Under the Radar World Series Stories – Pinstripe Alley

After nearly a week of anticipation, it's finally here: The 2024 World Series begins tonight when the New York Yankees take on the Los Angeles Dodgers at 8:08 ET. At this point you know all the important narratives. How will presumptive MVPS Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani play in their first World Series appearances? Will the Yankees win their ninth World Series against their former crosstown rivals, or will the Dodgers close the gap in their first Fall Classic matchup in 43 years? Will Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who spurned the Yankees to join Ohtani in LA, be able to hold back a battered and injured Dodgers pitching staff?

These topics have been talked about a lot, but there are still a number of narratives that have slipped under the radar – some of them, surprisingly, involving the Yankees' own rivals, the Boston Red Sox. While we wait for the first pitch, let's take a look at some of them.

Judge vs. Betts renewed

Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts should be Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, version 2.0. Since his major league debut in 2014, Betts has been one of baseball's best players. He combines an elite glove in right field with one of the most productive bats in the league and the ability to play virtually anywhere on the diamond. After a disappointing cup of coffee in 2016, Judge burst onto the scene in 2017 and became the best power hitter of his generation, one of the best pure hitters of all time – all while maintaining strong defense in right field and competence in center.

Betts and Judge were supposed to be the face of a generation of The Rivalry… but Boston refused to pay for a surefire Hall of Famer and traded him before the 2020 season. Now their paths cross again, and even though Betts is no longer the face of his team (that distinction goes to Ohtani), they go head-to-head on MLB's biggest stage.

Who will win the Betts trade?

Speaking of the Betts trade, when Boston made a deal to trade their superstar right fielder for the second time in a century, Alex Verdugo was the centerpiece of the package they received in return. In four seasons with the Red Sox, Verdugo wasn't exactly bad, but his performance left the fan base nostalgic for their former outfielder. Finally, a year before he reached free agency, the Red Sox traded Verdugo to the Yankees. While he didn't exactly play well in the regular season – his 83 OPS+ was actually the worst season of his career – Boston fans got to watch as he scored some key goals for their rivals against the Kansas City Royals in the ALDS.

Now Boston fans will have to watch their former superstar face off against the main player they received in return for that former superstar now playing for their rivals. Even though we know who they're rooting for (certainly not us), it has to leave a bad taste in their mouths – especially when the broadcast highlights the history between these players.

The first base parallels

The friendship between Anthony Rizzo and Freddie Freeman is one of the most famous baseball friendships on social media. In 2021, the Chicago Cubs caught Freeman, then with the Braves, on a rundown. As he chased him, Rizzo yelled, “FREDERICK!” at him, and the two laughed; What made the moment even better was the fact that Rizzo was on a microphone during the match.

Ten days later, Rizzo took the mound in a blowout where he faced his buddy. He got Freeman – who had four hits on the day – to a 2-2 count before taking him out with a 61 mph fastball.

Three years later, the two first basemen have left the teams with which they became legends and are now facing off against each other in the World Series. By a strange coincidence, both players have struggled with injuries – Freeman sprained his ankle in the final week of the season, an injury that sidelined him for four to six weeks in the regular season, while Rizzo suffered a knock in the week before last the hand suffered a game of the season and broke two fingers.

A chance for revenge

This one isn't nearly as fun. Around this time, some 20 years ago, Dave Roberts stole second base, and while it wasn't the only reason the Yankees didn't play in the World Series that season, it has become the symbol of the ALCS that we all know do not want to recognize collectively. While his role as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a position he has held since 2016, has become the main reason he is in the public consciousness, Yankees fans have not forgotten – or forgiven. And now, 20 years later, there is a chance to avenge the past.