Chris CrockettYankee Lenny's... 'State of the Rivalry'
July 23rd 2009 13:30
Today, we have a special Guest Post on the TCFB blog from Lenny Neslin. Lenny is a diehard Yankees fan. (Yes that's right.. I said Yankee Fan, Beantowners!) Even though we don't like our neighbors to the South all that much... as the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer! haha... Check out his site by clicking here. Thanks for the entertaining guest post Lenny.
The Red Sox acquired Pirates first baseman Adam LaRoche yesterday — the first day the Red Sox have sat in second place in the AL East since June 8. Coincidence? I think not.
The Red Sox are 8-0 against its pinstriped rivals this season, but still find themselves one game back. Imagine if their fortune this year turned into misfortune. Can you say, “nine games back?”
One would think with a lopsided head-to-head record that the rivalry wouldn’t be as heated as it has in recent years. But it has. I’ll use the twitter of Red Sox owner John Henry as proof....
"News from Yankees' Universe. Big upsurge in membership. Apparently coming mostly from Pluto. Not doing nearly as well on Mars."
This tweet came a few days after the Yankees announced their counter option to the Red Sox Nation club, the Yankees Universe. At the time, the Red Sox were still in first place, but that wouldn’t stop Henry.
Back to the move. The Red Sox were pursuing a bat because its offense was underperforming. The team is batting .262, good for 12th in MLB. LaRoche can help that number rise, as he has always been a strong second half hitter.
He also adds depth to a team that has been playing shorthanded most of the season with David Ortiz struggling and Mike Lowell on the DL. Now, LaRoche can spell both of them and Kevin Youkilis as the Red Sox make its routine run at the postseason in 2009.
The Yankees always seem to change something at the deadline, and with the Red Sox making a push, it seems even more likely. I’m not hinting that Roy Halladay becomes an automatic option, but possibly a B-level starter like Jarrod Washburn or Doug Davis.
It should be a fun final week before the trade deadline, and an even more fun second half. Keep in mind: with ten more scheduled head-to-head matchups, the Yankees still have a chance to win the season series.
Lenny Neslin
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