I'm going to go out on a limb and speak for the rest of baseball (excluding ESPN and Fox Sports). But who cares about the Yankees/Red Sox series right now? Nothing ever seems to change in this division. One of these two teams is always on the bubble.
Besides, your own analysts have conceded that this is a great "prelude to the series at the end of August." That's like saying an interleague series is a possible precursor to the World Series.
Yeah, we like to watch those games, but they don't matter worth anything right now. We've come to accept it, why can't the AL East and Media?
We don't care that Red Sox fans despise A-Rod, and he's involved with Madonna. We don't care that Yankees’ fans think Manny is the most arrogant player to ever put on Red Socks. We don't care that this might be a future series in the playoffs.
There is other baseball to be played. Besides, you have both been shown up by the second lowest payroll in baseball in the Tampa Bay Rays.
It is one the best rivalries in sports. I have to concede that. The anger and hatred between these two teams may be on an Israeli-Palestinian level, but there are other things going on in the sport.
Other races to be had. Other players playing their hearts out for their fans.
Let's take a look at the games in Major League Baseball that will not be the Fox Game of the Week.
Cardinals @ NY Mets. I know Yankees’ fans here have trouble admitting there is another team in New York, but the Mets are in the fight for their lives, and this is a crucial series. STL coming off a four game broom running by the Brew Crew need to regain ground fast to be competitive. The Mets, fighting off the Phillies, were counted out at the All-Star Break through a managerial circus and seeming indifference by the players. This will be a big one.
Marlins @ Cubs. The Cubs who have been struggling recently have to welcome into town a team who has been downright fishy in the past. The Cubs may have gotten out a win to open the series behind their ace, but now they have to send Ryan Dempster out to face his former team. This series is key if the Cubs want to prove to the NL they can handle out of central opponents.
White Sox @ Tigers. This series is crucial to the White Sox if they want to maintain dominance in the AL Central. They have to get through a surging Tigers squad only to face off against the second place Twins later on the road trip. If they want to stay atop the division, they need wins in both these series.
So, you see sports fans, there is more to life than the Red Sox, Yankees rivalry. It's a good one, full of heckling little kids, false accusations, and booing at the All-Star game, but not bigger than the sport itself.
The media need to realize that the people of this great nation want to do more than watch one of 72 games these teams face off in.
Maybe the reason why this rivalry is considered so big isn't just because of the two cities and always impressive teams involved, but maybe it's because it is all the television networks seem to make us think matters in baseball.
Maybe if this overexposure didn't happen every other week, every season, I would be a little more forgiving. But excuse me for wanting to watch one of the other 29 teams in Major League Baseball.
29 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
Kris Cossins 11 months ago
I'm not against somebody else wanting to watch a different game this weekend but how could the marlins@cubs game compare to the sox@yanks. In fact if I had the choice, I would probably watch my Royals against the Rays. It's not all about the Sox v. Yanks but more A-Rod v. Tek, or Pap v. Mo. I want to watch the game more because of the players than the teams. I want to see Youk bat against Joba more then Hanley Ram send one into orbit of Ted Lilly.
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Peter Laclede 11 months ago
Well I'd say if you were a Marlins or Cubs fan then it would be better. Or if you were a fan in the National League as both teams are major contenders in their division. And yes, if you had your choice you'd watch a different two teams not just the Sox/Yankees like it is every week. Unless you meant to type that you'd rather watch the Sox/Yanks OVER your Royals/Rays which would be beyond me. The point of the article is that we are inundated with Yankees/Red Sox stats like they are in the World Series right now. It's all we hear about. There is more to the sport then these two teams. I have been to Yanks/Red Sox games. It's a great rivalry, but there is more to baseball then it.
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Nathan Blunck 11 months ago
i have no problem with fans of these two teams wanting to watch them. i do have a problem with the fact that anytime these two teams meet, regional coverage no longer applies. i don't want yanks v. sox crammed down my throat anymore. i think one of the best quotes i've ever read on an espn message board happened when hank steinbrenner called red sox nation a bunch of bull----. the guy said, "i actually think there are 28 more teams in this country with fans, it's just that these two teams are too busy yelling at each other in annoying accents to notice." i liked the article. i used to hate the yankees and cheer for the red sox, because they're on all the time i now hope they both lose. i just want the rays to take the division.
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Peter Laclede 11 months ago
Exactly. It's not that it's not a good rivalry, it's one of the best. But it's the fact it's all we see.
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Jim Devine 11 months ago
Because I live in North Jersey, I must state for the record: I am neither a Yankee nor Red Sox fan (I'm a Brooklyn Dodger fan, but I don't get to see them play vey often). I'm simply a BASEBALL fan---and Yanks-BoSox is the premeir rivalry and most colorful continuing event of the baseball year. The fact that player intensity is always in maximum drive combines with the electricity of the crowds to produce playoff-level baseball theatre in April, much less mid-July. That both teams are feeling the pressure of the upstart Rays adds to the drama: one of these three teams by definition will be playing golf come October. The other three series you mention should be competitive and interesting but none can match the drama coming up at Fenway: only one (ChixSox-Tigers) is even a divisional matchup!
Why are Yanks-BoSox on nationally Saturday and Sunday? Because they draw the biggest ratings! Is there anyone on God's green earth outside of the Northside (certainly not in South Florida) who would choose to watch Cubs-Marlins instead? Outside of the Ozarks and Long Island do you really believe the average baseball fan would rather watch Cards-Mets (other than to curse Tony LaRusso to hell for all eternity for attempted assassination of baseball by inventing the damnable pitch count)? White Sox-Detroit? Nice matchup, but only if the producer promises with his hand on a King James not to show that clown who collects the manager's paycheck from Chicago (Al Lopez must be turning over in his grave).
But, Peter, if you want to boycott this weekend's marquee series, go ahead. I assume--as this is 2008, not 1968---you have access to other Major League games.
On second thought, perhaps you should keep the TV off this weekend and do something constructive. Like working on your grammer. Obama would be so ashamed! Forget your fluency---or lack of same---in foreign languages. You're barely coherent in English...
jdevine42@Gmail.com
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Peter Laclede 11 months ago
Well as persuasive as your "work on your grammar" statement that didn't even make sense... Besides you live in North Jersey, not exactly known for it's grasp on the English language.
You missed the entire point of the article. I wasn't saying there are better rivalries on this weekend. There are not. I am saying that people want to see more than that. And if you knew what you were talking about, you'd know that there are no other games available on Sat afternoons because Fox bought the rights to ALL MLB games during their time slot. They have what we here in America call a monopoly.
I could have put any of the other 14 other games on that day as examples. The fact is people want to see variety.
Please tell me how this is a marquee series? It's like any other division rivalry for 2nd place.
And where did Obama come from here? I'll work on my so called grammar issues if you work on your relevancy problem
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Matt Breen 11 months ago
Cry about it. This is an old time rivalry which is almost evenly split over the past 5 years. 3.0 games seperate the 2 teams between these division rivals. it is a big deal.
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Peter Laclede 11 months ago
I know it's an old time rivalry. It's a great one. But it's not all the country wants to see. There are less than 3 game separating a lot of other teams for 1st place, not 2nd.
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Nathan Blunck 11 months ago
people are really missing the point, aren't they?
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Kris Cossins 11 months ago
It's not about missing the point. Take out the equation of watching your own team. What game would you rather see, the yanks@sox or cubs@marlins. I think the majority would much rather see the yanks@sox. Granted, the media probably gives us more than we want of pre and postgame programming but as a sports fan or MLB fan as you are trying to base your point on, that would fall under watching the rivalry more than this years contenders.
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Nathan Blunck 11 months ago
the point is that yanks v. red sox has taken over baseball. anytime those teams do anything they get the headlines. i know they are the biggest teams in MLB, but as a baseball fan I want exposure to all 30 teams. i want to know the stories from as many teams as i can. i can't do that if yanks v. sox is always on. i think i've been able to see 1-2 games from anyone in the AL west, maybe that many for the AL central, and that many for anyone in the AL east other than yankees and red sox, i try to avoid yankees and sox games even when they're not against each other because i'm so sick of them. this year has been especially bad because it is the last year of the older "new" yankee stadium. anytime a yankees game is on they talk about the history anyway. i respect both franchises for what they have accomplished and the teams that they field, so don't call me a hater. i just want a little variety. would it be the end of the world if yanks v. sox wasn't broadcast 1 time?
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Matthew Goodman 11 months ago
I'm not really sure what the point of the article is, to be honest. Sure, Yankees vs. Red Sox matters to some people. Sure, it doesn't matter a bit to others. And?
If you want to watch other games, feel free. No one is stopping you. And if the coverage bothers you, well, stop reading or stop watching. Tune in to your local sports radio or write a great piece about your own team. Hooray for options!
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Nathan Blunck 11 months ago
actually fox is stopping me from watching any games tomorrow afternoon. they have a monopoly on the saturday afternoon 2-6 (?) time slot--not sure when it starts, but i know it ends at 6. as for your last sentence--that's the point of the article. options, not yanks v. sox everytime they play. i won't watch tomorrow's game, but i wish i could watch some game then.
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Matthew Goodman 11 months ago
Ah, that sucks. Here in Chicago, I pretty much can watch either the Cubs or White Sox, regardless of the national broadcast. Do they not show your local team?
In any case, they should totally change that and let MLB.tv let people out of your predicament.
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Peter Laclede 11 months ago
The monopoly by fox has got to be the worst part of it. Every week it is either the Red Sox or Yankees on. Those of us who pay good money and want to watch a game that is not them on Sat afternoons are constantly disappointed. And Matthew- I bet your Cubbies or White Sox are not on Sat afternoons, even on your local station. Fox owns the nationwide rights.
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Matthew Goodman 11 months ago
I've never noticed, to be honest. I usually just watch edited versions of the games later so I can avoid watching the ads, pointless shots of the audience, etc. I'll check it out tomorrow, though.
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Matt Breen 11 months ago
so wait wait your saying people shouldn't care about red sox yankees but should care about other games? isn't that a contradiction? people should care about all games. to complain about fox coverage is pointless though, they go with ratings.
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Peter Laclede 11 months ago
how is it a contradiction? i want to watch my teams. I want to watch games that matter to me. If the Yanks Red Sox are on, I'll watch it. I've been to these great rivalry games, they are great. But the media doesn't care about all games. The media wouldn't ever care about the Rays except this year they're a surprise. Look at the Royals, the Pirates, who follows them on a national base with the coverage nationwide networks give?
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Kyle Beakley 11 months ago
Very well said, Peter. I'm also sick and tired of the constant Yankees-Red Sox hype. It is indeed one of the great rivalries in sports-- but it gets a little stale when every one of their 14 games per year are souped up to no end by Fox and ESPN.
I'd rather watch something different like Cards-Mets or Cubs-Marlins instead of yet another edition of this media-created spectacle. Unfortunately, many sports fans are unable to think independently and just suck up the commercialism that gets shoved into their rather small brains.
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Peter Laclede 11 months ago
Thanks for the comment. I think I keep getting painted as someone who doesn't respect this rivalry. Heck yes I do. I've watched the fights, I've been there in person. Nothing like it. But there is more to baseball than it. And yes, the media is all about this series, so people just getting into baseball or the casual sports fan think this is really the world series of baseball. It is one of the many great rivalries in the sport.
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Collin Whitchurch 11 months ago
I just think that a series that's hyped as much as this one is should at least involve one first place team :P
The aforementioned Cubs, Mets, and White Sox are all in first place against fellow contending teams...making those series' more appealing then Yankee-Red Sox, at least to me.
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Peter Laclede 11 months ago
Exactly. You'd never see a 2nd 3rd place team battling it out on a Sat afternoon even if the Sox and Yanks were battling for last place.
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C Marin 11 months ago
I really can see both parts of this argument......on the one hand......Yanks vs Red Sox is a virtual guarantee to be a nail biter.....from a point of pure baseball.....they are great games......they go at each other and its a lot of fun......whether you like either team or not.....its a battle...and I'm sure the ratings are nationally through the roof......can't blame FOX for that.....they're in the business to make money....NEVER forget that!
Now on the other hand if you are a fan of your team only (Like I am)....you wouldn't care if your team wasn't involved and wouldn'nt watch.......Now the Mets / Cardinal game might be great but.....I don't personally care....SPORTSCENTER is enough for me
Luckily......I am a Yankee fan....and tonight's game was incredible......
GO YANKS!
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Peter Laclede 11 months ago
Whatever works for you. It is a double edged sword for sure. The games are great because they are built up, but do they need to be built up this much all the time?
But yes they are in the biz to make money and at this point that is the most commercialized rivalry in the sport. It's a sad world but it's the truth.
And yes, SPORTSCENTER for all of its flaws may still be the greatest show ever made.
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Eddie Jackman 11 months ago
Who really cares Peter? That's a dumb question. The answer is: a helluva lot more people care about Red Sox - Yanks than people like you who don't. So its a democracy and you lose. Suck it up.
But lets be clear about why the networks that decide which MLB games to air don't give a crap about your silly whining or anyone elses. It's no that they love the Red Sox or the Yankees. The networks want to charge max dollars for their 3+ hours of advertising space and to do that they show the games that are gauranteed to bring the most viewership. As someone once said "It's all about the money stupid."
Here's some facts that throw your argument out the windown and reduce it to small-market-fan-whining.
1) The Red Sox and Yankees have the longest, most historic rivalry in baseball. April, May, June, July games all create the same buzz of an ALDS game. The games are electric where a July Cardinals - Mets game would barely raise anyones pulse.
2) The Red Sox and Yankees have the largest national fan bases in baseball...that translates to more people across the nation want to see them play than any other mathchup - especially every matchup you listed.
3) So because of #2 - Red Sox and Yankees baseball games pull in higher viewership than any other regular season matchup - so the networks would lose lots of money by televising anyone else when they could televise Yanks-Sox.
If Fox televises a White Sox - Tigers game they can project lets say 10 million viewers so they can charge Ford Motor Company $250K for a package of spots. But if they televise Red Sox - Yanks who project to get 25 million national viewers...then Fox can charge Ford $500K for their package of TV sptos. So if your a Fox Executive who personally doesn't give a shit about baseball but you want to buy that new 200ft mega yacht by the end of the year - what game do you choose to televise?
The networks don't get who is where in what division, they don't care what matchup is more important to baseball in July...unless any of that translates into more money.
We're sorry that your Nationals have the worst record in baseball and a Saturday for you means adding a 1 to the loss column....but quit writing cry baby articles and let the rest of us enjoy competing for division titles...seriously.
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Eddie Jackman 11 months ago
And quit complaining about the monopoly. Phillies - Braves are on FOX in Philadelphia right now at the same time the Sox-Yanks are on - so their are other games being shown in big viewership areas.
And if you want to learn the most you can about every team then get a subscription to MLB TV and watch every game all season long.
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Peter Laclede 11 months ago
Well as persuasive as your rambling argument was, it completely neglected the entire point of the article, that there is more to baseball. Next time, before you decide to go off on some money making, market explanation of things I already know, do your reading. This isn't about who pulls more money down. It's very clear who does this. It's about baseball, something you clearly don't appreciate as much by the sheer fact you break this down to money. I was getting past that to talk about the sport itself.
Just so you don't think I am an idiot, I really do understand about the market, but I'm not complaining about the market. I was just proving a point, that there are no options left. And the whole "buy MLB TV", I have MLB Extra Innings, so thanks for nothing.
"We're sorry that your Nationals have the worst record in baseball and a Saturday for you means adding a 1 to the loss column....but quit writing cry baby articles and let the rest of us enjoy competing for division titles...seriously." Do you reading again next time, I cheer for the St. Louis Cardinals.
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Eddie Jackman 11 months ago
Peter
1) the point of your article was aptly summed up in yoru quote: "But who cares about the Yankees/Red Sox series right now?"
I answered your question - more people care about the Sox-Yankees than any other teams and any other mathcup. It's a numbers game. thats your answer.
you said "We don't care that Red Sox fans despise..blah-blah-blah" Again - the WE in your argument is just YOU and a much smaller # of fans than those that DO CARE about Red Sox and Yankees issues. Fox has to choose the most popular matchup to show and by democracy its Red Sox - Yankees. More people do care than any mass cares about the Cardinals, Nationals, White Sox, or anyone else. Is that fair? Is that fair to baseball? Does it provide a method for the rest of the baseball viewing world to get a more well rounded view of all of MLB? No. But thats reality.
2) Your profile picture is a family in NATIONALS jerseys at a Nationals game with the NATIONALS mascot. you live in DC - you are a self-described fan of not only the Nationals, but the Wizards and the Capitals. your most memorable sports moment was at a Nationals game.
Don't tell me to read...you read your own profile. I am glad you cheer for your boyhood Cardinals, but your obviously a big Nationals fan so thats where that awesome dig came from.
Peace brother.
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RedSox Maniac 11 months ago
I got to go with Edward.
I see your side about saying there is more to baseball than just the Yankees and Sox. But to be honest, the coverage of these are overblown a bit, and they do get a lot of attention.
" I want to watch my teams"
Who is stopping you from watching your teams. Every baseball team has a local affiliate. I am unaware that you can live next to a team and not be abel to watch their games. Yes, the Sox are on nationally, and the Yankees are too, but both of these teams are vying for the title, the Red Sox are the defending World Champions, and the Yankees were actually being CLOWNED by the major networks ( Steve Phillips even predicted they wouldn't even make the playoffs).
What about the Rockies. They have all of their players back, they are winning, and they didn't get any coverage? You didn't mention them in your article. There are a lot of games you didn't mention in your article. And yet you bash another entity for doing the same thing.
You say that this game has become commercialized, so you know why they show these teams. You are arguing not against fans, but against the executives for turning baseball in a commercialized venue. The sad thing is, this has been going on for decades before you decided to write this.
Also, you didn't help your cause by NOT mentioning the red Sox and Yankees. You are tired of seeing them, that is ok. But that is also a bias because usually the best teams ( or the surging teams ) are most likely to get more time on tv than teams who are not as good or don't surge.
What if they started showing Royals and Padres game. You say you want to see your team, but someone else's team may not be YOUR team. So they play Royals games, Padres games, and Nationals games. None of them make the playoffs. Now, you have a boatload of fans who have no clue who the best teams are because they were too busy showing teams who MIGHT be good.
Also, like Peter says, it is about demographic. There are just more fans of these two teams than any in baseball. You can even see it by the polls they post up on Sportcenter, or the All-Star balloting ( Pedroia got in, and I doubt many fans of non-Red Sox teams in the AL East know who he is). There are just too many Red Sox and Yankees fans.
Do I think they should do something about it? Well, yes. I do think people go way overboard about these teams. But to overall neglect these teams because you are tired of them, doesn't make you a true baseball fan. In the 90's, I loathed how much tv time the Indians and the Mariners and the Yankees got.
The Red Sox didn't get any air time. But I loved my team, and I still watched the games. Those other teams were spectacular, and I would've been a fool to miss out on them just because of a jealous bias. For all that the Red Sox have done recently, I do remember not getting the National games.
How could we? Our best players were Darren Bragg and Reggie Jefferson. For a good year, Tom Gordon was our number 1# starter, and Tim Wakefield was our closer.
Do you think these stories mean anything to you? Do you think, if you saw Tom Gordon get lit up by the likes Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, Roberto Alomar, and Jim Thome, that somehow you would have greater knowledge of the game. Do you even know who Darren Bragg is? Do you even care to know?
But everyone cared about the Indians and that insane lineup. No one was watching Darin Erstadt and the Angels but all eyes were on Randy Johnson and Alex Rodriguez batting in front of Griffey and Buhner. You know why; because those teams were good, and the Angels and Red Sox were not that good.
The difference between me and you is that I appreciate the better teams, and although I loathe watching them every goddamn week because they are good, I appreciate knowing the story of the season since these teams most likely will be battling it out for the playoffs. Sometimes, the Networks get it wrong, and the under-watched cinderella team ( Colorado Rockies 2007, Marlins both WS, NY Giants 2007 ) make it without anyone hearing about the great story. Some teams each year are over-hpyed, only to see their dreams crash before or during the playoffs.
But you cannot fault the fact that the meaning of the rivalry goes above the normal rivalries, that the immense talent of these teams transcends those above other teams, and that they are supposedly destined to go further into the playoffs than most other teams in baseball, and that the continued existence of the teams, and their feats of winning ( and losing a lot ) has created a solid fan base bigger and probably more fanatical than most other teams.
These factors are the reason why they are shown a lot. I would agree with your argument, but seldom do I find other fans who are knowledgeable about other teams other than their own or the best team, even when given the option to watch many teams and games.
Fans like me remember the Expos, and remember Jeff Juden, and Carlos Perez, and Larry Walker. I remember the bad teams, along with the good. I hate when the good teams are shown, or when the most popular team is showcased above the seemingly better team.
"Yeah, we like to watch those games, but they don't matter worth anything right now. "
Is this the sentence of a fan who cares about the entire story?
"We don't care that this might be a future series in the playoffs."
So does this mean you don't care about the playoffs? Or how the playoffs could end up with these teams?
My point is, the Rays are in 1st, and it looks pretty good that they might stay. But for you to go over-board to dismiss the whole series as hogwash, you are missing the point of the yearly story of baseball. You should be interested in all games, and even though you said that you are, to say that a series between two rivals which one has won a world title, and both are a few games away from the top team in the league that has to play 65% of its final games on the road, to have no interest is to be radically just as bad as the bigger networks who have decided to neglect your team.
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