N.Y. Yankees: The Red Sox Are Coming

From the desk of:  BLAME CARLOS MAY

THE RIVALRY RESUMES

BOSTON RED SOX

vs.

NEW YORK YANKEES

FROM

Bronx County Grounds

What a difference a year makes.  This time last season both the Red Sox and Yankees were getting off to sizzling hot starts en route to century mark campaigns.  Fast forward twelve months later, and each team is beset with more problems than a math book.  Both are playing below par; both have demonstrated an unwillingness to best the Orioles; meanwhile Yankees injuries and Red Sox money issues abound.

However, nothing will prove more troublesome for either team than the emerging Tampa Bay Rays.  They were a 90 win team last season which only earned them a third place finish behind the two aforementioned rivals.  For the moment, however, Tampa has turned the tables with an early division lead.

A.L. East

1) Rays         12-4

2) Orioles     7-10

3) Yankees     6-9

4) Red Sox    6-11

5) Blue Jays  5-11

It would have been unreasonable to expect the Red Sox pulling a repeat performance of last year's record setting 17-2 start.  At the same time, no one could have foreseen the crippling number of injuries presently befalling the Yankees.  As such, for very different reasons both teams enter this series on relatively equal footing; albeit unsure footing.  And quite frankly, a two game sweep of this series isn't going to help either team much ... at least not at the moment.

This much is true: the Red Sox are the defending World Champions.  The last time these teams met was last October at Yankee Stadium when for a second time within a matter of two weeks the Red Sox trashed the visiting clubhouse in a triumphant champagne super nova.

They still appear hungover.  

But ready or not, the rivalry resumes Tuesday evening at Yankee Stadium.