If ya can't beat em, hate em

0-8 seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it? Or are the Yanks in the Red Sox heads now? Market corrections are a bitch, as we’ve seen on Wall Street recently and now with the Yanks-Sox rivalry. The Yanks have pulled the season series to 5-8 and have their two best pitchers going the next two days. Personally, I’m starting to dream up scenarios where the Yanks actually take the season series with the BoSox. Not that it matters, the division is well in hand and there won’t be any tiebreakers this year. The way the Sox look right now, they’ll be lucky to make the playoffs at all. The Rays won last night, pulling them to within 3 in the Wild Card of the rapidly-fading Sox and the Texas Rangers remain at 1 game out. But I’m sure they will just draw a few starters from that amazing farm sys. . . oh, that’s right. Never mind.

The Yanks spent their money on sure things this past off-season. The reaches the Yanks made in recent years on pitchers like the 41 year old Randy Johnson, the always- injured Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright (both coming off one good year) were made by Theo this time around. The Red Sox took flyers on the likes of Penny, Smoltz, Saito, and Rocco Baldelli. All of whom had injury questions attached to them the day they signed them. It was sold by Theo and heralded by most in the sports media as something they could afford to do, since they were so strong everywhere else. But the ravages of the long Baseball season took its toll, as it usually does. When you shop in the bargain bin, you get what you pay for.

But Red Sox fans have one crutch they can always use to prop themselves at times like these, and that of course would be hating the Yankees. It comes to them as naturally as putting one foot in front of another does to the rest of us. Lou Merloni of WEEI delivers the goods this time:

Isn’t it good to have the Yankees in the mix again? Did you have fun last year when you were more concerned with the Rays than the Yanks? I didn’t. I want to hate them. I want to fear them. It’s just more fun that way. You had to know that this year was going to be different for the boys from New York. Did you see what they did in the offseason?

But the point is made, I hope. They went out and spent a lot of money, but it was money that was spent on players who were still in their primes. They weren’t one-year wonders. They weren’t guys on their way out. They are all good — very good – and that’s the difference.

So get ready. The Yankees are back. You can hate them again. I’m talking, “I can’t stand the sight of them” type of hate. Both teams are confident and playing well.  This may be the best test for both teams and its going to take place right here at Fenway Park.  Sit back and enjoy the hatred!!

(Ahhhh, order has been restored to the universe)

Yankee fans can go back to doing what we do best, and that is ignoring Red Sox fans. Especially the drunk, obnoxious frat boy types.  After all, hating is the refuge of losers.