Lately, when we ponder the profound consequences when the Yankees play the Red Sox, we always seem to do so measured against the chill of October, since that’s when the most expensive chips sit on the table.
Of course, until 1999, the Yankees and Red Sox never played one postseason inning against each other. And since 2004, they haven’t played any, even though we keep waiting for the next chapter, even as everyone from Harlem to Hyannis Port expects there to be an epic addition to the rivalry this autumn.
But the very best of these games, and these teams, often announces itself at almost exactly this part of the calendar, as the midway point of a season beckons, as the teams start to stalk each other, as the sun sizzles and the humidity barks and the tensions run high and patience wears thin.