Thoughts on a Rivalry

I spent the All-Star Game trying to determine if the Red Sox or the Yankees got booed louder by fans at Anaheim's  new Stadium. And which of the two looked more upset after the National League beat the American League (it turns out the winner gets home field advantage* during the World Series).

I witnessed another display of solidarity, if that's what you would call being booed simultaneously.

I volunteered again tonight at Fenway for the Red Sox Foundation - those 50/50 raffle tickets sold by orange apron-clad volunteers help improve the educations of inner-city students and could send you home with some serious cash. Right before the Star Spangled Banner, the Sox honored the death of Joe Sheppard,** Yankees public-address announcer, and George Steinbrenner, Yankees owner.

The crowd observed a long moment of silence and then broke into applause. I've never seen anything Yankee handled quite so respectfully in Boston (sorry Red Sox Nation).

I guess the All-Star Game isn't all that brings these rivals together.

And just for good measure... Go Sox, Yankees Yuk!




*To win the World Series a team must win four games. In the event that seven games are needed to do so, the team with home field advantage would play four games at home. Did I make that more confusing than it actually is?


** Joe Sheppard began announcing players as they stepped up to the plate in 1951. About 5 years ago, Derek Jeter had Sheppard record an announcement for him so he could be introduced by Sheppard into posterity.