All the hype leading up to Tampa Bay Rays facing the New York Yankees Friday night called it an emotional match up, with the recent loss of New York’s long-time public address announcer, Bob Sheppard, and of course the death of owner George Steinbrenner Tuesday. With the Yankees in first place with the best record in baseball and the Rays only two games back, it seemed tailor-made to be a nine-inning war. With respect to both clubs and the beloved memory of these New York fixtures, there was hardly an ounce of passion on the field of Yankee stadium last night. I saw no “Win it for The Boss” effort on the field in this 5-4 win by the Yankees, but keep in mind that’s not a knock on the team. It's a bit ridiculous that the sports media felt the need to add artificial emotion to a situation with enough inherent drama: a battle for first place in the best division in Major League Baseball. It’s a baseball game, folks, not an embodiment of the legacies of great men, which stand well enough on their own.
This article appears in Jul 15-21, 2010.