Put Your Track Shoes On

Time for the Yankees to distance themselves from the Sox




By: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
June 16, 2004

The haunting month of April seems to be a distant memory now. You all remember when Boston beat the Yankees six out of seven times and all of Chowdville was declaring the king was dead, long live the king? There were even doubts amongst the Yankee faithful that maybe the Red Sox time had finally arrived. Maybe the Babe was starting to feel sorry for his old team and had decided to abandon the curse that had for so long dogged the team occupying Fenway Park. How silly were we? What were we thinking?

In the month of April the Yankees started out colder than a July day in San Francisco. The team amassed a record of 12 wins and 11 loses. Six of those loses were to the Boston Red Sox who started out hotter than a July day in Phoenix. The Sox pounded the Yankees enroute to a 16-6 record, with three rainouts. The Sox had every reason to feel good about themselves. They were rolling through teams, playing great baseball. But like the winds of war things would eventually change.

With their 12-11 record the Yankees were in third place behind Boston and Baltimore. Derek Jeter was in the midst of his career worst slump, Alex Rodriguez hadn’t found his stroke and Gary Sheffield wasn’t producing either. The only guys who were consistently putting the bats on the ball were Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui. The offense was a shambles. Even the most loyal of Yankees’ fans had to be questioning the resolve of this team. But starting on May 1st the spring thaw slowly, but steadily began. Jeter showed signs of breaking out with a hit here and there. Bernie Williams, who missed most of spring training, was moved to the front of the batting order and started producing. Alex Rodriguez started hitting home runs and Gary Sheffield finally got his offense going. By the end of May the Yankees had caught the Red Sox and were setting dead even with them in the standings. The Orioles dropped like an anchor in water, falling five games behind the Bombers and Sox.

The months of May and June have been brutal months for the Yankees. They have had to make three west coast swings (they’re in the midst of one now), playing Oakland, Seattle, Angels and a very improved Texas Rangers squad. The Yankees have weathered the storm very well. In May the Yanks posted an 18-8 mark and so far in June they’ve gone an amazing 11-2. Once they finish in Arizona and Los Angeles the Yankees will not have to travel past Arlington, Texas for the remainder of the season.

Boston on the other hand has had the easier schedule thus far and have squandered their hot start. Since May 1st the Red Sox have posted a 20-20 record to fall 4.5 games behind the Yankees. Their road gets tougher as they have to play Atlanta, Oakland, Anaheim, Seattle, Philadelphia and the Yankees. With Curt Schilling’s immediate future unknown due to a severely bruised heel and Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe being up and down when starting the Red Sox are on the verge of painting themselves into a very familiar corner. The next time Boston and Yankees hook up the Sox will see a completely different team than the one they faced in April. The two teams will play each other 12 more times, with six games being played in the others' park.

Although nothing is ever guaranteed now is the time for the Yankees to put on their running shoes and get some more distance between them and Boston. The Dog Days of Summer are coming when all teams hit a wall and fall back a little bit. The more of a lead the Bombers can put in the bank now the more dividends will be paid later. The Yankees are the masters of their destiny. How they rise or fall will depend on how they approach the rest of the season. So far I like what I see. See you at the park!

PLAY BALL!



© 2004 Yankees Talk Shop @ ezboard.com

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