The first time the Rays and Yankees played this season was April 9th at Tropicana Field. Both had taken two of three in their first series and were eager to keep the early season momentum rolling. This game was significant for two reasons. First, I was watching it from the right field bleachers and it happened to be my birthday. It was the first Major League game I’d been to in a while and there is no better way I could have brought in my new year. The second, arguably greater, significance behind this April matchup is that with less than a dozen games left to play these two teams still find themselves separated by only a half game for the National League East crown.
This Thursday the squads finished their last regular season head-to-head series. Tampa Bay won in a 10-3 blowout and Carl Crawford had three hits while four other Rays had multi-hit performances. This split the series 2-2 and cut the Yankees’ lead to under a game. More importantly, it also gave Tampa Bay a 10-8 season series lead in what is the first tiebreaker should they end the regular season in a tie. These two teams have been sitting atop the NL East all season long and both are going to make it to the playoffs, but this edge would give the Rays home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
Other than both closing in on 100 wins for the season, these two teams don’t have a lot in common. Some of that difference is represented through each team’s roster. The Yankees are notorious hired guns, from the highest-paid man in sports on down. The Rays, on the other hand, have the 21st ranked payroll in baseball. The Yankees play in the world’s biggest market and therefore are always the talk of the town. The Rays have little following, even in their home town of St. Petersburg, and the owner has threatened to move the team due to poor attendance.
Then there is each team’s respective leader. The Yankees are captained by shortstop Derek Jeter, perennial all-star and frequent fan favorite, even for many who otherwise despise the Yankees. Jeter has kept his nose clean throughout most of his career and has as good of baseball instincts as anyone who’s ever played the game. Jeter is also especially popular in Tampa Bay, where his Yankees hold spring training and where a large Northeastern snowbird population gathers during cooler parts of the year.
But in their last meeting before the most recent series, Jeter upset a lot of Tampa fans with his sell-job on the ball that hit the cap of his bat. Rays fans were rightfully upset, but I have to give Jeter credit for earning his hit-by-pitch. As a former umpire, I can understand how the blue missed it and I also appreciate the effort Jeter put forth to convince him. Many fans didn’t see it that way and cries of “Derek Cheater” have been ringing out through the streets of St. Petersburg.
The Rays are led by third baseman and all-around cool dude Evan Longoria. I’ll admit I’m biased though; Longo is a friend of the site and was kind enough to give us a few minutes of his time earlier this year during the All-Star break out in Southern California. At that point the Rays were within two games of the Yanks and when asked what he thought about the face-off coming down the stretch he said, “The Yankees are gonna continue to be good, and we know that… We just can’t keep looking up at them and worrying what they’re doing. You know, we just gotta worry about what we do every day and just play the game hard.” At only 24 years old, Longo answers like a seasoned vet, one who already understands the importance of team confidence and grinding it out every single night for the course of the season. This guy knows what it takes to lead a team, even up against New York’s million-dollar mercenaries.
That game back on April 9th the Rays won 9-3 and it was a sign of good things to come. Breakout ace David Price got his first win of the season and both Carlos Pena and Willie Aybar hit homeruns over my head in right field. It also set the tone for Evan Longoria and his band of underdogs: they weren’t going to be intimidated by the pinstriped veterans or their championship rings and banners. That aggressive attitude has never waned and going down the final stretch don’t look for any of Longo’s boys to be backing down.
Home-field advantage could still go either way, but the Rays definitely have the advantage in playing their last three series against Seattle, Baltimore, and Kansas City while the Yankees matchup six more times with their historical nemesis, the Boston Red Sox. Even though they are out of contention this year Boston can always take some solace in spoiling the Yankees finish, so they will playing hard down to the last out. The division title will be decided by whoever wants it more, but what would be really exciting would be if these two teams pair up somewhere down the road in the American League playoffs. Whether you’re a Yankee or Rays lover, hater, or somewhere in between, that is the kind of drama any sports fan should be rooting for.
