Sports

Yanks not making it much of a rivalry with the Red Sox

By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews

As if playing 19 games during the regular season wasn’t enough for one of America’s biggest sports rivalries, the baseball Gods blessed Major League Baseball with one more on Tuesday night, this one for an American League wildcard spot.

It was Game 163 of the season for both teams, who ended the regular season on Sunday with 92 wins and 70 losses each. Ten of the Red Sox’s 92 wins were against the Yankees. Winning the majority of the 19 games gave the Red Sox home field advantage for a single-elimination, loser goes home matchup.

The Red Sox, who were dominated by the Yankees two weekends ago at Fenway Park and swept in their three game series, avenged those defeats with a 6-2 win in the most important game they have played this season in front of a sellout crowd of 38,324.

The Red Sox rocked Yankee ace starter Gerrit Cole, who didn’t live up to his record breaking nine-year, $324 million dollar contract signed in December 2019, the highest ever for a pitcher. He was removed from the game by Yankees manager Aaron Boone in the third inning after giving up a two-run home run to Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts in the first, and a home run and two walks in the third to put the Yankees in an early 3-0 hole.

“This is the worst feeling in the world,” said a sullen Cole after the game.

The Yankees relievers couldn’t stop the bleeding, giving up three more runs by the eighth inning. First baseman Anthony Rizzo and outfielder Giancarlo Stanton provided the Yankees’ scores, both hitting homers. Stanton also hit two bombs off of Boston’s Green Monster, shots that would have been home runs in most other ballparks.

“The ending is really cruel, but there’s nothing better than competing for something meaningful,” said Boone, trying to turn a negative into a positive. Boone knows the thrill of victory, having hit a series ending, walk-off home run against Boston in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS.

The Red Sox will now play the AL East division winning Tampa Bay Rays beginning tonight, in the best-of-five American League Division Series.The Rays had the AL’s going 100-62. As good as their regular season record is, it was baseball’s third best, behind the National League West champion San Francisco Giants’ 107-55 and the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers’ 106-56.

As for the Yankees, owner Hal Steinbrenner must determine if the system utilized by general manager Brian Cashman needs to be abandoned. Relying heavily on analytics, the Yankees, with the second highest payroll in baseball at over $200 million (the Dodgers are No. 1), have not won a World Series title since 2009.

(Wikipedia photo)

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole gave up three runs in less than three full innings in a 6-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox in their wildcard game on Tuesday

Another losing season, another needed overhaul for the Mets

By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor

The Mets, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2016, fired Luis Rojas on Monday. Officially, franchise owner Steve Cohen declined the team option on the 40-year-old’s contract for 2022. In two seasons managing the Mets, the COVID-19 pandemic shortened the 2020 campaign in which the team went 26-34, and this past season, when they lost eight of their final 12 games to post a mark of 77-85, Rojas was 16 games under .500.

He has been a member of the Mets organization since coaching their Dominican Summer League squad in 2006. “The entire Mets organization is grateful for the dedication and devotion that Luis has exhibited over the last two seasons as manager,” said Mets President Sandy Alderson in a statement. “He has shown a great commitment to the Mets over many years in multiple capacities. These decisions are never easy, but we feel a change is needed at this time.”

For his part, Rojas was non-controversial in exiting. “I want to share such heartfelt gratitude to so many in the Mets organization for not only the last two seasons as manager, but for the last 16 years in a variety of roles,” said the son of former major leaguer Felipe Alou in a team released statement. “We live in a results-oriented business, and am deeply disappointed for our staff and fans that we didn’t reach our goals this season.” The Mets didn’t end up 11.5 games behind the National League East division champion Atlanta Braves primarily because of Rojas. He was a symptom, not the source. The failed campaign began by ousting highly regarded hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater in early May. Alderson essentially designated them scapegoats for an offense that went on to be putrid the ensuing five months, affirming Davis wasn’t the issue.

The Mets finished the season 27th out of 30 teams in Major League Baseball in runs scored with just 636. The pitching staff, with ace Jacob de Grom making only 15 starts resulting from several injured body parts including his right forearm, lat muscle and shoulder, did an admirable job posting a collective ERA

of 3.90, ninth overall. But they couldn’t carry an offense that was an albatross. Even before the season began there was a sign Alderson had made poor decisions in structuring the Mets’ leadership. In January, general manager Jared Porter was terminated after being accused of sending unsolicited sexually explicit texts to a female reporter in 2016 while employed by the Chicago Cubs. Affirmation came on Aug. 31, when acting general manager Zack Scott was arrested for drunk driving hours after having attended a fundraiser at the Cohen’s house in Connecticut. The necessary changes in the organization shouldn’t exclude AlderThe Mets fired Luis Rojas after two seasons managing the team to a combined record of 103-116 son. There’s a reason why the small market Tampa Bay Rays, with far less resources than the Mets, have been vastly more successful over the past decade. The fundamental answer is the minds and baseball philosophies of those in the executive offices.

AMNEWS 10/07/21

(MLB.com photo)