Sunday Preview : A.J Burnett vs Josh Beckett

It seems that every time the Yanks and Sox get together, A.J Burnett and Josh Beckett face off. Well once again tonight on ESPN sunday night baseball the two former Marlin teammates will face each other at the stadium. Its always a good match up on paper but when its game time it turns into a slug fest. Burnett was brought to the Bronx for many reasons, one was for his dominance over the Red Sox. Well since coming to the Bronx, Burnett has had his struggles with the Sox. The same could be said about Josh Beckett, the pitcher that dominated the Yanks in the 2003 World Series. Outside of the 2003 World Series, Beckett has had his struggles against the bombers, although his record is 9-6 he has an ERA of 5.95.  So with that all said lets take a look at what tonight's game could be like, from past times that Burnett and Beckett have faced off.

April 25,2009 Fenway Park

It would be the first time that A.J Burnett would face the Red Sox wearing the pinstripes. The Yankees jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first off Beckett and didn't stop their, tacking on 4 more runs, giving Burnett a 6-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth is when Burnett would run into some trouble giving up 5 runs, and then gave up another three in the bottom of the fifth. That would be all for A.J for the day and he would leave with a line of 5 innings pitched , 8 hits, 3 walks and 8 earned runs. Lucky for A.J although he blew a 6-0 lead the Yanks would get him off the hook with a 2 run homer by Johnny Damon off Josh Beckett. Beckett would also only pitch 5 innings and gave up 8 earned runs. The Yankees managed to let this game slip away from them when the bullpen blew up just as bad as Burnett. The final was Boston 16 New York 11.

June 9, 2009 Fenway Park

The Yanks had been rolling high heading into Fenway winning 6 out of their last 8 games and managed to find themselves going into the game in first with a one game lead over the Red Sox. A.J Burnett was unable to keep the momentum going just 2.2 innings and getting knocked around for 5 runs (3 ER, 2 runs scored due to a A-Rod error). Burnett's main issue was command, walking five batters. Beckett on the other hand had no issue with command giving up just two walks and while striking out eight. Beckett had the advantage on this one and pitched like it was the 2003 World Series giving up just one hit. The final score from Fenway Park ,Boston 7 New York 0

August 7, 2009 Yankee Stadium

A year ago yesterday Burnett and Beckett faced off in a classic pitchers dual in the Bronx. Burnett pitched 7.2 scoreless innings while only allowing a single hit. Josh Beckett was also matching zero's pitching seven innings, giving up just four hits and zero runs. Many Yankees fans remember this game because the game would go on for 15 innings ! Finally the bombers prevailed when Alex Rodriguez hit a 2 run home run off Junichi Tazawa to deep left field. The final Yankees 2 Red Sox 0

August 8 , 2010 Yankee Stadium

So tonight's game could go either way. We have seen the pair toss up zero's, but also get roughed up. Some players that each pitcher has to watch out for tonight.

A.J Burnett has struggled against : Marco Scutaro is hitting .316, and David Ortiz has 3 home runs and 8 RBI

Josh Beckett has struggled against : Robinson Cano .341,3 HR, 10 RBI , Derek Jeter .314 2 HR , 4 RBI and Alex Rodriguez .279 2 HR 10 RBI.

How is Yankees - Dodgers a rivalry?

While watching the Yanks-Dodgers Friday night , Michael Kay said something that left me scratching my head (seems like i say that alot with him). Kay mentioned how the Yanks and Dodgers are rivals. I understand with Joe Torre and Don Mattigly both being Yankee royalty once and now wear the Dodgers blue that some may feel this is a rivalry. There are two sides to every story and there are two sides to every rivalry, so lets break it down on why it should and should not be considered a rivalry.







Reasons why it is a rivalry

• 
  The pair of teams have faced off in 66 games in the World Series. The Yankees hold the lead 37-29.






• The rivalry began in Brooklyn before the Mets were around, this was the real subway series.






• In 1955 the Dodgers finally beat the Yankees in seven games. One of the more famous plays from that series is Jackie Robinson stealing home. Yogi Berra to this day claims that Robinson was out.






• The Yanks and Dodgers were two of the best teams during the late 70's. They faced off against each other in the World Series in 1977 and 1978. The Yankees would win both meeting.






• The Dodgers got there revenge on the Yanks in the 1981 World Series winning the series 4-2.






• The final reason and the most recent is Joe Torre agreed to become the Dodgers manager ,signing a three year deal. Once Torre left the Yankees he brought coaches Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa with him.

Reasons why it is not a rivalry

• The Dodgers are no longer in Brooklyn, what was once the original subway series now does not matter since the Mets are the Yankees city rivals.






• They only play each other once every few seasons during interleague play. At one point the teams did not face each other from the 1981 World Series till 2004.






• The last time they played each other in the post season was 1981.






• The younger Yankees and Dodgers fans have not seen them play against each other and have never experienced the rivalry.

With all that being said I feel that this was at one time a great rivalry. But that's if you lived to see them play each other when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn. During that time it was a match up between borough and even during the late 70's many of the fans could still remember the Dodgers,Brooklyn roots. But when the teams don't face each other in the post season in 29 years and have only faced each other in two regular season series since then it can't be called a rivalry anymore.

The Yankee Years : Jeff Weaver Edition

While the Yankees take on Joe Torre and the Dodgers this weekend, I though that it would be a good time to look back on the only Ex-Yankee on the Dodgers Jeff Weaver.

In July 2002 the Yanks looked to make a trade for a starting pitcher. In part of a three way trade including Oakland and Detroit, the Yanks acquired Weaver and traded away Ted Lilly. Looking back the trade was an overall mess, the Yanks got rid of Lilly who would go on to be a decent pitcher and Oakland traded away Jermey Bonderman who has had his struggles in the majors but has also showed flashed of greatness at time (Ex:2006). Once Weaver was a Yankee he would go back and fourth between the bullpen and the rotation.

In Weavers first start as a Yankee he faced the Boston Red Sox and gave up 5 homers yet got a no decision, this game can still be seen time to time on the YES Network as a Yankee Classic (Not because it was Weavers first start,but because Jorge Posada drew a walk off walk).

To start the 2003 season Weaver had to battle Jose Contreras for the 5th starters job. Weaver would win the job, but pitched poorly during the regular season and would be moved back to the bullpen. Weaver never looked confident out on the mound, after giving up a home run or an error was committed by a fielder, Weaver would often fall apart. Most of the season Weaver would get booed off the mound at home but it would get worse for Weaver.

Weaver had been left off both the ALDS and ALCS rosters during the 2003 postseason but was on the World Series roster. In a vital game 4, Weaver came into an extra inning game and pitched a scoreless inning of work, Torre liked what he saw and sent him out there for a second inning of work even though Mariano Rivera was out in the bullpen. Weaver would surrender a game winning home run to light hitting Marlins shortstop Alex Gonzalez. The Marlins never looked back and would go on to win the series. This would be Weavers final pitch as a Yankee.

Although Yankee fans never seemed to like Weaver, i think that they would have loved to keep him if they could predict the future. In the 2003-2004 off season Weaver was traded to the Dodgers for Kevin Brown.