The Rivalry Renewed?
As Baseball season finally and thankfully approaches, the excitement is in the air. Pro-basketball sucks, college basketball is swinging into high-gear but will be over before we know it. Hockey...well, we all know the deal with that. Arena League Football doesn't really cut it. Bottomline, most of us set our sports calendar by the 162 regular season and hopefully many extra post-season games our teams will play. In the spirit of Spring Training and the greatest sport ever...
Overly Excited Baseball Fan, AJS was eager to start up the debate - here are his thoughts...
There is almost no argument that the Yankees and Red Sox are the greatest rivalry in sports today, and perhaps even history. However, I would like to take a more in-depth look at these two teams and see if this should in fact even be classified as a rivalry.
A rival is defined as:
1. One who attempts to equal or surpass another, or who pursues the same object as another; a competitor.
2. One that equals or almost equals another in a particular respect.
Using definition 1, Boston may in fact be a rival of the Yankees. Boston is constantly trying to equal and surpass the Yankees. In 2004, they were finally able to reach their goal. From 1918-2004, they were in fact a rival and will always be as a result of them being in the same division and competing year after year for the division title and the playoff birth that comes with it.
Using the second definition, I think there is room for saying that there is in fact no rivalry. Since becoming the Yankees in 1901, the Yankees have won 26 World Series titles, 39 American League pennants and 14 East Division titles. The Boston Red Sox, over that same time period, won 6 World Series titles (only 1 since 1918), 11 American League Pennants and 5 Division titles.
When looking at these stats, the Red Sox do not in fact rival the Yankees. They do not equal or even come close to equaling the Yankees. A true rivalry would have been the Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs. They had equaled each other in their inability to win a World Series.
However, as is true with all sports, statistics don’t always tell the whole story. What does in fact make the Yankees and Red Sox not just a rivalry but the greatest rivalry is that we don’t look at the last 100 years every time they play. Yes, we Yankee fans chanted 1918 for years and yes, the Red Sox fans will remind the Yankees that it has been 5 years since they one but these aren’t important. It is the fact that every game and every move between the 2 of these teams has to be matched or topped by the other team. The Red Sox get Schilling, and the Yankees get Big Unit. The Red Sox try and get A-Rod, the Yankees go out and get him.
Additionally, each game has to be looked at individually because it seems that no matter what place the teams are in the standings, each game is like a game 7 of the world series. Whether it be Jeter diving 3 rows deep and cutting his face, Schilling pitching with a dead person attached to his ankle or Grady Little (I think Andy Reid looks a lot like him) not knowing how to manage a game 7, each game creates a certain level of excitement and challenge that was not present in the last game.
It is these individual efforts and storylines that cause everyone to watch these games and the intensity level to be as high as it is. The bean ball fights and throwing of old coaches is a carryover of these emotions. No rivalry will ever match the Yankees vs the Red Sox. -AJS
Overly Excited Baseball Fan, AJS was eager to start up the debate - here are his thoughts...
There is almost no argument that the Yankees and Red Sox are the greatest rivalry in sports today, and perhaps even history. However, I would like to take a more in-depth look at these two teams and see if this should in fact even be classified as a rivalry.
A rival is defined as:
1. One who attempts to equal or surpass another, or who pursues the same object as another; a competitor.
2. One that equals or almost equals another in a particular respect.
Using definition 1, Boston may in fact be a rival of the Yankees. Boston is constantly trying to equal and surpass the Yankees. In 2004, they were finally able to reach their goal. From 1918-2004, they were in fact a rival and will always be as a result of them being in the same division and competing year after year for the division title and the playoff birth that comes with it.
Using the second definition, I think there is room for saying that there is in fact no rivalry. Since becoming the Yankees in 1901, the Yankees have won 26 World Series titles, 39 American League pennants and 14 East Division titles. The Boston Red Sox, over that same time period, won 6 World Series titles (only 1 since 1918), 11 American League Pennants and 5 Division titles.
When looking at these stats, the Red Sox do not in fact rival the Yankees. They do not equal or even come close to equaling the Yankees. A true rivalry would have been the Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs. They had equaled each other in their inability to win a World Series.
However, as is true with all sports, statistics don’t always tell the whole story. What does in fact make the Yankees and Red Sox not just a rivalry but the greatest rivalry is that we don’t look at the last 100 years every time they play. Yes, we Yankee fans chanted 1918 for years and yes, the Red Sox fans will remind the Yankees that it has been 5 years since they one but these aren’t important. It is the fact that every game and every move between the 2 of these teams has to be matched or topped by the other team. The Red Sox get Schilling, and the Yankees get Big Unit. The Red Sox try and get A-Rod, the Yankees go out and get him.
Additionally, each game has to be looked at individually because it seems that no matter what place the teams are in the standings, each game is like a game 7 of the world series. Whether it be Jeter diving 3 rows deep and cutting his face, Schilling pitching with a dead person attached to his ankle or Grady Little (I think Andy Reid looks a lot like him) not knowing how to manage a game 7, each game creates a certain level of excitement and challenge that was not present in the last game.
It is these individual efforts and storylines that cause everyone to watch these games and the intensity level to be as high as it is. The bean ball fights and throwing of old coaches is a carryover of these emotions. No rivalry will ever match the Yankees vs the Red Sox. -AJS
posted by EDS | 9:26 AM
6 Comments:
Boston Sucks!
Boston Sucks!
Boston Sucks!
In the words of the great Reggie Jackson... "Trot Nixon? Who is that? Is that a racehorse?"
Reggie stood up for A-Rod stating that A-Rod has no reason to be involved in the smack-talk conversation going on right now (well, it's more one-sided than a conversation). This is because A-Rod is involved in a different conversation... that's right, he's in the conversation for best player ever... Trot Nixon - hah! Flamer!
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Yes, the Red Sox-Yankees is the greatest sports rivalry. It's so obvious it can almost be left unsaid. My one comment is that under the the first definition of rival, the Yankees are the team that is now attempting to equal or surpass the Red Sox. I'm not ignorant of how the Red Sox acheivements over the years pale in comparison to those of the Yankees. But, anyone who competes knows, no one rests on their laurels and only looks to the next game.
I am also looking forward to Opening Day. But, the one thing that keeps me going is the fact that the PGA Tour is in season almost a full 10 months. Sunday's duel between Tiger and Lefty will remain one of the top 10 most exciting sports broadcasts of 2005.
While I do enjoy baseball, the best sport ever is golf.
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