The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have been intertwined for over a century; they are the definition of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. In fact, if you ask Pedro Martinez, the Yankees and Sox might just be family. So it's fitting that just like any father, New York has a large role to play in the future of their son; actually, maybe more of a choice. Do the Yankees have a responsibility to play their best players in their final and upcoming series with the Tampa Bay Rays? Or can they stack the odds in the favour of the Rays and their own perceived October interests? Can they knowingly choose to assist Tampa, essentially “killing” Boston? Can they make Sophie's choice?
It's not a new concept. Every sport is accused around the end of the season for having playoff guaranteed teams trot out sub par lineups, but it just seems like baseball is the one sport that's asking for it. In September team rosters expand from 25 players to 40. Yes, it's mainly an invitation for non-contending teams to scout young talent at the major league level, but there's no rule saying that if you're playoff bound you can't play your AAA kids. I mean, if the intent of the Royals getting their farm system time in the bigs is to better the club in the future, why can't the Yankees use that same opportunity to possibly better their odds of success in the playoffs? It's technically still the future.
Now, I could, and the Yankees might just, preach the importance of giving starters a break after a long season. Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira, and Curtis Granderson have all played in over 150 games, while Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have missed significant time due to injury. If they sit a few games late its understandable. It'd be normal. The x-factor in all this is the rivalry between Boston and New York. If the Yankees do give their guys some rest, it won't be looked upon in that sense, it will be seen as a blatant attempt to keep Boston out of the playoffs. If the Tigers were fighting the Rays for the wild-card? Not so much.
As it stands right now the only part of tonight's Tampa Bay / New York game that is known is the starting pitching match-up: James Shields versus Hector Hoesi, who is making just his second career MLB start. He went 2.2 innings giving up 2 runs against these same Rays last week in a game the Yankees would go on to win. Bartolo Colon will go tomorrow opposed by Jeremy Hellickson and David Price's match-up for Wednesday has yet to be decided; just don't expect CC Sabathia to be walking out of that dugout anytime soon Boston fans. New York could very well get swept in this series and the Rays could very well make the playoffs. Hey, they could even beat the Yankees in the ALCS and make this whole thing moot. But if New York feels like the Sox are the bigger threat, they should be able to do anything in their power to avoid them. It would be unsportsmanlike. It would be frowned upon. But it would be another fitting chapter in the history of the Yankees and Red Sox.
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