Red Sox and Yankees will now bring you a lost weekend
By Rick McNair
At one time, not too far in the past, a series between the Boston Red Sox and the dreaded New York Yankees would be front and back page news. Now it generates a big yawn as both teams have relinquished their bully status to other teams in the high-power American League East.
The history of both started in various phases since the Yankees skedaddled out of Baltimore and planted themselves in The Big Apple. As fans of both teams know, the illustrious history has highs and lows for both iconic franchises, with the ultimate payback in 2004.
Fast forward to now, and the coming series in New York is all about keeping faint playoff hope on life support. Stories about both teams have the usual they are only (fill in the blank) games behind in the Wild Card! Whoopie! A big hallelujah! Neither team deserves a mention, a playoff place, or any bobbleheads. To quote a noted sentiment from both fan bases: "They Suck!"
On the misery scale, the Yankees win, but it is a close race of ineptitude. It is not close in the "bang for the buck" department, where the Bombers rank 2nd in payroll and the Red Sox 13th.
Where there is a race up until a month ago is roster age. Boston is a speck behind in roster age, but it is misleading. Boston wears it far better, with Triston Casas, Rafael Devers, Jarren Duran, and Connor Wong contributing now and solidifying a core for the future.
Red Sox and Yankees are now irrelevant in AL East
The future is embedded in Bloom Speak, and Boston is now ranked 16th to the Yanks 21st in farm system rankings. This ranking is quite fluid depending upon the source, but each has a consistent tone of Boston's system ahead of New York's. Take a bow, RSN, for this moment of subjective superiority.
All about the numbers resonates with both fan bases, and currently, the Red Sox and Yankees are neck to neck offensively, with New York ranking ninth at 11.7 fWAR and Boston trailing with a 11.4 fWAR. Remember back when both teams would mash?
Boston is pitching with a 9.6 fWAR, and New York with an 8.1 fWAR. Both staffs resemble the aftermath of a natural disaster but don't look for government assistance to rebuild.
Defense is noted by Boston's season-long ability to give away outs, runs, at-bats, etc., and it shows with a last-place ranking going into the series New York is ranked fifth.
The upcoming series is for bragging rights, and there will be a few more head-to-head games that will continue both teams' sad and depressing plight. Where meaningful is now meaningless, both fan bases can be commensurate with a shared misery.
The future looks bright for Boston and certainly less for the Yankees. Boston has managed payroll, and New York has not, and neither Brian Cashman nor Chaim Bloom has their team's fans pledging fealty to their continuing operations. The same applies to the managers of both teams, as patience is not listed in the virtue resume of both fan bases.
This is a lost weekend unless collecting statistics or accumulating tainted bragging rights is essential. An observer should look for a return to where both teams are once again relevant. A time when each could toss verbal broadsides, reflect on numerous past glories and failures and have a division race decided.
Now Boston and New York have been relegated to spoilers role where both can influence a race by beating up on teams with true playoff aspiration. Playing Boston or New York is now a trap series for teams in the hunt instead of visa versa.