What It Means Seeing Red Sox In Pinstripes

That Unsettling Feeling

Teams trade with each other all the time, even rival ones, but there is something about seeing a former Red Sox player don pinstripes. It started with the great one, Babe Ruth, and has continued into recent years with the likes of Johnny Damon and Jacoby Ellsbury. I wasn’t around to deal with the pain of seeing Ruth go, but I remember the feeling of betrayal I’ve felt with the recent moves. The question is, do I have any right to feel that way, and even if I did, why is it so unsettling to see them join the Yankees in particular?

It’s hard to say if it is the rivalry, the feeling that the Yankees with all of their money can get whomever they want, or some unknown that makes me feel the way I do. As a fan I know that I have no right to complain when a player makes a move that makes financial or professional sense, but it’s the Yanks, and that makes it feel a little dirtier than going anywhere else.

It’s true with more than just the greats, or the stars, it’s even the role players. Yesterday (July 26th) I was watching an afternoon game between the Blue Jays and Yankees, and saw that Chris Capuano was the starter for the Yankees. To me, Cap is more of a Dodger or Brewer, but the fact remains that he played for the Red Sox this season, and apparently that is all it took. At first it felt a bit puzzling, then weird, and eventually just a little wrong. I watch as he takes the mound, Ellsbury takes the field behind him, and I wonder why it bothers me. He wasn’t even good for Boston, why does it matter?

That’s when the Blue Jays announcer spoke the words I couldn’t put together that summed it up perfectly, “The Yankees more or less picked up Capuano for this start.” While what the announcer meant was they were using him in this spot because of the Blue Jays lack of righties with Encarnacion and Lawrie unavailable, to me it was a testament to how the Yankees operate, and with seemingly unlimited power to spend.

Capuano was obtained by the Yanks from the Rockies for cash considerations (I was unable to find an amount unsurprisingly) and while he might make more than one start for New York, it wouldn’t shock me to see him relegated to the bullpen right away. That’s what the Yankees do, they grab a guy and throw him in, hope for the best, and if it doesn’t work out go buy another contract. I don’t blame them for having the money to do so, and I know other teams would likely do the same if they had that budget, but it feels so wrong, especially when considering how little others have to work with.

Is it fair to have a bitter taste in my mouth when I think about how the Yankees operate? Probably not. This is how they do business and they’ve had a lot of success doing it, but that doesn’t make seeing it any more palatable. Being a Red Sox fan, I guess it hits closer to home seeing someone be a part of that coming from Boston. The Red Sox, even in the bad times, have felt like a family. The Yankees feel like stockbrokers, wheeling and dealing until they either strike gold, or crash and burn. Maybe that’s just me. Thanks for reading.