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How the Red Sox Passed the YankeesWhy Boston Moved Past the Yankees in Baseball's Biggest RivalryBaseball's best rivalry keeps getting better. Here are seven reasons, to go along with their seven World Championships, why the Red Sox finally passed the Yankees.
1. The Failed A-Rod Trade. Does anyone even remember this? In December of 2003, the Red Sox and the Texas Rangers finalized a trade that would have sent Alex Rodriguez to Boston in exchange for Manny Ramirez. Both teams approved it. The League okayed it. But the Players Union killed the deal because it required A-Rod to eat several million dollars on the contract, and the Union didn't want to set this kind of precedent. Two months later, A-Rod was a Yankee, and Manny was still in Boston. Imagine if the Red Sox had A-Rod during the post-season instead of Manny from 2004 through 2007? Let's compare the two sluggers post-seasons statistics during that period: Ramirez: 28 Games, 116 AB, .344 Batting Average, 9 Home Runs, 31 RBI, Two World Series Rings. A-Rod: 24 Games, 104 AB, 23 Hits, .221 Batting Average, 4 Home Runs, 9 RBI, Zero Rings. Would the Sox have won two World Series titles with A-Rod hitting clean-up instead of Manny? 2. David Ortiz. The Yankees can't be blamed for this one, but the Sox should be praised. They picked up David Ortiz before the 2003 season after the Minnesota Twins released him. Somebody in Boston saw Big Papi's potential, and that potential has been realized to the tune of the following yearly averages: Regular Season Averages (2003-2007): .302 Batting Average, 42 Doubles, 42 HR, 128 RBI Postseason Averages (2004-2007): 31 Games, .422 Batting Average, 9 HR, 30 RBI, .814 Slugging % If the Yankees had picked up Ortiz, they would have 31 rings (instead of 26) and the Red Sox would still be suffering from the Curse. 3. The Intimidation Factor. The Yankees lost it. The Red Sox have it. There was a time when teams were scared to play in Yankee Stadium. They'd come in, look at all of those banners and monuments and great clutch players, and they would cower. Not anymore. The mystique and aura that used to inhabit Yankee Stadium seems to have relocated to Fenway Park. (Maybe Curt Schilling stole it back in 2001). 4. The Yankees' Ridiculous Expectations. This team is expected to win the World Series every year. If they don't, then their owner, their players, their fans and the baseball media consider it a failed season. That kind of thinking puts unbearable pressure on players, no matter how much they are paid. Which begs the question: will this sort of thinking seep into the collective psyche of Red Sox Nation? 5. The Bullpen. The Yankees had the toughest bullpen in baseball from 1996 through 2003. Not anymore. Now the Red Sox have the best relief corps in the game. This year, with the exception of Mariano Rivera (and a brief stinit by Joba Chamberlain), Yankee relievers were awful. Kyle Farnsworth (4.80 ERA), Ron Villone (4.25 ERA) and Brian Bruney (4.68 ERA) just didn't match up with the likes of Papelbon (37 saves, 1.87 ERA), Okajima (2.22 ERA) and Delcarmen (2.05 ERA). 6. Josh Beckett Instead of Carl Pavano. Yes, the Sox had Hanley Ramirez to give up in exchange for Beckett. But the Yankees had prospects as well, and before the 2006 season, the Red Sox would have taken Phil Hughes. But the Yankees didn't make a move for Beckett. Hughes should pan out for the Yanks, but Beckett has panned out for the Red Sox. That's the difference. Of course, the Yankees already had one of the good young pitchers from the 2003 World Champion Marlins -- Carl Pavano. Let's compare Beckett's performance with the Sox against Pavano's with the Yankees. Well, it's no comparison, but take a look anyway. Josh Beckett
Carl Pavano
7. The Management. Theo Epstein and Terry Francona have outperformed Brian Cashman and Joe Torre over the past four years. Can anybody challenge this assertion? Manny Ramirez vs. Alex Rodriguez
The copyright of the article How the Red Sox Passed the Yankees in Baseball is owned by James Lincoln Ray. Permission to republish How the Red Sox Passed the Yankees in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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