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Some old faces returning to Fenway »
October 9, 2007
In the back of their minds, the Red Sox were thinking that once again it would be Boston versus New York in the ALCS, reprising a confrontation that took place most recently in 2003 and 2004.
"Yeah, it is a little weird. Every year we seemed to be playing the Yankees," said the Sox' David Ortiz. "That's our rival.
"It's not that we wanted to play the Yankees. (Forget) that. They play really good against us," said Ortiz of the Yanks, who won the season series, 10-8.
"I'm not saying Cleveland won't (play well against the Sox), but we have a better record against Cleveland (5-2) than the Yankees. Cleveland has a really good team, really good pitching. That's the difference between them and the Yankees. Cleveland played better than the Yankees. That's why they got to this level."
So, is it weird not to have to go through New York to get to the World Series?
"I don't know," said a smiling Dustin Pedroia, Boston's rookie second baseman. "I've never gone through the Yankees."
And neither he nor the rest of the Red Sox will have to do so this year.
-- Steven Krasner
Posted by Steven Krasner 
at 2:19 PM | Permalink
