Sports

Boston massacred

Reason 8,435 for Boston Red Sox fans to hate the New York Yankees: Where the Red Sox could find no way to find a deal to bring the game's best player to Boston, New York accomplished an Alex Rodriguez trade almost over a weekend. Always incendiary, baseball relations between New York and Boston have worsened: "Sky Is Falling," cried the Boston Herald; the Globe urged fans, "Stay Calm."

So desperate was Boston to acquire the Texas Rangers shortstop that the front office was ready to ship out the heart and soul of the team, Nomar Garciaparra. Boston was close: Had it not been for what Red Sox fans will almost certainly call "union interference," A-Rod would already be wearing red.