So with only three weeks left to go in the season, we've finally got ourselves a good old fashioned AL East pennant race! Just 2 ˝ games or so separate the Yankees and the Red Sox and if these past two weekends are any indication, I think we're going to have to keep the gag on the Fat Lady for some time. So in honor of this great rivalry, let's begin this week's column by dusting off The Commish's Office karaoke machine, dropping a dime in the jukebox and singing that old classic "Puttin' On The Ritz", only this time, instead of singing about Rockefellers and Gary Cooper we'll be crooning about a certain Red Sox superstar and his unwillingness to play hurt in a big spot, yet still being able to find some time to fraternize with the enemy at a local watering hole. And a-one, and a-two…
And then just this past weekend, the Sox and Yanks meet again with Manny Ramirez in the lineup after all and Boston takes two of three behind some serious offense. Now of course, all this doesn't sit well with the Yankees owner as George Steinbrenner takes to the back page of the tabloids, threatening to fire all his coaches, take everyone's first born child and bring The Plague down upon all the houses of Egypt unless, and I paraphrase, "Joe Torre finds a way to win the whole thing, then what could I do"? Er, George, I didn't know they were serving brunch at this press conference? Perhaps you want a little syrup with that "waffle"?… Now I'm sure that you Yankee fans are not worried as it seems that the Curse of the Bambino has yet to kick in (despite Manny Ramirez' best efforts) and sure enough, the ghosts will rise and all will be well in the South Bronx. However, perhaps this recent spat of losing games to the Red Sox is actually a result of a newer, more powerful curse? I'm talking about The Curse of The Boss, and I don't mean Steinbrenner either! I'll allow Quat Thrusts! owner and Yankee fan Doug Quat to explain: "By the way, I attribute the Yankee losses Fri. and Sat. to The Boss... not Steinbrenner, but Springsteen. Follow this - New Jersey native and big Yankee fan Bruce throws the cosmos out of whack by playing the first concerts ever held in Fenway Park the same weekend the hated Sox are playing the Yankees at The Stadium. Hey, I love The Boss (Bruce, not George), but his timing could have been a little better. You don't mess around with history."
What do you think? Is Dougie Thrust on to something here? I'll go a step further and say this whole thing started just before the big Yankee series' when the Red Sox won that inter-league makeup game in Philadelphia at Veteran's Stadium, yet another stop on Bruce Springsteen's current tour. If I may sing something for you to the tune of Bruce's "Atlantic City" perhaps that might explain things better…
Now, I know I promised to talk (sing) about the September Roster Expansion, but it's getting late and all I could come up with was a lame chorus from a Neil Diamond song parody:
And on that note (however off key it may have been!) I'm outta here for another week. Good luck to all the teams that are still in contention down the stretch run. And that goes for the five teams still fighting for first, the five still trying to get into the last money spot and the three owners still spending their last hard earned dollar to stay out of last place! So remember, if you expanded the rosters last week, all moves from here on in are free so why not roll the dice! 'til next week…
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