First it
was MLB Network. Then Fox got in on the action. And finally, ESPN
polished off “The Weekend Part 2” by showcasing its two
local favorites and, quite frankly, the only two teams that exist in
professional baseball (they’ll recognize the Phillies come October,
however). The Red Sox and Yankees split the first two games of their
fourth series of 2011 before ESPN (for the record, this is the
official ESPN equation: NESN + YES = ESPN) got to air the rubber
match.
With the
Yankees leading the Red Sox 2-1 in the 9th, Mariano Rivera came on
and promptly blew the save as Boston forced extra innings, sending
every network executive into overjoy. When Josh Reddick – we’ll get
to him in a moment — slapped a game-winning double against Phil
Hughes and his 7.11 ERA, Red Sox Nation erupted, but likely only half
as much as ESPN. What better way to end this early August weekend
then to have one of their beloved teams breaking a first-place tie
with their other sacred club?
As for
Reddick, what I found shocking was the lack of coverage he received
after his heroics. After all, it was his first of what will likely be
many walk-off hits in a Boston uniform. I know, he’s not 4 feet tall
like Dustin Pedroia or 300 pounds like David Ortiz, but he was a
17th-round pick for crying out loud. And even more impressive, he has
the ever-mounting pressure of replacing Sox legend J.D. Drew in right
field. (Side note: Drew makes $86,000 game to essentially eat
sunflower seeds and join the victory handshakes after the game).
But Reddick
got no love. Shockingly, we didn’t find out what he ate for
breakfast, what his mother’s maiden name is, or whether he has his
pets spayed and neutered. No, instead it was all about the Rivalry,
the Fans, the Moment. The world stood still Sunday night for this
game — politics, science, and world hunger all took a backseat to
watch the Yankees and Red Sox jockey for positioning in the American
League.
Mercifully,
we the Sox/Yankees hating public are down to just six more
regular-season meetings before they inevitably clash in the ALCS.
That’s just enough time for Joe Buck and Tim McCarver to drop 154
more “grinder” references about the vaunted Red Sox lineup.
And perhaps once again remind us that we aren’t true baseball fans if
we don’t enjoy watching the Red Sox offense perform.
So here’s
hoping that if you’re as over all this as I am, you will take the
next couple months to simply spend time with your loved ones, eat
well, and generally enjoy life while baseball plummets further and
further into the black hole that is the 2011 season.
Be the first to comment on "TV’s orgasm reaches climax with Yankees-Red Sox extra innings"