boys of summer

Once again, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees are locked in a battle for 1st place in the American League East.

Boston has led the division for most of the season, but has dropped to second place following four straight losses (the latest, last night to Texas, 4-2) combined with five wins in a row by the Yankees (they beat Baltimore last night, 6-4).

The two teams are always at it, and the history of the rivalry goes back a long way. Currently enjoying David Halberstam's Summer of '49, a look at the 1949 pennant race between the Yanks and the Red Sox. Joe and Dom DiMaggio. Ted Williams. Yogi Berra.

It was another time. Post WWII. All three teams (Dodgers, Giants, Yankees) were still in New York. The A's were in Philly. The Pacific Coast League was still the big league in the West.

Teams traveled mostly by train. Fans checked out the games on the radio, and scoured box scores in the newspapers. Multi-million dollar contracts and steroids were unheard of. Jackie Robinson had only recently ('47) broken the color line.

The Curse of the Bambino was in full swing.

It's late July, and there's a long way to go in this season. The Yanks and the Red Sox might battle it out until the end; Detroit is holding on to first place in the AL Central, and the Dodgers lead the NL West by nine games.

(My poor Diamondbacks sit 20 games back in the NL West.)

The Boys of Summer. Gotta love it.