Damn Yankees

It should've been about Boston--baseball's new dynasty, after 86 years of shame. It even could've been about the Rockies and their incredible run, albeit four games short. But it shouldn't have been about the Yankees--not after they were ousted in the first round for the third year in a row. Not after Colorado went on a run for the record books. Not after their rivals swept the Rockies with more ease than a kid sweeps his garage on a Saturday morning to win their second title in four years after coming up empty for so long.

But as George Steinbrenner and strategy would have it, this postseason was overshadowed by a team that collapsed before a leaf could say, "I'm falling!" To New York's credit, this October was more bland than the playoffs should ever be. Even Jason Varitek and Jonathan Papelbon sounded like sleepwalking zombies during their post-game interviews with Fox's Chris Myers--this just after winning the World Series! Nevertheless, by blatantly stirring up enough drama to spook away even its truest fans before Halloween, the Yankees gave Boston, and baseball in general, a slap in the face.

First, it was the Joe Torre saga. Just hours before the Red Sox and Indians began game 5 of the ALCS (Cleveland holding a commanding 3-1 series lead--remember that?) on October 18, SI.com reported that Joe Torre rejected the Yankees' contract offer and would not return as their manager. One reporter even had the audacity to ask Boston manager Terry Francona for his take on the Torre situation in the wake of game 5. This as Boston is up against a wall, and Manny doesn't care, leaving Francona with more than enough to worry about for his own ballclub--Yankees be damned.

Some people might not remember how dominant the Red Sox were in overcoming the 3-1 deficit to advance to the Fall Classic. How did Cleveland fall apart so quickly? How did Boston catch fire? Wait...who cares? The Yankees were interviewing Don Mattingly, Joe Girardi and Tony Pena! It's a good thing Boston swept Colorado before the Bronx Bombers-no-more could name their next manager, even if it would violate baseball code by announcing a transaction during the World Series.

But wait, there's more. When the Yankees and Red Sox are involved, there's always more. Sunday, it came in the form of Alex Rodriguez. The AL MVP-to-be, without whom the Yankees never would have made the playoffs, just happened to opt out of his contract with New York on the day everyone knew belonged to Boston. I happened to check out ESPNews between innings during game 4. I expected the headline ESPN always places in the bottom-right corner to say something about the game--perhaps a score. After all, it was the World Series. But instead, the headline tells me "Alex Rodriguez opts out of contract with NYY. " NYY? Why must I be told about NYY when the only two teams still playing are BOS and COL?!?

ESPN The Magaine's Buster Olney points out the ironic timing:

"The way this played out could not have been more apropos, because A-Rod needs to be bigger than the game; he needs to be more important than the Red Sox or the Rockies or any other team, or any other player. He is one of the greatest players in history at compiling statistics, the greatest ever at compiling wealth, and his next employer will have to buy into that. The World Series can't matter as much as A-Rod. "

This day belonged to Boston. Try as they might to steal the spotlight, the A-Rod and the Yankees will soon see what the rest of us already know: There's a new power in baseball. It remains in the AL East, but--like baseball's biggest star--no longer in New York.

Eds. note: A-Rod, sign with the Angels and you will be excused for stealing the Sox' thunder.