Fatigue

Well, another Sox-Yanks series is upon us, and I for one can't help but feel a sense of fatigue.  This season, for whatever reason, has felt like a tremendous slog.  Whether it's the erratic play, the injuries (yes, Yankees fans, the Sox have had injuries too!), the early start in Japan, this year has felt longer than the 130 games that our team has contested to date.  I am guessing that many Yankee fans feel similarly; their season has been riddled with disappointment (young starters, injuries, a middling - at least so far - sendoff to the House that Ruth Built).  And tonight our two teams square off again, probably for the last time in old grounds in the Bronx.  But for some reason, I just can't get myself too excited.  Perhaps it's the fact that the Sox are sending Tim Wakefield to the mound tonight and Paul Byrd tomorrow, the first pitcher a perennial punching  bag for the Yankees, the second a player who I simply dislike.  And perhaps it's that these two teams now face each other so many times a year that the rivalry has become devalued, a ton of hype surrounding what has effectively become a regular event.  It has become an enervating task, to get oneself up for another Yankee-Red Sox game, outside this site the vitriol will once again elevate to a point that I no longer find comfortable or commensurate with these regular season games.  This may sound crazy, but it would almost be nicer if our teams were in fourth and fifth place, fighting for nothing, and we all could watch the games for the sport of it, rid ourselves of the overlying tension of the rivalry and the zero-sum nature of the results.

Tonight, if I do watch, I think am just going to watch the baseball and forget all the other stuff.  It's making me tired.

Comments

[dc]

"...Tonight, if I do watch, I think am just going to watch the baseball and forget all the other stuff. It's making me tired...."

amen, sf...i couldn't agree more...this season more than any other in recent memory has dragged unmercifully...maybe it's because of the reasons you mentioned, or maybe it's because for the first time in a long time, i realized early on [april] that my team was seriously flawed, the sox were still formidable, and the other teams were catching up...it wouldn't surprise me if neither of our teams made the playoffs, making that last series in boston meaningless, or as you so aptly put: "...This may sound crazy, but it would almost be nicer if our teams were in fourth and fifth place, fighting for nothing, and we all could watch the games for the sport of it, rid ourselves of the overlying tension of the rivalry and the zero-sum nature of the results...." ...not so meaningless when put into that context...

[Atheose]

What about the fact that this is the last time the Sox will visit Yankees Stadium? That doesn't excite you at all, SF?

[Sam-YF]

SF are you really not excited for a Paul Byrd vs. Sidney Ponson match up tomorrow?

Really, its pathetic this is what it has come to, a couple of SPs picked up off the trash heap of MLB....

[krueg]

"this season more than any other in recent memory has dragged unmercifully"

'Cuz we suck...that's why. We haven't sucked this badly since the early 90's and I am in no big hurry to get back to those days.

I'm still psyched about the series though, a sweep and they are amazingly right back in it?? Not saying it's going to happen, I'm just saying...

[DR]

The Yanks haven't been consistent enough to believe that even if they did sweep the Sox this week they wouldn't just go out and get swept in their next series.

The season has been interminable because with the exception of Joba and appreciating Rivera, the Yankees have looked lethargic and blah all season.

[krueg]

Nady has been sweet since coming over...hell, I even say Fat Bobby make a nice catch in RF once!!! (looking for the few positives!!)

[krueg]

"I'm calling Sox sweep. It's time to shove the dagger deep into Yankeedom and on their home turf. Sweep their asses and punt them into the off-season."

Welcome our newest hater...Randy. Isn't he a peach???

[John - YF]

Ignore Krueg ignore. Randy has an alias or many for that matter. Only this time he's trying to incite a riot by claiming to be a Sox fan.

[Randy]

Nah, I posted a few weeks back from the car mechanic and have been lingering for much longer. Just looking forward to this series - it's only been what 12 years since the Yanks missed the post-season. And the Sox have a chance to help dig the hole and nail the lid? What's not to be fired up about?

Sox are 14-7 since Bay came aboard. They've been playing well, given the starters. Only an old skool Sox drama queen could find nothing to get excited about. Still, the bullpen is a fucking joke and it has been all season. It's like Theo thinks they won last year so he doesn't have to do shit to improve the team's weaknesses. I seem to remember Cashman consistently fortifying their team during the dynasty years. It's a shame our GM thinks the best move is getting Paul Byrd and kicking Buchholz to AA (where he just dominated).

[Randy]

What the fuck are you talking about, John? Do you want to see my New Hampshire driver's license? Or the video of me at 8 crying after game 6?

[rootbeerfloat]

Meh. I honestly forgot there was a Yanks-Sox series this week. The first this I checked when I woke up was whether Seattle beat the Twins. What a weird season.

[John - YF]

Yes Randy and Ironically enough you and a former regular here have the same IP address, only he was A Yankee Fan...

I wouldn't have checked except the same old song about Masterson made me think...

[Randy]

Brilliant detective work, Sherlock, but I'm posting from a public library in New London, NH. Why don't you come visit me and you can check my driver's license?

[John - YF]

Ok Randy if that's the case, EMail us here at the site and we can easily clear it up. We'll be waiting to hear from you.

[Randy]

That's weird. Why do you need me to email you? Whatever - fine. What's the email address?

[John - YF]

Because it's against the T.O.S to have more than one posting name. If you are at a public library, so be it. All you need to do is contact us at the email address found in the top left of the homepage.

[krueg]

Gotcha John...

[Randy]

Just sent it. Did you want me to scan my ID too? How about fingerprints?

[John - YF]

"using several aliases from the same IP address is not. The use of dynamic IPs in concert with new aliases to bypass the identification requirements is also not acceptable."

Directly from the T.O.S

[Randy]

Probably best for me not to post then, if you're going to worry about my IP address. I know I've got better things to do while I'm at home and work than post comments on a baseball blog. Sitting around at the library or at the mechanic is another story. But there are plenty of sites I can kill time at.

Later - weird place you got here.

[Brad]

know I've got better things to do while I'm at home and work

Thought you were at a library?

[attackgerbil]

Randy, or whomever you are, you are correct. It is best for you to not post here again.

[Brad]

Kidding.

I too am not that excited about this weekend. I think the much bigger game is Friday night against the ChiSox.

I fully expect Boston to come out lifeless though...just to make everything more interesting than it needs to be.

I'm right with you, SF. This season has been terribly long, or so it seems.

[LocklandSF]

"weird place you got here"

That's the dead give away right there, what a moron, that's like leaving a business card at at the scene of a crime.

[LocklandSF]

While I get where SF is coming from, I'm still fired up for the games. Call me crazy, I just love it when these two teams meet, everything seems to go out the window and anything can happen.

[John - YF]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. If the Yankees can sweep and that's a BIG if, they will almost certainly be more tempted to bring Joba and Hughes back at some point. If they were to lose 2-3 of even take 2-3 I think they would waive the white flag. Meaning no need to hurry Phil and certainly no reason to hurry Joba. Like I said last week even if this current team could squeak into the playoffs do you really want to see a rotation of Pettitte, Mussina and _______ take on the Angels and Lackey, Santana, Saunders, Etc...

[John - YF]

With that said, it will still be pretty special to see the Sox in the stadium one last time.

[krueg]

This is it, right? Anything less than a sweep and it's officially over...(not mathematically I understand) Even if we win 2 of 3, it still only really gains one game on the Sox...not to mention the Twins and White Sox. For that reason I am psyched...kinda like the last gasp of baseball season for me before the Fins shock the world and win the Superbowl.

[John - YF]

Remember too that every game the Sox win and the Yankees lose earns us 2 games towards our "Tragic Number" So a sweep is really the only way the season is kept alive.

[sf rod]

i have a sneaking suspicion we'll see some fireworks this weekend. even with the usual suspects (joba/farnsworth/hawkins) mia. it'll probably be ponson or marte trying to earn the respect of the yankee faithful or garner an e-vite to tampa next spring. hopefully the sox can stay above it and think of the big picture. it would be a shame to see a guy like aardsma or mdc have a mental lapse and end up sitting out 3 to 7 games down the stretch.

[walein]

It's probably a good thing Joba isn't going to play in this series. I can only imagine having to deal with Pedroia, tight fastball, Youklis and the Yankees rushing out onto the field...suspensions, really bad future game lead ins from McCarver and/or Buck.

[sf rod]

if people really feel this series lacks the drama, call your bookie....and put money you don't have on the series.

morning line = NYY -155 over/under = 9.5

[SF]

I think Aardsma is on the DL.

As for the 9.5 number, that might be exceeded in the first three innings considering Wake is pitching.

[sf rod]

good call. aardsma went on the DL (groin) on sunday. pauley called up.

come on now, wakes era is a half point better than pettittes. he's only given up 2 runs in his last 12 innings of work while striking out 10.

[rootbeerfloat]

Well I now have lunch riding on the series so I'll at least watch...

[SF]

rod, you probably would be best off not looking at Wake's career numbers against the Yankees.

They suck. He's coming off the DL, he's got a terrible history against the Bombers. If he gives us 6 innings and three or fewer runs I will be absolutely astonished and also very pleased.

[Brad]

Chalk me up for that line any day of the week, SF.

I'm happy whenever Wake gives us more than three and less than eight.

[tells (yf)]

Maybe I'm naive or just too young to know what not making the post-season really feels like but I'm still thinking the yanks could make a good run at the wild-card. This series NEEDS to go the yanks' way; a sweep now seems more plausible than any of the other previous series with the Sox. If our bats wake up with RISP, anything is possible (except winning the division).

[krueg]

Ahhhhhh...the optimism of the young. Go get 'em tells!!!!

[Lar]

Not one for schadenfreude, but remember that the Yanks could play spoiler even if they don't make the playoffs themselves. Though I admit I haven't been following the Wild Card standings..

[Lar]

Ah, Twins 1.5 games behind, after losing 3 straight.