than not, Boston fans are looking at the final games of Curt Schilling in a Red Sox uniform. The Sox will make him an offer, but some other team will offer more. If he continues to pitch well during the postseason, there will be no consideration of a hometown discount. His chances of returning are about 10%.

The other key piece of the puzzle is what to do regarding Mike Lowell, who had a tremendous season both at the plate and with the glove. The Red Sox would do well to extend this guy at least two more years before he hits the open market, because they have no one coming up in the minor leagues to replace him. And there are no viable options in the free-agent market. Even if Alex Rodríguez does opt for free agency the Red Sox would be fools to entertain the notion of bringing a $35 million ballplayer to Fenway Park.

With the emergence of Jacoby Ellsbury as the centerfielder of the future, the team needs to think about what to do with Coco Crisp. Coco has given them a terrific glove out there in center field, but his batting prowess leaves a lot to be desired. J.D. Drew was pretty much a bust this year as was feared. He got a pass this year due to the fact that the team won 96 games in the regular season. If the Red Sox had a bad year, the Fenway faithful would've made his life a living hell. Though he showed signs of life in September, and came through with a big hit in the recent series with Anaheim, Drew needs to consistently produce moving forward. Manny Ramirez' power waned this year whether due to age or injury is the issue. 2008 will be the final year of his contract before the team option kicks in. Even under the best of circumstances it would be hard for the Red Sox to exercise their $20 million option beyond next year. Julio Lugo picked up the quality of his play considerably in the second half of the year, but for the first three months, he was atrocious.

They appear to have struck gold with Dustin Pedroia at second and will hopefully keep Kevin Youkilis around for years to come, because day in and day out, he leaves everything on the field. He established an American League record by failing to make a single error at first base this year.

Another area that requires immediate consideration is catching. Next year would be the final year off Jason Varitek's contract. From a career-high OPS of .872 in ’04, his number has dropped 75 basis points. He’s 35 and that’s the time when a catcher's effectiveness begins to run out. At this point in his career, Varitek's mind and leadership skills are probably more valuable to the team than what he provides on the field. They absolutely, positively need to find an everyday catcher moving forward, and such are a premium in today's marketplace, as witnessed by the Teixiera-Saltalamacchia trade.

The pitching is in pretty good shape. Jonathan Papelbon rebounded nicely after having to shut things down last September. He saved 37 ballgames, and was pretty much dominant over the course of the season. Josh Beckett ought to win the American League Cy Young Award this year. He was the only 20-game winner in the League and was every bit the ace, rather than just a hard thrower. Daisuke Matsuzaka had a pretty good year, notwithstanding the cultural adjustment. He won 15 games, though he struggled some coming down the stretch. Perhaps if he shortens his repertoire of pitches, he'll have greater success next year. Jon Lester also had a great year, as he continues his recovery from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Though his control did suffer at times, there is no doubting his ability or his heart. The highly touted Clay Buchholz proved to be every bit worth the hype, as he pitched a no-hitter and had a two other terrific outings before the team shut him down at the end of the regular season. Manny Delcarmen will no longer have to worry about taking the shuttle between Pawtucket and Boston. He proved that he belonged as a Major Leaguer over the second half of the year and will be counted upon to be the premier setup guy in 2008. Hideki Okajima: Flash in the pan or the real deal? Without him, it’s 50/50 that the Sox make it to the post season this year.

Adding it up, if someone were to realistically compare the Yankees and the Red Sox going forward, it seems that both teams are in a state of flux rather than being more settled as has been the case in recent years. The Yankees have a far greater financial capacity to fill whatever holes they have then do the Red Sox. Boston will have some flexibility this year as a number of contracts will expire and the players won't be returning, most notably, Matt Clement at $9 million a year. So both teams will be players in free agency this year, but the pickings aren't all that great. And both teams have to determine whether it's worth it to overspend for mediocrity. In any event, for the Red Sox to be successful over the long run they need to more wisely marshal their resources than the Yankees. Current ownership appears to be willing to spend to maintain a competitive ballclub, but it is a much more prudent to grow your own talent rather buying it on the open market.

Every great rivalry goes through periods where the games don't mean as much in the standings and the matchups and players are not as good. Following the death of Thurman Munson in 1979, the Red Sox Yankees rivalry was anything but until 1995. It was the cast of characters on both sides during the mid-70s that made the drama special, not simply the laundry. The same thing is true for what has gone on over the last decade. The “Bronx Zoo” crowd of the ‘70s paled in comparison to the professionalism to this latest Yankee dynasty. On balance, the Red Sox teams over the last ten years have been better than those in the ‘70’s (especially in the pitching department). One by one, the actors in this latest drama will leave the stage. Many have retired already, and there will be many changes to follow. It just seems as if both teams need a break from each other for a while to reconstitute a new generation of players who will carry the torch.