Original sentence: Frustrated after being outbid for pitcher Jose Contreras prior to the 2003 season, Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino even went so far as to dub the Yankees the "Evil Empire," a characterization that is primarily popular among Red Sox fans.In October 2003, the Yankees defeated their long-time rival the Boston Red Sox in a tough seven-game ALCS, which featured a near brawl in Game 3 and a series-ending walk-off home run by Aaron Boone in the 11th inning of the final game, only to be defeated by the Florida Marlins - a team with a quarter of its payroll - in the World Series, 4 games to 2.In the 2004 American League Championship Series against the Red Sox, the Yankees became the first team in professional baseball history, and only the third team in North American pro sports history, to lose a best of 7 series after taking a 3-0 series lead, a particularly ignominious way to lose to their bitter rivals.It is a heated debate whether the Yankees' free-spending is positive or negative for baseball, and whether a strict salary cap would make the sport fairer and increase parity among the large-market and small-market teams
Edited sentence: Because of their perceived willingness to do anything and spend any amount for a championship, the Yankees are sometimes referred to as the "Evil Empire" (they have also been occasionally referred to as the "Mafia").In October 2003, the Yankees defeated their long-time rival the Boston Red Sox in a tough seven-game ALCS, which featured a near brawl in Game 3 and a series-ending walk-off home run by Aaron Boone in the 11th inning of the final game, only to be dominated by the Florida Marlins - a team with a quarter of its payroll - in the World Series, 4 games to 2.In the 2004 American League Championship Series against the Red Sox, the Yankees became the first team in professional baseball history, and only the third team in North American pro sports history, to lose a best of 7 series after taking a 3-0 series lead.It is a heated debate whether this phenomenon is positive or negative for baseball, and whether a strict salary cap would make the sport fairer and increase parity among the large-market and small-market teams.This "feat" has been recognized as one of the worst and most embarrassing chokes in sports history