Why my productivity will be down this month

soxyanks.jpg This month I have to complete one book manuscript and fully outline the next one — but now I’m going to lose at least four, but probably seven evenings to the American League Championship Series between the Red Sox and the Yankees. David Pinto has a very amusing post outlining the recent narrative arc ...

By , a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast.
590441_1664627095_soxyanks2.jpg
590441_1664627095_soxyanks2.jpg

soxyanks.jpg

soxyanks.jpg

This month I have to complete one book manuscript and fully outline the next one — but now I’m going to lose at least four, but probably seven evenings to the American League Championship Series between the Red Sox and the Yankees. David Pinto has a very amusing post outlining the recent narrative arc of the rivalry. Over at ESPN.com, Sean McAdam lays out why, compared to last year’s ALCS, the Red Sox are better and the Yankees are worse. I agree with everything he’s written (though I think McAdam ignores the improvement in the Yankee offense with Sheffield and A-Rod representing a major upgrade over Giambi and Soriano in their lineup) — if the better team wins, then the Red Sox should cruise into the World Series in five games. Of course, being a Red Sox fan, I can easily find the vulnerabilities in the Red Sox — Schilling’s ankle, Pedro’s psyche, Manny’s goofiness, and of course the SI jinx. Besides, as Mike Bauman observes, since the start of divisional play in 1969, the same teams have played each other in the ALCS in consecutive years seven times — with the same team winning in both years of consecutive appearances every time. So, as I prepare for the stomach-churning, three final thoughts: 1) This may sound like the head of the U.S. Patent Office back in the 1890’s who allegedly said that there was nothing left to be invented, but I find it hard to conceive of how this series can top what’s happened in the past two years. Readers are invited to suggest the dramatic possibilities. 2) Is it possible that the Sox-Yankees rivalry has become so intense that neither of them will be winning a World Series anytime soon? The problem is that their playoff series are so physically and emotionally draining that they have nothing left for the World Series. The Yankees may have won last year’s ALCS, but Yankee manager Joe Torre burned through his entire pitching staff to win Game Seven, and they lost in six to the Marlins. If this series goes to seven games, it’s tough for me to picture either of them knocking off the Cardinals in the World Series [What about the Astros?–ed. With apologies to Josh Chafetz, I don’t see that happening). 3) One final semi-serious thought — the League Championship Series could reduce the political implications of tomorrow night’s debate. The Sox-Yankees will attract a national audience, and the Cardinals will grab the attention of one semi-swing state. It will be interesting to see the ratings numbers for tomorrow evening.

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner

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