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NEW YORK — They have no idea what they are going to live in the next few days. How could they?
Aaron Judge was a Little Leaguer in Linden, California, the last time the Yankees played the Red Sox in the playoffs. Gleyber Torres was a 7 year old kid in Venezuela. Brett Gardner, at least, is pretty sure to look, but the details are a bit blurry.
"I was in college," said the veteran player, "so I was probably watching in a bar somewhere".
It's even better than Luis Severino, 10 years old in the Dominican Republic when the Red Sox and Yankees played in the ALCS for a second consecutive year in 2004.
"I think that at that time, I did not even have television," Severino said Wednesday night after the Yankees rolled 7-2 against Oakland A's in the Wild Card. "I'm not even sure, but I think I've shown the highlights.It will be fun.Really fun."
This is a lot of a given. Can this match what happened when these two old rivals faced the American League pennant in a consecutive October match a decade and a half ago?
In a word: no
These two series have been so full of incredible moments that it seems absurd to measure oneself. They were, without an ounce of hyperbole, two of the most remarkable playoff clashes in the history of modern baseball.
Pedro Martinez versus Roger Clemens in the 2003 series and Martinez stunning Don Zimmer, coach of the Yankees, during a wild fight, and the managerial collapse of Grady Little, while Aaron ( Bleeping) Boone was marking home field seats.
The 2004 series had a 3-0 lead in the Yankees and Dave Roberts was dancing on the bases of the extra innings, as well as two marathon matches at Fenway, and the biggest return of baseball history with a group of " idiots ". end a curse of 86 years.
For the Yankees – or their fans – who were too young to remember: trust us. It was epic.
Five observations on the victory of the Wild Card AL
Current players do not need additional history to annoy. From the start of the 2018 campaign, this match seemed inevitable given the teams' performances. The Red Sox have won 108 games. The Yankees have won 100%. They have the two most prolific offenses in the American League.
"I think they can not wait," said Boone, the hero turned manager of the Yankees in 2003. "They are ready and taking advantage of the opportunity to compete against the best of the game this year. we know them very well, we know how good they are, we know we have to be at our best and they are very tough. "Fenway."
His Yankees were at their best in the wild card victory. Severino, their ace, dominated for four innings. They had their office, including the unpredictable previous Dellin Betances, take over from there. Sluggers Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Luke Voit contributed to the success, and even played some superb defensive games.
Still: It was Oakland, a great team that won 97 games but could not match the talent of the Yankees. Boston can. Boston does.
"They have two of the league's best pitchers in (Chris) Sale and (David) Price," said veteran pitcher CC Sabathia. "[Rick] Porcello is really good, and its top-down range is probably as good, if not better, than ours. "
Sabathia was a 23-year-old workhorse for the Cleveland Indians the last time the Yankees and Red Sox faced each other in the playoffs. He saw from afar how a series between them could generate so much intensity.
But despite all his time at pinstripes, he did not see it closely. He's going now.
"I have not played in play since I was here," said the southpaw. "I know it's going to be intense, we have the chance to finish the series now in five games to see who's the best."
Yankees-Red Sox. New York-Boston. Fourteen years is not the longest gap between post-season meetings – it was not until the 1994 realignment that the two teams could play in a playoff series – but that sounds like an eternity. It ends on Friday.
"We are ready," said the judge.
And everyone is too.
You can contact Steve Politi at the following address: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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