Wyatt Cushman, Staff Writer |
It hasn’t felt like Spring as of late here at SUNY Oneonta, but that hasn’t stopped baseball fans from cheering on their favorite MLB teams. The first month in the MLB is usually uneventful. There are some hitters who have a ridiculously high batting average because they started the season on fire, some guys who started the exact opposite and have an average below .100, and then there are players who still haven’t played because they started the season on the Disabled List (DL). For you Mets, Red Sox, and even Yankees fans, this season has been anything but boring.
The surprise team at this point in the season is without a doubt the New York Mets. As of April 16, their record stands at 12-3, good enough for the second-best record in the majors. Starting pitching, come from behind victories, clutch hitting late in games, it all seems to be going right for the Mets right now. The last few years have been disappointing after the team won the NL Pennant back in 2015, so their fans are without a doubt trying to soak up all this early season success. The Mets starting rotation is among the best in baseball if everyone can stay healthy, which has been a problem in recent years. This could possibly be a season to remember in New York.
The Mets hold the second-best record, but the team that currently sits at the top of the standings is the Boston Red Sox. The Sox dropped their opening day game to the Tampa Bay Rays but have won 13 of their last 14 on their way to a 13-2 record. Boston’s starting rotation is proving it too is elite early on, and its offense has impressed too, including a 14-1 thrashing of the New York Yankees. That 14-1 game was no doubt fun, but what happened the next night, a game in which the Red Sox lost, may be what fans tell you has been the best game of the season so far.
During the second of three games the Red Sox and Yankees played against each other, things got heated. Red Sox utility player Brock Holt thought what originally looked to be a perfectly normal slide by Yankees first baseman Tyler Austin was a dirty one causing both benches to clear and tempers to flare. That would only be the start of it though.
Later in the seventh inning, Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly threw at the back of Austin, causing punches to be thrown between both players. Players from both benches and bullpens charged the infield and an all-out brawl ensued. Both Joe Kelly and Tyler Austin were suspended for their roles in the fight. Kelly got six games for throwing at an opposing player, and Austin got five games for charging the mound.
The Yankees and Red Sox rivalry has been virtually nonexistent since its peak during the 2003 and 2004 ALCS, but both fanbases hope it is finally back after this most recent altercation. The season is young, and most teams are still trying to get into the swing of things, but the Yankees and Red Sox may be getting ready for a season full of hatred. If you’re a true baseball fan, you’re cheering like hell for the rivalry to officially be back.
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