NERVES

I don't know about you, but the tension of a Yanks-Red Sox series leaves me emotionally drained. And that's before the damn thing starts. It's the only time the Yanks play a team where I look for ways to avoid watching the game. I don't take much comfort in the history of the rivalry which says the Yanks will always come out on top. Instead, I always figure since the Yanks have usually won, it's about time the Sox turned the tables. But hey, I'm a pessimist by nature when it comes to these things. Especially when the Sox field as dangerous a team as they have now.

Fortunately, I'm not alone. Here is a portion of an e-mail Brian Cook, who runs the excellent Red Sox Nation blog:

I too am nervous about the series this weekend, because a Yanks sweep means 7 or 8 back going into the break, and that's going to be tough to overcome. I'm more nervous about the Sox players getting too hyped for this and squeezing sawdust out of the bat handles. The Sox always get overhyped for this rivalry - what is really like the rivalry between the hammer and the nail - and don't seem to ever play loose against the Yanks (except in 98 and 99).

Isn't this supposed to be fun? What are you kidding? Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking.

Don't forget to check out the Yankee and Red Sox blogs I have linked on the left hand side of the page, for all the varying perspectives on this classic rivalry. I can promise you, it won't be dull.