Rivalry ready to reignite
Pieces in place for Sox-Yanks sparks
Does Aaron Boone’s return to the stage mean it’s Game (Back) On between the Red Sox and Yankees?
By itself, no. But Boone’s ascendancy to the manager’s office at Yankee Stadium is a step toward making Red Sox-Yankees Great Again.
In fact, here’s a bold prediction: I guarantee at least one bench-clearing episode between the
Sox and Yankees in 2018.
Better yet, let’s make it
two benchclearing episodes. The first will involve some sort of breach of etiquette — a pitch to the head, a takeout slide, somebody doing too much stylin’ after hitting a home run — and then all hell will break loose. Then when the venue changes from Fenway Park to Yankee Stadium, or vice versa, it’ll be rinse-repeat-charge the mound.
All because Aaron Boone is managing the Yankees? No. Again: It’s a piece to the puzzle. But the pieces are beginning to pile up.
Puzzle Piece No. 1: The Apple Watch Sign-Stealing Caper. The Red Sox were caught, red-handed, using Apple watches to steal signs from the Yankees. It was, in fact, the Yankees who reported the caper to Major League Baseball.
The Red Sox responded by accusing the Yankees of using a YES Network camera to steal signs. MLB pretty much broomed the episode away, giving the Red Sox a fine and a good tsk-tsking. The Sox’ lame counterattack about the YES cameras was tossed in the dumpster, though MLB did give the Yankees a parking ticket over the illegal use of dugout phones in a previous season.
Not hot stuff by itself, except that the Red Sox and Yankees filing complaints against each other showed a measure of gamesmanship that’s been tragically lacking on the field.
Puzzle Piece No. 2: Screamin’ Alex Cora being named manager of the Red Sox.
Recent revelations that the former bench coach of the Houston Astros cussed out a club broadcaster and even his own manager this past season confirm that Cora is an emotional fellow who acts decisively, if perhaps recklessly in this case. In other words, don’t bet on Cora backing down next season if the Sox and Yankees start getting chippy with each other.
Puzzle Piece No. 3: Boone being named manager of the Yankees. Yes, he’s the guy who hit the 11th-inning walkoff home run off Tim Wakefield to propel the Yankees past the Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series. And yes, said home run will be replayed so often next season that it’ll become as tiresome as those Kars for Kids commercials.
Some of the New York media types got it all wrong in suggesting Boone’s hiring will make life miserable for the old knuckleballer. Nah. It took all of 10 weeks for Wake to learn he wouldn’t be remembered as the goat of that series, this because he received a thunderous standing ovation at the Boston baseball writers dinner. It was Sox fans saying, “Wake, it’s not your fault Grady Little didn’t pull Pedro Martinez.”
Besides, just one year later Wakefield was a member of Boston’s 2004 World Series championship team. And he played a key role on the 2007 World Series champion Red Sox. That’s two World Series rings for Wakefield, none for Aaron Boone.
Trust me: Boone isn’t keeping Wake awake at night.
But the home run is a reminder of the good/bad old days, when these teams really did hate each other, and it’s only natural it’ll get talked about next season. And the younger players on both teams — Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge from the Yankees, the Killer B’s from the Red Sox — won’t be able to pretend there’s no history between the teams.
Besides, Boone himself recognizes there’s a thing between the Red Sox and Yankees.
“I am looking forward to Boston . ... I don’t think it will be warm anymore,” Boone said at his introductory press conference at Yankee Stadium. “I tell you what, since the Red Sox have had success and won their championships, I feel like that since I’ve been back there, it’s been a little more good-natured if you will. I don’t think if they had not won championships it would be so good-natured, but at least my experience has been that it’s been good-natured ribbing.
“I would say now that I’m actually trying to take food off their table or wins off their board, I would say it won’t be as good-natured anymore,” he said. “But one of the things I loved about my time here . . . is just how special of a rivalry it is between the two clubs. I look forward to being a part of that.”
It was special ... back in the day. But you take Screamin’ Alex Cora and Aaron Bleepin’ Boone, and some Apple watches, and maybe it’ll all add up to something.
I have April 12 — a getaway game at Fenway — for the first dust-up.