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 So far, anyway, the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry has taken a strange turn in 2011—everything is going the Red Sox' way and it seems too good to be true. I don't remember anything like this, but I know I need to enjoy it while it lasts.
Consider the just-completed series. The Red Sox swept the Yankees for the second time in a month in Yankee stadium. The Red Sox apparently have not swept two series from the Yankees at home like this since 1912. Frankly, before this year, I have trouble recalling just one Red Sox sweep of the dreaded Bombers in the past 15 years. The Red Sox are now an eye-popping 8-1 vs. the Yankees in 2011. Right now, anyway, these two teams are in opposite places. The Red Sox not only have dominated the Pinstripes in starting pitching, hitting, relief pitching and fielding, but, even in the manager's corner. New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi has made an ass of himself during each of the Red Sox' last two visits to NY. During the mid-May series, Girardi totally mishandled the Jorge Posada episode and the undercurrents spilled over into the ballpark as a major distraction for his team. Then, this past week, Girardi foolishly over-reacted to Red Sox slugger David Ortiz flipping his bat to celebrate his home run in Tuesday night's opening game of the series. "I didn't care for it," Girardi told baseball writers after the game. He then mumbled something about having a young pitcher out there at the time. Are you kidding me, Girardi? Ortiz flips his bat to the ground and you're making a big deal out of it? Girardi's quotes on this were all over the map. The day after his initial remark, he tried to backtrack, saying, "..It seems like it's been talked about more in the media...I didn't hear anything about our guys being upset." That makes no sense, Joe, because you're the guy who started the Ortiz "saga" in the media! Then, apparently after the third game, Girardi told the NY Daily News: "I think people are making a big deal out of all this," he said. "...I was shocked with what he did when he hit the home run and when you say things like that here, it's going to take a life of its own.." Girardi said. (He was "shocked"?) It seemed to some observers—including me—that Girardi was almost trying extra hard to stir something up, perhaps to get his team fired up. Yet, it was such a lame attempt for a few reasons. First, Ortiz is quite friendly with a few of the Yankees, including Alex Rodriguez. He is well-liked and respected by players on opposing teams, including the Yankees. Girardi seemed oblivious to that. Second, it was a very minor, trivial incident. Players have regularly made much more blatant celebratory gestures that might bother others. Then Girardi sat and watched as the speculation—in the media and among fans—ramped up for the Yankees to retaliate for the Red Sox pitchers hitting several Yankee batters in the series. The NY media had devoted distorted coverage to Ortiz' bat flip thanks to Girardi and speculation built as to whether that might contribute to Yankee pitchers opting to throw at Sox hitters or Ortiz. (despite the Sox pitchers' appearing, in every case, to be NOT hitting anyone intentionally) Finally, when C.C. Sabathia hit Ortiz late in Thursday night's game, the fans cheered and Girardi and Sabathia avoided making candid comments on that after the game. My point is that former Yankee manager Joe Torre would have handled the same incident so much more smoothly than Girardi. Torre had class. Girardi seems petty, and the more I see of him, the more he seems like a control freak, who, I would understand might alienate a few veteran players like Posada and Jeter. Speaking of Posada, is it a total coincidence that Girardi picked a little conflict with Ortiz after Ortiz had chosen to speak out in defense of Posada back during the Sox' mid-May visit to NY? I'm sure Girardi and GM Brian Cashman were not thrilled by Ortiz's comments criticizing the Yankees' treatment of Posada. It seems that trends are going in opposite ways for the Yankees and Red Sox. Jeter seems less of a threat at the plate than ever before in this rivalry. Same with Posada. The Yanks' rotation seems more sub-par than ever. It includes an aging, mediocre A.J. Burnett, who never defeats the Red Sox, Freddy Garcia, who was throwing mushy "meatball" pitches vs. the Sox in his start Tuesday and Bartolo Colon, who seems a miracle of medicine after his special stem-cell procedure revitalized his arm (How long will he pitch well?). Even Sabathia, a true ace, has lost in three starts vs. the Red Sox and Josh Beckett. The Yankees lineup appears great, but, they've been exposed as too dependent on the long ball. The Bombers' sub-par year began in the offseason when they failed to convince stud pitcher Cliff Lee to sign with the team after offering him a ton of money. The Yanks didn't have a backup plan and now, they're stuck with an "average" rotation minus Andy Pettitte. Even the Yankees' luck seems poor. Joba Chamberlain now appears out for the season, likely facing Tommy John surgery. Rafael Soriano, who earns $9 million a year as their new setup man, has been on the disabled list. Starter Phil Hughes has been on the DL most of the year as well. And, after Sabathia hit Ortiz in the Sox third win vs. the Yanks, Ortiz later started a rally with a single in the seventh inning and later hit a two-run double. Maybe Girardi won't pop off about Big Papi next time. Then again, NY Daily News columnist Mike Lupica had it right when he wrote in his June 9th column that the phony controversy over Ortiz' bat flip "provided tremendous cover for the way the Yankees have played these games..."
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