Yankees, Sox fans confident in teams
Locals weigh in on latest chapter of storied rivalry with ALDS in full swing
WOONSOCKET — Wearing pinstripes in a region of the country that prefers its socks in scarlet has never been easy for local resident Derek Dusablon. Nevertheless, he still proudly dons his navy blueand-white “NY” on his chest, even as seemingly everyone around him has a red-and-blue “B” on their ballcap.
Dusablon is a New York Yankees fan. More than that, he’s a Yankees fan born and raised in Red Sox country.
“It’s been very tough being a Yankees fan,” he said on Saturday. “You get teased if you win, and if you lose, then they really tease you. The rivalry is back.”
That rivalry that Dusablon was referring to is, of course, the ongoing American League Divisional Series playoff between the Yankees and Boston Red Sox. These two teams, bitter rivals that date back more than 100 years, are engaging in their fourth playoff series since 1999 and fans of both teams believe the club they support are sure to advance.
“I’ve been a Yankees fan as long as I can remember. My dad raised me as a fan,” Dusablon said. “His favorite
player was (catcher) Thurman Munson … My favorite player was (first baseman) Don Mattingly … I’ve never stopped watching them or liking them.”
“It’s a great series and hopefully the Yankees come back today,” he said with his team down in the bestof-five series on Saturday after losing a 5-4 contest on Friday night.
Fellow Woonsocket resident and Yankees fan Tommy Brien described himself as a “die-hard” fan, dating back to when he’d listen to the games on AM radio as a youngster.
“People realize I’m a baseball fan and the true fans are not obnoxious,” Brien said.
“There’s two games at Fenway Park and if the Yankees steal one, they can go back to the Bronx and defend the Bronx,” he said while proudly wearing a Yankees cap.
But the Red Sox fans, who outnumber Yankees fans around these parts in figures not seen since the Spartans were undermanned in the Battle of Thermopylae, were just as confident as their Bronx-based brethren, especially considering the Red Sox led the series after Friday night’s victory.
Mike Rondeau of Woonsocket said he’s been a fan of the Red Sox despite the decades of heartache that preceded the World Series championships in 2004, 2007, and 2013.
“You gotta stick with them,” he said. “Last night was a nail biter. I said ‘Oh my god, I hope they don’t blow it after a 5-0 lead.’ But in base- ball, you never know.”
Not only is Rondeau confident about this series, but he believes in the ball club going forward.
“I think they’re going to win. They’ve got the team. 108 wins was just phenomenal,” he said of their regular season accolades, which included a franchise record in victories.
Maurice Landry of Central Falls, meanwhile, said he’ll never change his colors, that he’ll always don Red Sox red.
“I stay with the Red Sox all the time. I’ve got shirts, pants, it’s been very good to me,” he said. Unlike some of his fellow fans, Landry said he wasn’t all that concerned about Friday’s close win, saying: “I’m not nervous. If they win, they win. If they lose, they lose.”
“But I hope they win,” he added.
Richard Brunelle of Lincoln, a fellow lifelong fan, said his favorite memory was attending the game on July 4, 1977, when the Red Sox slugged eight home runs en route to a victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Perhaps even more amazing than the eight homers that day was the fact that Brunelle’s ticket only cost $4.50, a price that wouldn’t even get you a hot dog at Fenway Park these days.
Watching his team in the postseason, he said, is “awesome, nothing better.”
“When J.D. (Martinez) hit that homer, I was psyched...” he said in reference to Martinez’s three-run home run, which opened the scoring in Friday night’s game. “I’d love to see a sweep but New York will probably take one. But there would be nothing better than to wrap it up in New York.”