Many consider Major League Baseball opening day an extremely important day. This year the commissioner decided that the schedule would start off by having a classic match up of the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees. At first, it seemed like it would be an incredible idea to match the two teams against each other after what happened the previous year. For those of you who forget, the Yankees were the goat in what many consider the worst collapse of a 3-0 in the history of sports. Then the Red Sox went on to sweep St. Louis in the World Series.
A rematch of last years American League Championship Series would be a great way to kick off the 2005 season, right? For starters, the teams were not the same as they were the previous year. The Red Sox lost instrumental players during the off-season and the Yankees decided to revamp their pitching staff. Pedro is gone. Lowe is gone. Randy Johnson is now wearing pin stripes.
The table was set for a match up of former-teammates Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson. One a Red Sox and one Yankee. However, Schillings 2004 playoff heroics landed him on the DL for opening day. Bean town newcomer David Wells was given the opportunities to open the season in the Bronx against the Big Unit. The stage was set not as entertaining as last years events, but none the less it was a rematch.
People from all over watched the Yankees come out and be nothing short of spectacular in their opening day game and the Red Sox disappoint a Nation of fans. The Unit was dominant, Matsui robbed Kevin Millar of a two-run homerun, and the Sox were just flat. The end result was a New York victory 9-2 and Johnson getting his first of what people think will be many wins this year as a Yankee.
This game always seems to be an important one in the season, but this game really did not mean to much this year. Sure it was a Yanks vs. Sox game, but with 161 games left to play and probably 20 some odd games left between the two teams how important is it really. However, the game was interrupted with comments concerning the steroid controversy and how Yanks slugger Jason Giambi would do after the off season. The game needs stop focusing on these off field media problems and focus on the great aspects of the game, i.e. Sox Yanks rivalry.
Every game between these two teams has the hype that it is the most important of the season. Why would anyone want to think about steroids issues when they are watching these teams play? There is always a better storyline somewhere in the game, which is what media should be focusing on. During the game, people are not trying to think about anything but the game going on.
Giambi seems to have handled himself alright yesterday, so let’s hope that people can put it in the steroid issues in the past and start focusing on the remainder of the season.
