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Two Baseball Writers Discuss the World Series

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from: Rob Neyer
to: Rany Jazayerli

Wake Me When It Starts 

Updated Friday, Oct. 26, 2001, at 3:49 PM ET

Who are these people?

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Rany:

The World Series is The World Series, and I assume that I’ll be excited about this year’s edition somewhere in the neighborhood of 5:20 Pacific Time Saturday night.

But I’m not there yet. And it’s not because I begrudge the Yankees their success. Rather, I’m just bored with them. Yes, I know that Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada are truly great players. I know that Mariano Rivera is certainly the best post-season relief pitcher of all time, and I know that Roger Clemens might be the greatest pitcher since Walter Johnson, at least.

But we’ve seen them all before, right? Aside from switching out Luis Sojo for Alfonso Soriano, the typical Yankee lineup this October is the same as the typical Yankee lineup last season. The starting pitchers are the same, except Mike Mussina has replaced Denny Neagle. The top relievers are the same, except Ramiro Mendoza has replaced Jeff Nelson.

There just isn’t anything fun about the Yankees, you know? One could, I suppose, argue that this year’s Yankees are different because they’re playing for a city that’s still recovering from Sept. 11. Fair enough. But does this make them interesting? Not really. The Yankees are fanatically followed every year, not just this one. And quite frankly, doesn’t the media find a reason, every year, to sentimentalize the Yankees? One year Joe Torre’s brother was sick, another year Torre himself was sick, another year Darryl Strawberry fell off the wagon (again), another year Mel Stottlemyre was sick ... I know I’ve got these in the wrong order, and some of them probably happened in the same year, but you get my point. I’m sorry, but I’m never going to be able to feel sorry for the Yankees, no matter what happens to them.

People used to say that rooting for the Yankees was like rooting for U.S. Steel. Now it’s like rooting for Microsoft, and I just won’t do it.

Rob

sports nut
entries
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
from: Rob Neyer
to: Rany Jazayerli

Wake Me When It Starts 

Updated Friday, Oct. 26, 2001, at 3:49 PM ET
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Rob Neyer is a senior baseball writer with ESPN.com and his latest book is The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers. Rany Jazayerli is a writer for the Baseball Prospectus.
Photograph of Bob Brenly by Mike Blake/Reuters.
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