REBOOTING THE YANKEE-RED SOX RIVALRY!

Photo: New York Post

The Yankees roared last night to remind us all that they are able to reset, and able to reboot not only themselves as athletes, but this rivalry we know and love so well. They took their best qualities of run over the Boston Red Sox and remind them that if they really wanted to play to win... they could.  We needed them to do that! We needed them to win a game in Boston, because if they did,  the wins at home in the Bronx would be so much sweeter.  Gary Sanchez and company did the damage last night and now... there will be more to come.

Photo: Getty Images

Rebooting seems to be the trend these days.  Old movies like A Star Is Born, is reset in 2018.  Old sitcoms come back to life with the same set of actors or a new cast of characters. What is old, is new.  What is vintage is re-branded as stylish.  And this Yankee-Red Sox is like an old-fashioned mixed tape- very familiar songs but with a new look and an uncertainty about how it will play out on this redesigned MLB stage.

Source: Sports Illustrated

When a caller phoned in to Mike Francesa on WFAN this week, he asked if this series reminded him of 2004.  Francesa said in no way did it.  He remarked that it was 2018, 14 years after the 2004 series and nothing is the same.  The game has changed tremendously as has its fans, but what is the same is how the fans feel about Boston and the adrenaline rush that comes with being in this series against their division rivals.

Source: Boston Magazine

In 2004, The Yankees were in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) not the American League Division Series (ALDS) against Boston. The feel of these two series are very different and with different outcomes- the World Series vs. the semi-final best of five out of seven series. Accordingly, "a revised playoff system was utilized beginning with the 2012 season, which added a second wild card team for each league. The two wild card teams in each league play a one game playoff to advance. The winner of this game automatically faces the number 1 seed in the league in the Division Series, regardless of whether or not they are in the same division," according to Wikipedia.  This is why we are facing Boston in this series.

Source: Getty Images North America

Another difference in this series versus the last one is that the Red Sox had come back from a three games to zero deficit to actually get to the World Series and win their first championship since 1918- an 86 year drought.  It is almost like they had to beat the Yankees to cross that threshold, that curse, because it was truly a remarkable feat, almost still unbelievable.

Fast forward to the current series, 2018 ALDS.  Boston has the best record, arguably the best team in franchise history.  Could the same de-throning sequence be implemented in this scenario?  We have had a nine year drought, and although this drought does not compare necessarily to the Red Sox, in some ways it really does.  The Yankees have won the Series 27 times.  The Red Sox eight.  It appears that it is the Yankees turn to win.  The longest drought for the Yankees in modern day has been between 1978-1996, 18 years.  The drought between 2000 and 2009, nine years.  The drought between 2009 and 2018, nine years.  Time is up...time to win.

Source: Getty Images North America

These games in Fenway will lead back to the Bronx where the Yankees have been most successful in front of their loud, echoing stadium crowd.  The Yankee-Red Sox rivalry is in full reboot and the excitement has a newness about it, along with a mixed-tape vintage feeling.  And all these feelings feel natural and feel right.  Time is of the essence.

Last night was a huge win, thanks for the reset... the reboot.  Let's continue to get this done.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suziepeof