From the NY Post:
Love is in the air between the Yankees and Red Sox.
Maybe “love” is a little strong, but Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis don’t mind saying they have formed a bond with Derek Jeter as members of Team USA for the World Baseball Classic.
You only need to spend a few minutes around the batting cage to hear the good-natured bantering and wagering of side bets – payable in pushups – to realize many of these U.S. players have built a rapport. Jeter and Pedroia are among the ringleaders.
Pedroia recently set the tone when he posted a deodorant ad in his locker. In the ad, Jeter is standing outside Fenway Park, and the message says, “Every day is a walk in the park. Even this park.”
Jeter couldn’t help but laugh at Pedroia’s posting.
“You get to know guys playing against them, as players,” Jeter said. “But one of the good things about something like this is you get an opportunity to put personalities with the players.”
Previously, Pedroia and Youkilis had only spent time with Jeter as part of last year’s AL All-Star team.
Pedroia has no problem admitting he’s the biggest instigator among the bunch.
“I like to keep it loose and have fun,” Pedroia said after yesterday’s workout at Rogers Centre, where Team USA resumes play tomorrow night, having already clinched a berth in this weekend’s second round in Miami. “I think [Jeter] kind of laughs at me the whole time. He probably thinks I’m crazy.”
Youkilis said he has always respected Jeter, but spending the past week with him has taken that admiration to another level.
“[Jeter] has been unbelievable, and you see why he’s the captain of the Yankees,” Youkilis said.
To be perfectly honest, I hate this — in fact, it makes me want to shatter my keyboard. I love imagining that there is an actual rivalry between the two opposing sides — Boston and NY– where Joba Chamberlain dreams about firing 95 mph fastballs at Kevin Youkilis’ sweaty head (for the third time?) and where Derek Jeter wishes he could fight Jason Bay for no apparent reason. Alas, that’s not the case though — not in today’s game (the fans are more likely to fight than the players). In fact, during the off-season, I was thrilled to hear that Jason Varitek was returning to Boston, simply because I know he and Alex Rodriguez hate each other.
That’s one of my favorite things about A-Rod (one of many). The Red Sox, for the most part, don’t seem to like him very much and I think that’s awesome.
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7 Responses to Ruined Rivalry
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TIQ IQ
Totally agree. I hate Pedroia, and I wish Jeter did as well. However, I think that some of the hate used to come from financial concerns- players needed the postseason bonuses, and they hated anyone who kept them from that. Now, everyone is rolling in dough, so the hate needs to stem from a particular incident.
I still think Joba doesnt like youk.
Couldn’t agree with you more. Maybe the only reason I even follow Hockey is because you know that any time there is a divisional game players on both sides will absolutely hate each other.
As a Yankee fan transplanted to Boston I couldn’t agree more that the fans take it a lot more seriously than the players are likely to. However, that being said I don’t think its so much the game changing. I think these things are cyclical depending on the players and the climate of the division. Rivalries and fights will always happen but I think last year specifically the Red Sox focused their on field animosity at Tampa (for obvious reasons).
Probably doesn’t help that basically every team the Yankees have fielded in the past decade had at least one former Red Sox star on it. Also, to your point about Joba…there seem to be some edgier young guys coming up so maybe the next batch of Yankees might have a little more fire. As much as I admire Pettite, Mo, and Moose I do miss sparkplugs like David Cone and Jeff Nelson.
I think part of it is sort of the evolution of the game. When you think about it, the Red Sox that are ending up on the Yankees are doing so because of “big money” free agency. Allegiances aren’t as strong when they’re diluted through that process.
That might be true but it wasn’t long ago Karim Garcia (no real allegiance to the Yankees) hopped over a fence to get at those Boston guys.
On a side note-I’d love to see Duncan make the roster and get something going. He loves to break up the DP with a hard slide and has a tendency to admire his HRs, although I would be amazed if anyone on the Sox would have the chops to step up to him. Chances are they just throw at Jeter the next at-bat but who knows…maybe we get to see some of that fire this year.
Moshe is right, back in the ’40s I remember Joe D speaking to a rookie and he said, “Don’t mess with my WS money!” or words to that effect. Remember, Mickey was the first Yankee to earn $100,000 in one year…I think it was in the early ’60s. Of course $100,000 is about $3mm now days.
Most of the players had off-season jobs, just to make ends meet.
Good Stuff, Chris. I can’t help but agree a little. It’s great that Jetes is such a great guy and all, but sometimes it’s nice to see a little old-fashioned rancor.