ARE YOU SERIOUS?

Another year, another Subway Serious. The Yanks open a three-game set at Shea tonight, but what with all the rain we've been getting here in New York, it's hard to figure if they'll get all of the games in (we could be looking at some day-at-Shea, night-in-the-BX-double headers next weekend). What we do know is that Jeff Weaver won't be pitching tomorrow because yesterday's game was called off. That sure was curious because it rained a whole lot more last Friday when Rocket Clemens pitched against the Cards. What gives? Lee Sinins hits the nail on the head when he writes:

Yesterday's Devil Rays-Yankees game was called, not because of rain, but due to the Yankees not wanting to play.

There was minimal rain, which stopped right after the game was called. I live about 45 or so minutes from Yankee Stadium and the weather here is always the same as it is there. I went out around the time when the game was called and I actually got wetter the previous day when I accidentally spilled some water on my socks while I was bringing it to the microwave to make coffee. While the Yankees claim the weather reports said the weather was going to be really bad during the afternoon, (1) the team is not known for getting bad weather reports and (2) the Yankees have proudly boasted of having a state of art drainage system that they claim means games only have to be called in the most extreme situations.

So, why was the game called? The Yankees didn't want Jeff Weaver to have to pitch against the Mets. By calling yesterday's game, Andy Pettitte (who's having a terrible season himself) gets moved into today's start and Weaver gets to be skipped.

This isn't the first time the Yankees have done this, so it would be silly for us to assume they aren't going to go it again in the future.

For pulling a stunt like this, yesterday's game should have been forfeited to the Devil Rays.

Jeff Weaver might get to pitch this weekend after all, because Antonio Osuna has been placed on the DL again with a strained groin. Andy Pettitte will pitch tonight against Steve Traschel. (Excited yet?) Mike Mussina squares off against Tom Glavine tomorrow and Mr. Seo goes against Boomer on Sunday night. Once again, the pressure is squarely on the Yankees because they are the better team. The Mets? They really having nothing to lose. Yankee fans get to worry about losing to a last place team and getting abused for it, while Mets fans may expect to lose and take the abuse that they are all too familiar with. However if the Mets take two-of-three, let alone a sweep the Yanks, many Mets fans will act like their team has won the World Serious. The last thing Joe Torre wants to deal with losing to the Mets and facing his Boss.

What really marks the 'rivalry' this year is just how many faces have changed for the Metroplitans.

It's hard for me to get up for these games. Like most Yankee fans I just don't want the Bombers to lose the series (no team has ever swept a series). But I don't derive any special pleasure when the Yanks beat the Mets, nor do I get up for talking trash with Mets fans. I just hope it's over as quickly and painlessly as possible. Who knows, maybe we'll get a couple of good games out of it. Maybe Reyes or Soriano will do something exciting. But I'm expecting a whole lot of rain, and a whole lot of mud.

On that upbeat note, I hope everybody has a great weekend.