You bet your ass they do. This game? This series? It’s about a lot more than the meeting of two first places teams with eyes towards the World Series. This is the Yankees and the Mets and a three-game series in the Bronx that promises to be sizzling all weekend.

Say what you will about Shohei Ohtani and his World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, but they won’t play a single regular season series with the voltage of these three games in New York. Trust me. I live roughly half way between Dodger Stadium and Angels Stadium, and I don’t even notice when the Dodgers and Angels hook up. Dodgers vs. Giants only really matters in San Francisco, and while the Dodgers-Padres rivalry is blossoming, it’ll be another decade or so before people pay attention outside of the 619 area code.

But these three games in Gotham? They’re gonna be different.

Oh, and look at me burying the lede. There’s this guy named Juan Soto who plays for the Mets. If there’s one thing we can count on tonight, it’s that he’ll be booed mercilessly. The Bleacher Creatures had best hurry their way through the Roll Call in the top of the first, because once Soto climbs into the batter’s box, every pair of eyes in the Stadium will be trained on #22, and every set of lungs will be erupting in anger.

The Yankee haters around the country will shake their heads at entitled Yankee fans who expect every great player to want to play in pinstripes, but that’s not the problem. I could never begrudge a player’s decision to sign with the highest bidder (and unlike so many fans I don’t blame Hal Steinbrenner for drawing a financial line just a few million dollars south of the moon), but I still haven’t forgiven Soto for the manner in which he left.

The last time we saw him on our side of the field, the Dodgers were only midway through their first case of champagne and Soto was announcing that he was a free agent available to any of the thirty teams in baseball. He dutifully read from Scott Boras’s script, ignorant of the salt he was pouring into millions of open wounds. And so I’m sure he’ll be booed like few other opposing players ever have in Yankee Stadium. (Oh, and I think we can also bank “We’ve Got Grisham!” chants echoing through the park at some point, which would be nice.)

Will any of this bother Soto? Probably not. He seems to have pulled out of his early season funk, and the moment will be right, so I expect him to respond with a big series and at least two or three home runs. The question will be whether or not Yankee pitchers can limit the rest of the potent Mets lineup, and whether or not the other New York team can manage a Yankee offense that’s looking more and more like the best in baseball.

And just so I don’t finish this piece without mentioning it, Aaron Judge is pretty, pretty, pretty good.

All of this together makes for the most anticipated regular season series since the hey day of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry in the early aughts. And I can’t wait.

Let’s go, Yank-ees!

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

It’s raining again in New York this morning and that’s a good thing–boy, do we ever need the rain. The Yanks are in Texas for three games to start the week. The Rangers are the best team in baseball.

Check out this piece by Marc Carig for the Star-Ledger;  this one by Tyler Kepner on the Rangers’ general managerJon Daniels, while over at River Ave Mike Axisa looks at the Yankees rotation for the series.

[Photo Credit: Elevated Encouragement]

[Drawing by Tim Souers]

Around the dial, dig these ALDS previews, predictions and other good stuff:

First up, our man Cliff over at SI.com:

1. Three Days’ Rest
No need to speculate about when these team’s aces will pitch. Managers Jim Leyland of Detroit and Joe Girardi of New York have already announced it. CC Sabathia will pitch on three days’ rest in Game 4. Justin Verlander won’t. That’s consistent with their histories. Verlander has never pitched on three days’ rest in the major leagues. Sabathia is 3-1 with a 1.01 ERA in four regular-season starts on three days’ rest, three of which came in his final three starts of the 2008 season and helped lift the Brewers into the playoffs for the first time in 26 years. He also posted a 2.45 ERA in two quality starts on three days’ rest in the 2009 postseason, both of which were won by the Yankees on the way to their 27th world championship.

As a result, those two aces, arguably the first and fourth best pitchers in the American League this year, will only face off once in this series and will be opposed by lesser pitchers should their second starts be necessary. That also means that Doug Fister, who went a Doyle Alexander-like 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA and 11.40 K/BB in 11 games after being acquired from the Mariners at the trading deadline, will only start once, even if this series goes the distance.

2. Ivan Nova
Verlander and Fister will still start three times in this best-of-five series, which is good news for the Tigers, who were 18-3 in games started by those two since the latter’s acquisition. In two of those starts, including a potential double-elimination Game 5 against Verlander, the Yankees will counter with Ivan Nova, a rookie who was farmed out to Triple-A in July. That’s a heady assignment for a rookie, not that he hasn’t earned it. Nova went 8-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 11 starts after returning to the Yankees rotation, and really shouldn’t have been demoted in the first place (though one could argue that he returned with greater purpose and effectiveness). However, even over those last 11 starts, Nova’s peripherals have been underwhelming (5.7 K/9, 2.35 K/BB). If the Tigers’ formula for winning this series is taking the three games started by their top two starters, the Yankees’ formula for winning the series just might require winning one of Nova’s two starts against the Tigers’ big two, and if the Tigers take Game 1 behind Verlander, there’s no other way for the Yankees to win the series.

Larry Koestler at The Yankee Analysts

Brien at IIATMS

Jay Jaffe at BP

Tyler Kepner in the New York Times

Steven Goldman at Pinstriped Bible

Rob Neyer at SB Nation

And over at Was Watching Jeff F offers 25 things we didn’t know about the 2011 Yankees.

Be sure to check out these sites as well as Replacement Level Yankees, YFSF,  River Ave Blues and No Maas for all the Yankeeness you can handle.

[Photo Credit: Your Very Own Contrapasso]

I like Freddy Garcia pitching Game 3 in Comerica more than down in Texas. I like C.C. holding his own against Verlander. I like the Yankees’ offense, even if I think that Cabrera, win or lose, will be the best player in the playoffs this year.

Here’s the guy that worries me. Doug Fister. Game 2 is the series. He’s been great since joining the Tigers. But he’s got to pitch on the big stage in New York now. Still, he’s the guy that scares me.

If the Yanks win Game 2 I think they advance. If not, even if they win Game 1, I think they’ll lose.

Yanks down in Tampa for three to end the season. The Rays are fighting to make the playoffs and they need some help from the Orioles. The Yanks are looking to rest some guys and keep everyone healthy for the ALDS.

Cliff with the preview.

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Jorge Posada 1B
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C
Eduardo Nunez RF
Brett Gardner LF

Never mind the nap:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Krstnn Hrmnsn]

Yanks have a chance to make life miserable for the Sox this weekend.

Cliff’s got the preview.

Supposed to rain for the next three days.

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Andruw Jones LF
Jesus Montero DH
Russell Martin C

Never mind the galoshes:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Retrogasm]

Here’s our man Ted Berg talking Yanks-Sox with Mark Normanin:

Think it’s been weird for Sox fans to root for the Yankees? One of my Sox buddies was cheering with no problem cause he said the alternative was hockey season. Another Sox friend, however, refused to budge. I thought he just didn’t want to give me the satisfaction. Then he said, “What makes you think I want to watch these bastards anymore?”

Point taken.

A month ago, did anyone think the final series against Boston would be essentially meaningless for the Yanks? Dag.

Here’s the lineup:

Derek Jeter SS
Eduardo Nunez 2B
Mark Teixeira DH
Nick Swisher RF
Andruw Jones LF
Jesus Montero C
Jorge Posada 1B
Brandon Laird 3B
Greg Golson CF

Never mind hating the Sox, Russ:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Yanks and Rays start a four-game serious at the Stadium tonight.

Cliff’s got the preview.

1. Jeter SS
2. Granderson CF
3. Teixeira 1B
4. Rodriguez DH
5. Cano 2B
6. Swisher RF
7. Chavez 3B
8. Martin C
9. Gardner LF

Never mind the scoreboard:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

I won’t belabor the pernt but this is a game the Yankees should–and must–win. They are playing a hapless Twins team. So no excuses from Burnett. He needs to shut them down. Score Truck should take care of the rest.

Cliff has the preview.

1. Jeter SS
2. Granderson CF
3. Teixeira 1B
4. Rodriguez 3B
5. Cano 2B
6. Swisher RF
7. Jones LF
8. Montero DH
9. Martin C

No excuses. Just win, baby:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: someonethatunderstands]

Yanks in Toronto and Cliff’s got the preview.  Score truck anyone?

Alex Rodriguez won’t play tonight though he may play tomorrow or Sunday.

Meanwhile, C.C. goes for win number 20.

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Eric Chavez 3B
Jorge Posada DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

Never mind the scoreboard-watching:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: The Harsh Truth of the Camera Eye]

The Yanks will have nobody to blame but themselves if they don’t win the American League East. Yeah, they are facing Felix Hernandez tonight but you gotta figure they should win this series against the Mariners.

Cliff has the preview.

Up all night, we cheer:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Yanks are in California for three games. Must-win time for the Angels who are chasing the Rangers for first place in the AL West. Tonight gives Jered Weaver.

Cliff’s got the preview.

Never mind the beautiful setting:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: The Epiphanist]

Yanks back home to face the Jays.

Cliff’s got the preview.

Brett Gardner LF
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Robinson Cano DH
Nick Swisher 1B
Eric Chavez 3B
Andruw Jones RF
Russell Martin C
Eduardo Nunez 2B

We root:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Yanks and Sox start a three-game series in Boston tonight (yes, yes, again).

Cliff’s got the preview.

C.C.”I Got My Pride” Sabathia goes against Big John Lackey.

Brett Gardner LF
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Eric Chavez 3B
Jorge Posada DH
Francisco Cervelli C

Never mind the angst:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Whereisthecool via Je Suis Perdu]

The Yanks start a series in Baltimore tonight. They are scheduled to play five games in the next four days. I say they get a couple in, maybe three.

Cliff’s go the preview.

Here’s the line-up:

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

We’ll be around this weekend. Who knows what this weather will bring. The subways will stop running tomorrow afternoon as the city prepares for the worst. If you don’t see any updates it’s because we’ve lost power temporarily. Hopefully, it won’t come to that, although the wife did buy an ark today at Costco just in case.

Never mind Mother Nature:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Lewis W. Hine]

Bartolo “Diego Rivera’ Colon is on the mound tonight as the Yanks start a three-game series against the A’s at the Stadium.

Alex Rodriguez was a late scratch with a sore thumb. All the same, our purpose remains:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Note:  “The Watermelons” (1957) was Rivera’s final painting]