The last time the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees played each other in the postseason, I was six years old. Two current Major League managers, Gabe Kapler and Dave Roberts, were bench players for the Sox, and a MLB owner, Derek Jeter, was a star for New York. David Ortiz was in his second season in Boston and Alex Rodriguez was in his first with the Yankees.
This was a long time ago. The best rivalry in sports hasn’t seen a playoff series in 14 years. Luckily for sports fans, it looks like that’s about to change.
Save for some minor details, the playoff picture in the American League is set. The Red Sox, Houston Astros and Cleveland Indians all comfortably won their respective divisions, and the Sox have secured home-field advantage. The Yankees and Oakland Athletics have clinched Wild Card berths and will face off next Wednesday night. The winner will play Boston.
I don’t mean to belittle the magical season the A’s are having. After finishing 2017 in the basement of the AL West and sitting at third place as late as Aug. 1 of this season, the A’s have won 96 games, with a few still left to go. They sustained the loss of starter Sean Manaea, who had been one of their best and most reliable pitchers and who no-hit the Sox earlier this season. But with breakout performances from closer Blake Treinen (0.79 earned-run average and 37 saves), Khris Davis (47 homers and 121 runs batted in), and career years from Jed Lowrie (22 home runs, 96 RBIs) and Matt Olson (29 homers and 84 RBIs), the A’s surged in the final stretch of the season, going 15-8 thus far in September.
It’s been a wonderful sports story, and as a big fan of “Moneyball” (the book, the movie and the philosophy), I certainly appreciate the unsung success of the 2018 A’s.
That being said, I have a hard time believing the A’s will beat the Yankees. In a one-game, win-or-go-home Wild Card matchup, the Yankees have the edge.
Given that, I expect to see a Red Sox/Yankees American League Division Series. And no matter which side you fall on, it’s going to be a spectacle. With Chris Sale, David Price, Craig Kimbrel and others facing off against Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and a duo of impressive rookies, Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar, this series is going to be a battle of titans. The Sox have sluggers of their own, MVP candidates J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts, and they’ll have to deal with the Yankees’ lights-out bullpen of Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, David Robertson and others. There’s a reason these two teams have won a combined 204 games.
There’s also an intriguing managerial matchup: first-time skippers Alex Cora and Aaron Boone. Both managers have seen incredible, almost unlikely success in their rookie seasons at the helm, and their ability to manage a bullpen, bench, rotation and so on will be on full display this October. Cora has been lauded for his positive attitude, communication skills and unique relationship with his players. Boone? Personally, I’m of the belief that, as Sox blogger Jared Carrabis tweeted earlier this season, “People forget that Aaron Boone is the manager of the Yankees because he hit one home run in 2003.” Nevertheless, they have both excelled, and the juxtaposition of their managerial styles and acumens will be an interesting storyline as the postseason draws nearer.
Regardless of the specific characters involved in this year’s rivalry, it’s going to be exciting to watch. There’s a reason these teams are considered the best rivalry in sports, and it’s due in large part to that series in 2004. The Sox completed the greatest comeback in sports history, David Ortiz provided clutch hitting that perhaps no other hitter has ever matched and, of course, the series served as a stepping stone for the Red Sox to go on to break the Curse of the Bambino. In truth, no playoff series could top the 2004 ALCS. But it doesn’t hurt to try.
So as the 2018 Playoffs begin this coming week, I look forward to the prospect of seeing the Red Sox and the Yankees play in October for the first time in 14 years. The teams are pretty evenly matched, and both have hitters and pitchers the other should be scared of. Each team has an exciting young manager, incredibly passionate fan bases and the depth to make a real run in these playoffs. In short, a Red Sox/Yankees ALDS would be a gift to Major League Baseball and its fans.
Not to mention, most current freshmen in high school weren’t even born the last time these teams played a postseason game. They deserve better, don’t they?
