HOUSTON — As weird as it sounds, Jim Leyritz can relate to the New England Patriots in some ways.
Leyritz played parts of nine seasons with the New York Yankees, winning two World Series in pinstripes, and was a member of the storied franchise at a time when it was in the midst of building a dynasty. He also provided plenty of playoff heroics, proving he was capable of thriving on the big stage.
The Patriots, of course, have built a dynasty of their own, as New England is vying for its fifth Super Bowl title since the turn of the century. No one is saying Leyritz was to Major League Baseball what Tom Brady and Bill Belichick — two all-time greats — are to the NFL, but the former major leaguer knows what it’s like to play for a consistently successful team that’s the target of other fan bases’ hate.
NESN.com’s Ricky Doyle caught up with Leyritz on Thursday on Radio Row to discuss the “us against the world” mentality that seems applicable to both the late 1990s Yankees and this century’s Patriots. The two also discussed Leyritz’s brief stint with the Boston Red Sox, what it was like to be a part of one of baseball’s most intense rivalries and whether he thinks the Patriots will defeat the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday in Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium.
Check it all out in the video above.