ESPN ruins Yankees fans' lives with Sunday Night Baseball flex announcement

When it was believed ESPN would be relinquishing the rights to MLB games starting next year, fans rejoiced. Just about everybody was sick of the coverage, and New York Yankees fans fell among that group.

Why? Well, mostly because the Yankees stink on ice during nationally televised games, but the fact ESPN relentlessly schedules Yanks-Red Sox in the primetime slot is nauseating. General baseball fans are sick of it. Yankees fans are sick of it. (Red Sox fans might not be, but we can at least understand that.)

On Thursday, ESPN did it again. Originally scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 24, the game between New York and Boston will be moved to 7 p.m. and broadcast by the Worldwide Leader in Sports.

This time, at least, it's somewhat reasonable. The Yankees (61-54) are freefalling out of a playoff spot while the Sox (64-51) have surged to claim the AL Wild Card lead. The series in two weeks will undoubtedly have postseason implications.

Good for the average viewer. Good for Red Sox fans. Absolute hell on earth for Yankees fans, who dread these games at every turn, much like they did earlier this year when New York lost both games on FOX and the other on Sunday Night Baseball. They're 1-5 against Boston this year, which is making the difference in the current playoff picture.

ESPN flexes Yankees vs Red Sox into Sunday Night Baseball for Aug. 24

The timing just couldn't be worse. Aaron Judge is hobbled at the moment and limited to DH duties (which still might be the case by the time this series comes around). Not to mention, maybe one or two pitchers on the staff can properly execute right now.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox have won nine of their last 11 and signed star rookie Roman Anthony to a massive contract extension that seems to be right in line with how they've shrewdly been handling the rest of their core. The Yankees? They'll yet again have a ton of roster turnover when the offseason arrives and will piece everything back together half-heartedly.

It is what it is. Yankees fans are used to it by now. They get their lunch money stolen from them by their rivals, and until they turn the tides. nobody is going to look forward to these meetings.

At least we got Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz from the Red Sox in the offseason Carlos Narvaez trade, we guess.