New Yankees vs Boston Red Sox
The Yankees and the Boston Red Sox is easily one of the most epic team matchups of all time. Obviously the Sox have had their day in the sun here recently, but how long will their reign last? As larger salaries with other Major League Baseball teams draw younger players away from the Sox and egos begin to grow, it would be hard to see another World Series win for the Red Sox next year. As Yankees fans anticipate, this just might be the time for another comeback.
The rivalry between the Yankees and the Sox is a hallmark episode in baseball history. If we could all just teleport to a simpler time, a time when beer cost ten cents, a date cost you a buck, and, perhaps, we all could have afforded to start our own franchise, we can take a look at the roots of this rivalry. Also if we go back to the curse of the Great Bambino that started when Mr. Babe Ruth himself was let go by the Boston Red Sox and sold to the New York Yankees in 1949, we then might begin to understand the intricacies of this David vs. Goliath matchup. While the Sox were originally a League powerhouse, the Yankees made use of the Babe Ruth’s talents and took first place in World Series. Sox fans lamented the sell of Ruth to the Yankees and blamed the curse of the Great Bambino for their failure to win another Series championship.
But a little curse hasn’t stopped the Sox from trying to come back on top. Yet, the Yankees have been dominant in the payroll department for the past twenty years, so it really makes any form of comeback a difficult thing. Yet last year Boston finally did it, winning the World Series by getting rid of overpriced players and cultivating a team atmosphere. As the recent Sox victory demonstrated, loading the payroll backfired for the Yankees. Using standard tactical strategy we can clearly see that if you’re big, then they are small, and you should use that to your advantage. Having the Yankees handcuffed to a bunch of overpriced time wasters puts them in a tough position. Obviously they can always just shell out more money to get the best talent on the roster, but sometimes you can’t just buy the entire world.
It’s easier to cultivate an atmosphere of team spirit if you have a bunch of younger guys who are hungry for a title and who have a decent skill set to back it up. Obviously the Boston Red Sox hadn’t won the World Series since 2007, so you could say that it was a given, but again, nothing is easy. Especially when you are going after one of the most coveted titles in the entire world sports arena. If you really fall in love with a team, you will be with them pennants or no pennants. This is just the kind of love that we need to see, fair weathered fans need not apply to this rivalry, as you will be flipping from Yankees to Boston one year to the next. This is obviously the biggest and most competitive rivalry in all of baseball.
