I'm serious. I don't even want to write anything today. So beat it.
The Yankees just got swept by the Red Sox, who are now 8-0 vs. them this season. I'm not writing today. Scram.
My editor, pictured above, informs me I have to write today.
Ok fine. I haven't felt this bad since 2004. You know 2004. When the Red Sox did the impossible. Since I'm feeling lousy, let's briefly revisit 2004. The Yanks were up 3 games to zip in a best of seven series. To that point, from 1905 to 2004, there were 936 series over basketball, baseball and hockey...yes NINE HUNDRED THIRTY SIX...wherein a team went up 3-0 in a series. The 2004 Red Sox joined only the 1975 New York Islanders and the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs as the only teams to EVER come back from that big a deficit. It's never been done in basketball. Unreal. And just a terrible time to be a Yankee fan. The Evil Empire was in shambles.
Yankee fans circa 2004.
Not since 2004 have I felt this bad. Why, you may ask? Is it really a big deal? There's like 100 games left in the season and the Yanks are only a mere 2 games back of the Sox for first. So, no big deal right?
Wrong. It's a huge deal. Ballplayers will tell you lies right to your face. "We have plenty of time left." "It's just another game on the schedule." "We'll get'em next time." This is all window dressing to make you think that only us fans care about rivalries. But to a man, I can guarantee you, the Yankees are shell-shocked over getting swept and being 0-8 vs. the Red Sox on the season.
The sweep's no big deal. Really. We'll be fine. Honest.
The Yankees bookended the series, trying to hide disasterous Chen-Mein Wang in the middle game of the series, by tossing their two huge off-season free agent pitching acquisitions, AJ Burnett and CC Sabthia in games 1 and 3 of the series. Burnett failed miserably in game one, unable to get out of the 3rd inning, but CC actually dominated for 7 innings, entering the 8th with a 3-1 lead. Fortunately for Red Sox fans, Joe Girardi was managing the Yankees, so the sweep was all but assured.
It just can't any worse.
Look I'm not saying Girardi is a terrible manager. What I am saying is Joe Girardi is a complete and abject disaster as manager. The guy cannot manage ball games that mean something. The minute he's not under stress, he's fine. But big games? He loses it. You're up 3-1 Joe. Mariano Rivera hasn't pitched in 4 days. BRING HIM IN IN THE 8TH F%^%&ING INNING!!! Does he? No, up 3-1, he lets CC give up walk, single, single. Presto, it's 3-2, 1st and 3rd, no outs. Now does he bring in Mo? No, he brings in the new guy he falls in love with - Alfredo Aceves. See, Joe falls in love with horrible pitchers on a weekly basis. First was Jonathan Albaladejo, who was mercifully sent back to AAA after posting an ERA over six. Now it's Aceves. Don't get me wrong. I like Aceves. I just don't want him in the game in the eighth inning to protect a 1-run lead with Rivera sitting on his ass in the 'pen.
Girardi contemplates whether or not to bring Rivera in.
So there it is. Regardless of how well the Yankees do this season, they are going to have to beat the Red Sox in a series at some point if they want to go to the World Series this year. And clearly, the 8-0 mark the Red Sox have vs. them this season shows that the Red Sox are way ahead of the Yanks at this point in the season. Having said that, I have no choice but to fall back on the old standby and lie to you guys. There's a lot of time left in the season. A lot of games left. And we'll get 'em next time. Oh, and Joe...
