Q & A Jack Curry on Yankees-Red Sox

Jack:
— Paul 14. April 11, 2008 10:44 am
Link
— Chris 13. April 11, 2008 10:42 am
Link
— Andrew 17. April 11, 2008 11:09 am
Link
Will the Red Sox, with Fenway Park, be able to compete economically with the Yankees once they open their new ballpark?
JACK CURRY
Hi Kurt: I think the Red Sox have done a nice job of increasing their economic flow. Since John Henry bought the team in 2002, the Sox have added almost 6,000 seats at Fenway. The Sox big $51.1 million to negotiate with DiceK, more than the Yankees or the Mets offered, so they have the revenue. But, let’s face it, the Yankees’ payroll is about $75 million more and, when they move into the new stadium, their money flow is going to multiply. I don’t think the Red Sox are going to match the Yankees in payroll in the comning years, but they have won two titles since 2004 and the Yankees haven’t won any so the Sox are doing more than competing with New York.
It goes back farther than that…
@Victor #11 – The term “biggest draw nationally” refers to the Red Sox’s ability to consitently draw more fans at home and on the road throughout all of 2007. If you add up the numbers, Red Sox vs opponents vs Yankees vs opponents, the Red Sox outdrew the Yankees (and all other teams) at all MLB parks. Hence, the term is correct.
Question about Big Papi…(yes it’s early…and yes I know he is coming off surgery and “sub par” year last year…and finally full disclosure…I am a Yankee Fan..) Do you think it’s possible he could be “done”. I look back to players with similar build and impact like Cecil Fielder and Mo Vaughn…fantastic players for a long period of time, who one day wake up on the downside of their career and lose it very very quickly.
JACK CURRY
Hi Andrew: So you’re ready to bury Ortiz already, huh? It’s been 10 games. I’m sure he’s had a 10-game stretch like this before. I think Ortiz will be fine. He’ll hit 40 homers, he’ll get 100 walks, he’ll bat over .300 and he’ll have an OBP over .400. I know some players fall off a cliff and never come back. He’s not anywhere near the edge of that cliff.
Hank Steinbrenner recently was quoted as saying “Red sox nation is a bunch of B.S” With the red sox being the biggest draw nationally last year, and winning 2 of the last 4 pennants, isn’t he being a little delusional to think the yankees are America’s favorite team?
JACK CURRY
Hi Bill: Hank’s family owns the Yankees. Hank has shown that he is proud of the Yankees and that he will be as vocal as his father used to be in defending everything about the Yankees. What else would you expect him to say? I wasn’t surprised by his comments. I’m sure the Steinbrenners are disappointed that the Yankees haven’t won a title since 2000 and bothered by the fact that the Sox have won two in the last four seasons and have a huge following. I think that’s way Hank said what he did.
As long as their is one Sox and NYY fan left there will always be a rivalry-it is built into our core as fans. Red Sox Nation is alive and well and my bet is that these televised games will win the baseball time slots this weekend. Agree?
I grew up in New England, not far from Boston, and I have to say that I don’t remember this rivalry being such a big deal in the late 80s and 90s. I know that it’s touted as an old rivalry, and I don’t know if it’s just me, but hasn’t this been pumped up in the past 5-10 years? Obviously it existed a long time ago, but it seems like it was dormant for a while, perhaps because the Sox were only rivals (and superiors) of the Yankees starting recently.
JACK CURRY
Hi Mike: I started covering baseball for the Times in 1990 and took over the Yankees beat at the All-Star break in ‘91. I remember that the rivalry wasn’t nearly as intense, but I still remember that there was a different feeling when the Yankees and the Red Sox played. It was no where close to what it is today, but Yankees-Red Sox was different than Yankees-Jays or Yankees-Orioles. I also remembering talking to Posada and Jeter and Pettitte how about some of the intensity that existed between the organizations at the minor league level. But, as you said, with the Red Sox being a dominant team these days and both clubs spending heavily on their payrolls, the rivalry is as intense as it has ever been.
— Victor 12. April 11, 2008 10:41 am
Link
Thanks,
— Adam 11. April 11, 2008 10:37 am
Link
— scott barry 15. April 11, 2008 11:06 am
Link
Hi Jack:
What advantages, if any, might the Yanks have over the Red Sox this season? Pitching, defense, hitting,Florida Marlins Hats, desire to win? Anything?
JACK CURRY
Hi Nat: If I had to pick one area where the Yankees have an edge over the Red Sox, and, it would be a slight edge, I’d select the back end of the bullpen. Of course, that’s as long as Joba remains in the setup role. As superb as Papelbon is and as great as Okajima was for most of 2007, I think the Joba-Rivera combination is better than any in baseball. I think Joba’s presence gives the Yankees the ability to reduce some games to 6 or 7 inning affairs. I don’t think the Red Sox can do that with the same frequency. Papelbon is as good as any closer in baseball, but I just think the Yankees have a better bridge to Rivera, the best closer of all-time.
— AVAGADRO V 23. April 11, 2008 11:28 am
Link
Now that Detroit has tanked its debut will both of these teams be playing in October? I really want to see another ALCS.
JACK CURRY
Hi James: Even before Detroit’s 1-8 start, I felt that the Red Sox and the Yankees will make the playoffs. I think the Red Sox will win the division and I think the Yankees will get the wild card. I wouldn’t toss the Tigers out of the picture just yet, though. The Phillies started 1-6 last season and still made the playoffs. Then again,DC Comics & Marvel Hats Sale, they needed the Mets’ historic collapse to make that happen.
Jack -
Now that the Red Sox have won two championships in four seasons — and established themselves as a winning club — has the intensity of the rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox diminished? As a Yankees fan, it feels like that to me. What do you see in the clubhouses? Is there a palpable difference in the way the team players are interacting?
JACK CURRY
Hi Rohit: I don’t think the intensity in this rivalry has diminished. If anything, I think the fact that the Red Sox have won two titles in the last four seasons has made it this rivalry even more intense. The Yankees had a history of dominating Boston, but that has changed and that’s good for the rivalry. I’ve been in both clubhouses this season and, trust me, there’s no letup in this rivalry.
E-mail This Print Share
Close Linkedin
Digg
Facebook
Mixx
My Space
Permalink Red Sox, Yankees Related Posts From Bats Keeping Score: Sizing Up Trade Needs in the A.L. EastHow Vulnerable Are the Yankees?Call It a Night, or Wait Out the Rain?Mark Teixeira Returns to Yankees’ LineupWith Logan Struggling, Feliciano’s Importance Is Highlighted Previous Post
With Red Sox Waiting, Pettitte Lifts the Yankees Next Post
Horne Escapes Without ‘Long-Term’ Injury From 1 to 25 of 44 Comments
1
2
Next » 1. April 11, 2008 8:49 am
Link
— Rohit Menezes 5. April 11, 2008 9:46 am
Link
See any signs success mellowed the Sox ?
@Mike Jones…you’re a little young :-) I remember being at a game @ Yankee Stadium in the 70’s where some Yankees fans threw a Red Sox fan off the first level balcony.
The Red Sox just lost Mike Lowell for a couple of weeks due to an injured thumb. They appear to be deep enough to not suffer greatly for it, at least in the short run. If the Yankees ever lost their third baseman for a similar stretch, how do you think they would fare? Is Jeters loss an equivalent blow?
JACK CURRY
Hi Perry: The Red Sox are well-equipped to handle Lowell’s loss because of Youkilis’s versatility. Youkilis hasn’t made an error at 1B in about 200 games. So he moves over to 3B and makes a nifty play there in the first inning. I thought Sean Casey was a nice addition for the Sox, although I wondered how much he’d play. Well, with Lowell out, Casey is going to play a lot. Obviously, if the Yankees ever lost ARod, it would be a bigger loss to them than Lowell is to the Sox. In addition, the Yankees woudn’t be able to cover the loss as well as the Red Sox presumably will. They’d used Betemit and Ensberg and neither is nearly as good as Youkilis.
— James D 16. April 11, 2008 11:07 am
Link
the red sox rivalry has ebbed and flowed.There was a period of my youth that the yanks of late 60 70s were a team that record over those years shows who was boss.go sox!
— JR 21. April 11, 2008 11:16 am
Link
Another thought is that IMHO, the rivalry has ebbed for the past few years (Varitek’s in-your-face shove of ARod notwithstanding) due to MLB’s over-scheduling of the two teams.
Search This Blog
Hi Jack!
— Fooze 20. April 11, 2008 11:14 am
Link
Read the discussion with Jack Curry below. And read more of Curry’s reporting here.
It used to be they’d meet a couple of times. Now, less than 2 weeks into the season the Yankees are in town.
We all know the philosophies of how these two teams have gone about acquiring talent has changed drastically over the past 4 years. Both teams currently have 2 rookie starting pitchers in their rotations. When comparing Hughes and Kennedy vs. Buchholz and Lester, which pair do you think can help their team win more this year? Which pair do you think will have greater long-term success with their team?
JACK CURRY
Hi Kevin: This is a great question. With young pitchers, it’s so difficult to gauge the future. All it takes is one arm injury for one of these pitchers to fall off the map. That being said, I think these four look as if they’ll all be around for a long time. How do you pick against Buchholz? I mean, the kid pitched a no-hitter in his second ML start. And Lester overcame cancer and has won a clinching game in the World Series. Those are some pretty heady accomplishments for a 23-year old and a 24-year old. For the Yankees, I like Hughes a lot. He’s 21, carries himself like’s 41. I know he had a tough outing in his last start, but I think he’ll be productive for a long time. The Yankees think Kennedy is as polished a young pitcher as they’ve seen in a while.
— David 3. April 11, 2008 9:28 am
Link
— Kent 19. April 11, 2008 11:10 am
Link
Do you feel that the fans’ animosity toward eachother and the history of the rivalry between the two teams bleeds through to players who did not grow up cognizant of it (i.e. Dice-K, Matsui, Okajima, etc.)? Are they genuinely riled by the series or simply playing to the whims of ESPN?
To: Bill @ #7
Big game! So Hank Steinbrenner’s cheery disposition, the sanity of Yanks fans, and the fate of the free world all hang in the balence, correct?
Jack, would you categorize either the Yankees or Red Sox as being perhaps overzealous of protecting their farm systems. While the baseball economy may change dramatically, one thing is absolutely certain: most prospects do not turn into major league stars (ie, there’s no such thing as a sure thing, except in the case where like the stock market, past performance is always used to determine future success).
— Kurt 7. April 11, 2008 10:02 am
Link
— Chris 25. April 11, 2008 11:34 am
Link
The Yankees drew over 4 million fans to their games last year, the 4th year in a row. With a capacity of 39,928, Fenway Park and the Red Sox don’t have capacity to be “the biggest draw nationally.”
Sorry, but the Yanks have a serious disadvantage in this contest as long as A-Rod is in pinstripes.
— Kevin 6. April 11, 2008 10:01 am
Link
Tell me your not revolted by the amount of Sawx coverage in that revered New York institution, The New York Times. Tell me it has nothing to do with said institution’s ownership interest in the Sawx.
JACK CURRY
Adam: I’ve never once been assigned a story on the Red Sox or proposed a story on the Red Sox because of any ownership connected The Times has with the team. Those are questions for people in the Times’s executive board room. Still, with the intensity of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry and how often the teams play and how close they are in proximity, there is a tremendous amount of interest in the Red Sox in New York. Most of the time when I’m covering something in Boston, I have a writer from The News or The Post sitting right next to me.
How “interesting” will the reception be when AROD passes Ted Williams at Fenway this weekend? Ah – the sweet irony. Hopefully it’ll be off Papelbon like last year.
— bill 8. April 11, 2008 10:03 am
Link
The Times published an article that Joe Torre and Terry Francona were good friends. How do Joe Girardi and Francona get along? Will Joe Girardi’s ascendancy affect the rivalry, as a result of his more intense approach than Joe Torre’s?
JACK CURRY
Hi JR: Terry Francona had known Joe Torre since Francona was eight years old because Torre was teammate with Francona’s father. There’s no history like that between Francona and Girardi. I asked Francona about this in spring training and he said that he really doesn’t know Joe Girardi that well. Still, I don’t think the relationship or lack of a relationship between the managers will impact what happens on the field between these teams. Despite their shared history, I don’t think Torre was feeling sorry for Francona when the Yankees were up 3-0 in the 2004 ALCS. I also don’t think Francona felt bad for Torre after the Sox won the next four games.
Bill, People need to get over this “Red Sox were the biggest draw nationally thing”. If you take out the games that the Yankees played at Fenway (which holds no one) and the games the Red Sox played in the Bronx (which holds lots of people) The Yankees edge them by a bit. Regardless, it’s just not a compelling statistic.
The New York Times baseball writer Jack Curry is in Boston for the first Yankees-Red Sox series of the 2008 season. Curry logged on to answer your questions about the American League East rivals who will play 18 games this season, not including a possible playoff series.
— Mike Jones 10. April 11, 2008 10:32 am
Link
Comments are no longer being accepted.
— Perry 9. April 11, 2008 10:14 am
Link
— Trophy 1
2
Next »
— Rickey Henderson 18. April 11, 2008 11:09 am
Link
Now that all members of the track team headed by Marion Jones have to forfeit their gold medals because one member used illegal substances, should the Yankees have to fork over the ALCS trophies won while juiced at several positions?
JACK CURRY
Bill: I’m not interesting in making alibis for anyone who used performance enhancing drugs, but I do think there’s a difference between Marion Jones admitting she used PEDs to win gold meals and players having their names mentioned in the Mitchell Report. The Yankees took a huge p.r. hit for having so many players mentioned in the report. That might not be the “penalty” you’re seeking, but that might be the only one they get.
— prisrob 22. April 11, 2008 11:20 am
Link
Neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees have gotten off to a stellar start this year, esp. vis a vis starting pitching. Overall, whose rotation looks better, and how do you see the matchup of starters playing out this series?
JACK CURRY
Hi David: I think the rotations for both teams are similar because both are trying to acclimate young pitchers to the major leagues (Hughes and Kennedy for the Yankees and Lester and Buchhols for the Red Sox). In addition to seeing how these youngsters adjust, the Yankees have to see how Pettitte will respond after a troubling off-season and whether Mussina can bounce back. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are hoping DiceK is more acclimated to pitching in the states. By the way, I watched his game against the Tigers the other day and he looked like a more confident pitcher to me. Right now, I’d say the Red Sox have the edge because Beckett is at the top for them. Wang is a very good pitcher, a very consistent pitcher who piles up groundball outs. But Beckett gives the Red Sox something the Yankees don’t have: a powerful ace who you can start in a Game 7 and believe that this guy is going to get the win. I think all three matchups this weekend are intriguing: I’m anxious to see Buchholz pitch on Friday,UNDFTD T-Shirts – Las Vegas Exclusive Release, I want to see if Beckett can rebound in his second start on Sunday and the Hughes-DiceK matchup on Sunday might be the best of the week.
— wildbill 4. April 11, 2008 9:36 am
Link
— DFC 24. April 11, 2008 11:32 am
Link
— Nat 2. April 11, 2008 9:13 am
Link