The 2006 Yankee-Red rivalry begins at 7 p.m. in Fenway. The brief two-game series will be a memorable one.

Tim Wakefield is on the mound tonight. If the wind here is similar to what can be expected in Fenway, then the knuckleball will work well. However, Josh Bard better have his running shoes on - ready to sprint to the backstop for any passed balls.

Wake has had some success against New York. Those that he has faced before hit a collective .242 against him.

He'll need to keep Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon off the basepaths to enjoy success. Gary Sheffield has been a menace too, but his hand injury should keep him out of the lineup.

Over the weekend, I said goodbye to Damon. I traded him from my fantasy team in an effort to rid myself of a Yankee curse.

It had nothing to do with his ability. Since the minute I won the bidding war, I regretted my actions.

How could I have a Yankee on my team? His presence has kept me idle in 12th position in a 15-team league.

I can't say I got equal value, but I couldn't have him on the team when the Yankees arrived today.

And that USAToday's Sports Weekly article, tipped the scales.

While I typically hate to see "Yankees suck!" t-shirts and other questionable sayings found on gear around the ball yard, I truly wish I had a "Looks Like Jesus, Acts Like Judas, Throws Like Mary" tee right about now.

Damon has become the story. The Boston Herald says it hurts to see him; FoxSports.com calls him the new Benedict Arnold; Boston Globe's Bob Ryan previews the game and Damon's return; the Associated Press distributed an article "Damon: old friend, new enemy." Still more articles througout the nation, make today's meeting noteworthy.

In one such article, Joe Torre suggests that cheers for Damon will outweigh the boos. Don't bet on it. He is sure to get a mixed reception.

Every Red Sox fan knows what the centerfielder brings to his club. He has been on fire lately, perhaps gearing up for his return. He had two home runs on Saturday and went 3-for-4 on Sunday.

I will not boo, I will not cheer, I'll simply hope that the Sox take some chances against his weak arm.

Go Sox!

E-mail this entry to a friend