Blue Sox Ready for Run at Fourth Straight Championship

Opposing players and managers do their best to beat them every night. Fans of other teams hate to see them win. And all are jealous of the multitude of success that only seems to grow as the years go by.

Sound familiar, Boston sports fans?

The Lexington Blue Sox are the New York Yankees of the Intercity League. It's a comparison that may be shunned in this area and perhaps even refuted because it just seems so blasphemous.

Still, even the Blue Sox agree, begrudgingly, they're the team everyone loves to hate.

"In a way we are (like the Yankees)," Lexington founder, owner and manager Rick DeAngelis said last week after the Blue Sox wrapped up the regular-season, another in which they finished atop the standings. "The analogy's a fair one in the sense that we're champions and we're repeat champions. Other people don't like the success because they want to knock whomever off the perch.

"And I like being the hunted, frankly. You're motivated. I like being the hunted because I like to compete. These guys like to compete."

DeAngelis signed the Blue Sox up for the Intercity League in 1995 and has seemed to do nothing but win ever since. The team hse seven championships in its first 15 seasons, and this summer is going for a fourth straight.

DeAngelis would love nothing more than to add fuel to the fire.

"In a good way, we're greedy," he said. "We'd like to make if four in a row."

Lexington finished the regular season a league-best 24-8, earning a first-round bye in the playoffs, which got under way on Sunday. The Andre Chiefs (19-9-3) finished second and are also sitting out the first round.

The Testa Corp. Bombers beat the Wakefield Merchants 1-0 on Sunday, while the Watertown Reds jumped out to a series lead over the Reading Bulldogs with a 3-0 decision. Both series are best-of-3.

The Blue Sox will start the tour for No. 4 mostly likely on Wednesday.

Each game they play, it seems the Blue Sox always see the other guys throw a little harder on the mound and swing harder in the batter's box all in an effort to knock off the best.

Last week, even the Reading Bulldogs' Doug Flutie couldn't help but take a shot at the number of players in the Lexington dugout. He playfully asked the Reading fans if every Lexington resident received a uniform (of which the Blue Sox have three variations).

As the game wore on, and the Bulldogs held a scant 1-0 lead, their fans openly took pleasure in watching the Blue Sox squirm under the threat of a rare defeat.

DeAngelis said he welcomes that fire from the opposition each night.

"Here's what they think: 'I want to play them because I want beat them.' Everybody wants to beat the champion," he said. "When Muhammad Ali fought, do you know anybody that didn't want to beat him?"

Once again this season the Blue Sox enter the postseason as odds-on favorites to win it all. They clinched first place on Thursday, putting them on top entering the playoffs every season since 2007.

The Blue Sox boast two of the league's top three pitchers, one outfielder in the top five in batting and another widely considered one of the league's best players.

Matt Karis has been nearly unhittable all season. He leads the league in wins with eight (no losses) and is third in ERA at 0.83. Only teammate Steve Bodnar at 0.37 and Jared Freni of Andre (0.72) are better.

Bodnar is 3-3 this season and has struck out 43 batters in 37 2/3 innings.

At the plate, Lexington has been led this season by leadoff man Pete Frates. His .375 average is good for fourth in the league. He's fourth in on-base percentage (.474), fifth in slugging (.500), fourth in hits (36) and second in runs (27).

And though he's having a down year – by his standards, at least – Dan Graham remains a feared hitter. He shared the MVP award in 2007 and won it outright last season, leading the league with a .478 average.

This season, Graham is hitting .304 with 10 RBIs in 18 games.