September showdown in the Bronx : Red Sox vs. Yankees (Live Thread)

NY Daily News ^ | September 17, 2004 | Mike Lupica

[presidio9]

This is the kind of September we are supposed to have with the Yankees and the Red Sox. This is the way it is supposed to be, a series like this at the Stadium this weekend, then another one next weekend at Fenway Park. It wasn't supposed to be as easy as the Red Sox made it look in April. It wasn't supposed to be the kind of knockout punch the Yankees threw at Boston at the end of June, that three-game series when Derek Jeter, in addition to everything else, seemed to have taught himself how to fly.

It wasn't supposed to be the Yankees ahead by 10-1/2 games in August, as giddy as that made everybody around here feel, when the Red Sox were declared dead, and gone, again.

This, tonight at the Stadium, is the way it is supposed to be:

El Duque Hernandez with the ball in the top of the first tonight, trying to kick his leg to the upper deck and duck his head behind his shoulder and throw one of those breaking balls that starts out by Ruppert Place past Johnny Damon of the Red Sox.

Maybe last year isn't as good as the Yankees vs. the Red Sox could ever be. Because after everything that has happened between Game 7 last October and now, the sides are still even.

"A showdown in the Bronx," is the way Damon described this series the other night.

It is all of that.

It is not the kind of all-in, knockout baseball it used to be in the old days, the way it was in September of 1978, when it was the Yankees trying to come from way back in the pack. Barring a total collapse by the Red Sox - and it is hard to see them collapsing after the kind of good, clean hardball they have played lately - you can almost book both teams making the playoffs.

So no matter which of these two teams wins the American League East, it looks as if we will be right where we were a year ago after the regular season, hoping to get both of them through the first round, and into another series with a trip to the World Series on the line. Where it will be all-in, knockout baseball. Where everything could come down to one swing of the bat, the way it did with Aaron Boone, on the night when he finally ended the greatest Yankee-Red Sox season of them all.

But you have to know this: The Yankees don't want to blow the biggest regular-season lead they have ever blown. The Yankees do not want the Red Sox to come back from 10-1/2 behind on the 15th of August to win the AL East, whether they know they've got the safety net of the wild card or not. Because in their minds, they would be carried into October on a stretcher.

For now, we get these six games, starting with the ball in El Duque's hand tonight. Where would the Yankees be without him? Second place, is where. The big fat lead would be gone already. Alex Rodriguez was supposed to be the difference between the Yankees and the Red Sox this season. We've got him, Yankee fans crowed. They don't. That was the first time the season was declared over, back in February, when it was announced that the Yankees had made a deal with the Rangers for A-Rod.

Only he has not been the difference. Somehow, even as he has hung up fairly gaudy numbers, even with the richest contract in the history of sports, A-Rod has just been one of the stars on the Yankees this season. Just not the biggest. The Yankees are still ahead because Gary Sheffield has been the kind of batting star A-Rod was supposed to be. And because El Duque, with all his spin and mystery intact at whatever age he really is, remains one of the great big-game Yankee pitchers of them all.

Now he gets the biggest game he has had in a while, at least until he gets to the playoffs.

"[The Red Sox] are still trying to catch us," Derek Jeter said.

Only for about 900 years.

But for now, the two teams are as close as they could be. In the last two seasons, counting the 2003 postseason, the Yankees and Red Sox have played 39 games. Thirty-nine. The Red Sox have won 20 and the Yankees have won 19. All those games, and really only one swing from Boone separating them.

The Red Sox don't go away. They made their run and now the Yankees have won eight of their last 10. There is a great wild-card race in the National League East. But this is something different. This is the Yankees against the Red Sox. The season started with all those games between them in April. Now here we are again, 11 months, exactly, from Aaron Boone.

Curt Schilling is with the Red Sox now, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte are gone from the Yankees. Nomar Garciaparra is gone from the Red Sox. The Red Sox tried to cut Manny Ramirez of Washington Heights to get A-Rod and now Ramirez might be MVP. The Yankees got A-Rod. We get the September we wanted. It is the September we always want. Somehow, the sides are still even.

[Doogle]

..I'll just throw my two cents in


Bucky Dent

Doogle

it's amazing the reaction ya get

[presidio9]

Fair enough enjoy it too.

[TIGHTEN]

Why would you hate the Sox? What have they done against the Yankees?

Maybe it's 'cause you know the time has come. That this is the first year we actually have a better team. For the rest of human history, 2004 will be remembered as the year the Yankees couldn't stand the heat from up North.

This year, we will destroy your team. It must be sad to know the end of an era is staring you in the face....

Doesn't anger come before acceptance? Keep hating fella, you'll come around soon enough.

[presidio9]

I don't hate the Red Sox. I just get great pleasure out of seeing Sox fans get all worked up and excited about the team and then having their hopes crushed. Every year they are convinced that THIS is the year. Every time they get close, they are frustrated in new and agonizing ways. I have just gotten to the point where I enjoy this theatre more than I enjoy seeing the Yankees win. Otherwise, I wish Red Sox fans no personal harm or discomfort.

So, by all means, believe in your Red Sox. Get yourself worked up into a lather about this year's team. It only intensifies the experience for me.

[TIGHTEN]

Well, okay you nailed me. I have been getting all juiced up about our team this year. And last year was devastating.

Tell the truth though, aren't you just a bit nervous about your pitching? And scared that we're the better overall team? Apprehensive about your bullpen? Gordon blows under pressure (least he did when he was a Red Sox).

Man, I really hope they play tonight! Yankees rarely play well against nobody pitchers (Arroyo).

[presidio9]

I think the Cardinals are going to win the Series this year. I think the Yanks and the Sox each have three decent starting pitchers, but the Yanks have more offense and are seriously in Pedro's head at this point. I guess the seventh and eigth innings will scare me, but I am not terrified of the Sox's bullpen either. Don't forget, the reason Arod was beaned in that game was because he got the winning hit off of Foulke the night before.

[TIGHTEN]

Yeah, St. Louis is no joke this year. They're stuffed with talent. But I disagree that our starting 3 are equal. And our pen can dominate any team. Yes, Foulke has openings...he's blown 5 saves this year. But it won't matter when we're up 5+ runs into the 9th.

I cannot agree that the Yanks have a better offense. The Yanks have a bunch of scary hitters by name, Red Sox by name and numbers. Take away the sick SOB Sheffield and nobody scares me (other than Jeter, and that's only if the game is in the balance).

Thank heaven Soriano is gone, and may he never, ever come back to NY (yes, I live in NY).

[TIGHTEN]

Mike and the mad dog seem to think we'll play tonight. I'll look for you, though it might be difficult with so many Yankee fans writhing in pain!

[GraniteStateConservative]

Last 30 Days stats...

PLAYER	G	AB	R	2B	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	AVG	OPS
D Jeter	28	108	29	10	6	19	0.413	0.593	0.333	1.006
A Rodriguez	27	107	20	8	4	23	0.432	0.523	0.336	0.955
G Sheffield	27	103	17	12	6	27	0.402	0.612	0.320	1.014
H Matsui	28	102	12	8	2	15	0.364	0.402	0.265	0.766
B Williams	25	101	16	6	2	11	0.313	0.366	0.248	0.679
J Posada	26	86	14	4	3	11	0.365	0.384	0.233	0.749
J Olerud	23	82	8	3	1	9	0.348	0.354	0.280	0.702
M Cairo	25	80	13	2	2	9	0.371	0.438	0.313	0.809
R Sierra	21	59	8	1	2	15	0.308	0.390	0.237	0.698
K Lofton	19	56	13	1	0	5	0.354	0.339	0.286	0.693
T Clark	12	26	6	0	5	10	0.269	0.846	0.269	1.115
E Wilson	15	21	1	0	0	1	0.217	0.143	0.143	0.360
J Flaherty	8	18	4	2	2	3	0.389	0.833	0.389	1.222
J Giambi	2	7	0	0	0	0	0.125	0.000	0.000	0.125
B Crosby	9	5	1	0	0	0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000

PLAYER	G	AB	R	2B	HR	RBI	OBP	SLG	AVG	OPS
O Cabrera	27	106	19	10	3	15	0.371	0.538	0.340	0.909
M Ramirez	26	98	24	4	11	31	0.377	0.673	0.296	1.050
M Bellhorn	25	97	14	12	4	21	0.376	0.567	0.299	0.943
D Ortiz	25	93	16	6	7	20	0.343	0.538	0.247	0.881
J Damon	23	93	24	6	2	14	0.439	0.505	0.355	0.944
K Millar	26	84	14	10	4	18	0.364	0.524	0.262	0.888
B Mueller	23	78	15	5	2	10	0.378	0.462	0.295	0.840
J Varitek	19	68	13	8	2	8	0.443	0.559	0.353	1.002
D Roberts	21	54	11	7	1	9	0.339	0.463	0.278	0.802
G Kapler	24	50	8	1	1	7	0.278	0.320	0.240	0.598
D Mientkiewicz	21	34	3	1	1	2	0.256	0.294	0.176	0.550
D Mirabelli	15	34	3	1	1	7	0.375	0.382	0.265	0.757
T Nixon	7	12	3	3	1	2	0.417	0.917	0.417	1.334
K Youkilis	6	12	2	0	0	2	0.200	0.083	0.083	0.283
R Gutierrez	5	9	2	0	0	2	0.556	0.556	0.556	1.112

[clyde260]

This from Weather Underground for daBronx:


4:30 PM
Tonight
A chance of rain this evening...then widespread rain with isolated thunderstorms after midnight. Rain may be heavy at times. Lows in the mid 60s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Game 1 TV info...

ESPN, 7:00pm EST

[GraniteStateConservative]

I don't want a doubleheader. I hope it's not rained out.

[clyde260]

Just looked out toward the Stadium, and it's looking a bit gloomy, BUT, it's been this way all day.

[GraniteStateConservative]

How does it look to you?

75°F
Mostly Cloudy
Feels Like 77°F

UV Index: 0 Low
Dew Point: 68°F
Humidity: 79%
Visibility: 10.0 miles
Pressure: 29.87 inches and rising
Wind: From the South at 10 mph

[GraniteStateConservative]

Tonight's lineup...

Damon CF
Bellhorn 2B
Ramirez LF
Ortiz DH
Nixon RF
Varitek C
Millar 1B
Cabrera SS
Youkilis 3B

Jeter SS
Rodriguez 3B
Sheffield RF
Matsui LF
Posada C
Giambi DH
Olerud 1B
Cairo 2B
Lofton CF

[NYCVirago]

ESPN, 7:00pm EST

Wow! And Saturday's game is on FOX, and I think Sunday's game might be on ESPN. That's pretty much unprecedented for regular-season games.

Watching the pre-game here on the YES Network -- New York City's Channel 2 is showing the game here tonight.

[GraniteStateConservative]

My guess is we can expect the same big TV coverage in Fenway if the division race stays close. This will be a great weekend of baseball.

[GraniteStateConservative]

I assembled this list by looking at previous Red Sox-Yankees threads so we can all follow the games between the two teams the rest of the year. If you want off, let me know. I'm pinging you guys again.

[NYCVirago]

My guess is we can expect the same big TV coverage in Fenway if the division race stays close. This will be a great weekend of baseball.

I agree. The pre-game show just showed a bunch of Red Sox talking about the series this weekend. Somebody should tell Pedro that the 80s called, and wants his hairdo back!

[Peace will be here soon]

2004 World Series: Cardinals v Yankees. This is the year !!