Well, the rivalry is officially underway for the millionth season, and for now, the Yankees continue to reign supreme. (Excuse me while I go vomit.) With each team debuting new sluggers and new managers this season, fans are hopeful that the rivalry will experience a resurgence after a stale decade or so.
Boone, the catalyst for the 2003 beating that helped motivate the Sox’s 2004 championship, is now the Yankees manager, while Cora was a member of Boston’s 2007 championship team. They’re both first-year managers, though Cora is fresh off a coaching stint with the reigning champ Houston Astros. Boone has no experience coaching or managing.
In their first match-up of 2018, the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 5-3. They took a one-run lead in the 3rd, and though the Sox came back to tie it 1-1 an inning later and take a 3-2 lead in the 6th, they were unable hold the Yankees down in the 8th. It’s a typical story for the Sox; when they do score, they’re unable to keep their opponents at bay in later innings.
Now, of course, Spring Training is basically one long practice game and is pretty meaningless, with a million pitchers and a myriad of random batters. But when it comes to the Sox and Yankees, nothing ever means nothing.
The most embarrassing part is that the Yankees didn’t need to use either of their two power hitters, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton to beat us. And to make matters worse, Aaron Freaking Boone knew he wouldn’t need them, and the powerful pair wasn’t even at the game. Third musketeer Gary Sanchez also sat out the game. The Red Sox, meanwhile, used more than half of their starting lineup, with Mookie, X, Moreland, and Benintendi in the game. The Yankees’ farm system beat them. Not great.
Fans will have to wait a little over a month for the real deal, but Boston and New York will face off in 19 games during the regular season. Plenty of time for another pinstriped prick to slap the ball out of someone’s glove or charge at one of our pitchers.
Photo: Africa MLB
