World Series Fever Hits Harvard

Boston might be out of the World Series, but from disgruntled Red Sox fans to native New Yorkers, many Harvard students have a stake in the latest series.

"I'll drop out if the Yankees don't win," quipped Eliot House resident Osborne A. Jackson '02.

As a result of the Subway Series between the New York Mets and New York Yankees, the rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the Yankees is finding new life on campus.

Many Boston fans, like Patrick F. Morrissey '04, are allied against the Yankees.

"I'm a Red Sox fan, so I want the Mets to win," he said.

Other students, like Geoffrey S. Harcourt '04, have taken the rivalry a step further. "As a true Bostonian, I want them both to lose," Harcourt said.

Bostonians aren't the only students who have turned against New York. Some see this year's World Series as a battle between New York and the rest of the world.

"I hope there's an earthquake in New York," said Charles D. Cheever '03, who is from Pittsburg.

"I don't like to see an all-New York World Series," said A. Nathaniel Chakeres '02, who hails from New Mexico. He cited "the obnoxiousness of New York fans" as his reason. The insults, however, run both ways. A debate on the Adams House Schmooze e-mail list, prompted by a nasty anti-Yankee e-mail message from an insult-generating computer program, has resulted in flat-out Boston-bashing.

Another issue on the table among Harvard baseball enthusiasts is the Yankees' staggering $112 million payroll, the largest in baseball.

"The Yankees are an evil team. They represent all that is wrong with sports in the late 20th century. They buy a new team every year," said Benjamin D. Mathis-Lilley '03.

This feeling is shared by many Yankee-haters, one of whom is thinking proactively. "I'm going to field a minor league team with Derek Jeter's salary," Keith R. Hahn '03 said.

Some students--mostly native New Yorkers--are even trying to get tickets to see the match in person.

Ben L. Pickard '04 is one student hoping to catch a flight to New York this weekend. He says he's excited for the subway series because "fans from each team get to interact so much more."

Other Harvard students feel left out by the New York vs. New York match-up.

"It's hard to get excited about the World Series, since it involves exactly one city," said John R. Rapaport '04, who comes from Michigan.

"I have no interest in baseball outside of city loyalty," said Elizabeth J. Quinn '04.