2008 Woodie Awards
The League's Biggest Rivalry Also Has The League's Biggest Mouths
Jonathan Stone
Issue date: 3/23/05 Section: Perspectives
You can almost feel it can't you? On Sunday, April 3rd at 8 o'clock the first major league pitch will cross the plate in front of millions of fans nation-wide. Coincidentally, the first major league game will feature the league's biggest rivals. The Boston Red Sox who are coming off a historic championship season will meet their nemesis, the New York Yankees, right here in the Bronx. It's the evil empire against a rag-tag team of self-proclaimed idiots. This rivalry does not need to be billed anymore than it already has, but this year is different for two reasons: 1) For the first time in a long time, the Red Sox are coming into Yankee Stadium as winners and champs and 2) the verbal sparring between the two teams that has occurred in this past off-season has everyone penciling April 3rd on their calendars to see what may or may not happen.
Let's talk about this "verbal sparring between the two teams" which has occurred. The bickering actually is not between two teams at all; it has really been between the Red Sox and Alex Rodriguez. No person took more flak for the Yankee's lackluster performance in the ALCS than Mr. Rodriguez, mainly because he was the guy who was suppose to lead the Yanks to the promise land as opposed to Loserville. He also drew a lot of criticism for his so-called "slap heard 'round the world", which ultimately cost the Yanks any chance of a comeback in game six and eventually the entire series. Mr. Rodriguez was certainly at the top of the list of goats in the New York metropolitan area, and you could certainly see the frustration and anger in his eyes after the series. A-Rod quickly became A-Fraud.
Alex kept quiet for a good chunk of the off-season until December when he was interviewed by ESPN. Before the interview, Red Sox ace and folk hero Curt Schilling had been reveling about the Sox's past season with any opportunity the media provided. When A-Rod was asked to comment on Schilling and the Sox he stated, "...I hope he keeps talking smack, that will give us more of an incentive to beat him up next season." Those are very choice and haughty words from Rodriguez. Now granted, Curt Schilling loves to hear himself speak but in the disarray that was circling around A-Rod, he somehow felt that it was alright to attack Schilling who took the mound in game six with a bum ankle that was pouring blood through his sock. In that game Schilling mowed down six Yanks, including Mr. Rodriguez, twice. Yet, A-Rod felt it was okay to attack a man who was reveling in his hard-earned victory.
Let's talk about this "verbal sparring between the two teams" which has occurred. The bickering actually is not between two teams at all; it has really been between the Red Sox and Alex Rodriguez. No person took more flak for the Yankee's lackluster performance in the ALCS than Mr. Rodriguez, mainly because he was the guy who was suppose to lead the Yanks to the promise land as opposed to Loserville. He also drew a lot of criticism for his so-called "slap heard 'round the world", which ultimately cost the Yanks any chance of a comeback in game six and eventually the entire series. Mr. Rodriguez was certainly at the top of the list of goats in the New York metropolitan area, and you could certainly see the frustration and anger in his eyes after the series. A-Rod quickly became A-Fraud.
Alex kept quiet for a good chunk of the off-season until December when he was interviewed by ESPN. Before the interview, Red Sox ace and folk hero Curt Schilling had been reveling about the Sox's past season with any opportunity the media provided. When A-Rod was asked to comment on Schilling and the Sox he stated, "...I hope he keeps talking smack, that will give us more of an incentive to beat him up next season." Those are very choice and haughty words from Rodriguez. Now granted, Curt Schilling loves to hear himself speak but in the disarray that was circling around A-Rod, he somehow felt that it was alright to attack Schilling who took the mound in game six with a bum ankle that was pouring blood through his sock. In that game Schilling mowed down six Yanks, including Mr. Rodriguez, twice. Yet, A-Rod felt it was okay to attack a man who was reveling in his hard-earned victory.