tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

The Rivalry Renewed

Well this afternoon at 2pm at Fenway Park, the greatest rivalry in baseball begins the 2011 edition as the Yankees play the Red Sox to kick off a weekend series.  To me, I wish the Yankees weren't playing them until sometime next week.

The Red Sox are 0-6.  0-6!!!!  This from a team that has spent a ton of money and has been anointed as the 2011 World Series Champions.  It's ridiculous to think that the Yankees will sweep the Red Sox.  In fact, I'll be happy if they come out of the weekend 1-2.

Any time a team breaks a losing streak, they are apt to win a few in a row.  Particularly a team with the amount of talent the Red Sox have.  The Red Sox have not been hitting and usually when a team breaks out of a hitting streak that lasts for awhile.  And finally, take a look at the pitching match-ups: Hughes vs Lackey, Nova vs Buchholz and Sabathia vs Beckett.

Hughes appears to be struggling and what a way to try to right yourself by starting in the Fenway Park season opener against a team that is 0-6.  Then you have Ivan Nova being exposed to The Rivalry on Saturday afternoon against Clay Buchholz.  These first two games do not look promising.

Much will be made of this first series regardless of who comes out ahead.  Typical for when these two teams meet.  I have learned that I need to tone myself down, particularly in these April meetings because the hype will be ridiculous.

This afternoon it all begins.  Sit back, relax and enjoy.  The key word being relax.  Maybe I'll be surprised but  I'll take 1-2 right now and move on to the next series.