Here Comes The Sun

(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo)

Tonight the ancient rivals take the diamond for the first time in over five months, and it actually counts. The real lineups are issued in, the superstars take the field, and we can begin just another baseball season.

That’s the thing, it’s not just another baseball season.

The Red Sox are defending a World Championship. They begin this giant quest to repeat against the team they embarrassed last October. And yes, I’m talking embarrassed. Whatever Yankee fans say, they never, ever believed that was possible. It happened, and now the Yankees get a chance to erase the blackboard and write a new script this season. It’s on now.

A battle of 40-year olds tonight, as David Wells is pitching the game he’s feared his entire life. When he arrived at spring training and admitted he called the Yankees to see if they were interested in him, he was still a Yankee at heart. When spring training ended, he started to come around. And as this season wears on, and Wells is taking whiskey shots with Damon and Millar, he’ll dissolve into this idiocy and become a true Red Sock. David Wells forgets things quickly.

Randy Johnson doesn’t really quite understand how huge this rivalry is, and Wells does. Unless the Yankees score tons of runs early, I think Wells and the Red Sox will prevail tonight. Boomer knows what this rivalry is about, he’s pitched huge games right in the middle of it. Remember when he came in relief in Game 7. It might take the Unit a little bit of time to get back into Cy Young form, and Wells may surprise some critics tonight.

Bottom line: Baseball is here. Baseball. Friggin Red Sox-Yankees baseball. I’m actually ready to move on, I want to defend this thing. I want the journey to begin happily, and end joyously, in Yankee Stadium. Let’s go Boomer, and let’s go Sox.