It all began in 1920, when one man would start a rivalry between two teams. Those two teams would build up their rivalry to have the strength to go on for what’s been 90 years.
Who would have thought that the trade of one of the most prolific baseball players to ever play the game had the power to start something that would continue even after he was six feet under?
USA Today has called it “the fiercest rivalry in sports.” My most memorable moments as a Red Sox fan were when this rivalry was expressed. The instances that stand out in my mind are, well of course their bench-clearing fights.
I thought I would just go through some occurrences that make up what we know today as Red Sox/Yankee baseball:
27 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment
Ron Johnson about 1 year ago
Truth be told: The rivalry has lost some luster due to the fact that they are no longer fighting fire with fire. However, thanks to Ol' Hank, the rivalry will sure return to those glory days. And hopefully, I will see more brawls on the field between the players instead of at the bar with fans who just want to fight each other. Well researched piece though.
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Steph Rockwood about 1 year ago
Fights are sure to break out in my journalism classes this year. One of my profs is a Red Sox fan (good man) and we are sure to be talkin' as the season begins ... during the middle ... and in October.
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Tom about 1 year ago
July 24, 2004 Bill Mueller won the game with a home run. I was there.
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bernie carbo 8 months ago
wow that tard thought it was gabe kapler. he was kool but he was no bill mueller
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Tom about 1 year ago
July 24, 2004, Bill Mueller won the game with a walk-off, not Gabe Kapler. I was there.
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Tom about 1 year ago
Ooops, Didn't mean to post it twice!
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Ron Johnson about 1 year ago
Play nice, Tom. That's my girl you're messing with.
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Ted Williams about 1 year ago
The rivalry will always exist as long as Yankees fans have the sense of entitlement and arrogance.
Yeah were arrogant now but it's tempered with the decades of disappointment, The colossal disappointments we endured.
Now we got it right and were able to get back at those who mocked us by winning.
Hate us because we have functional ownership, a minor league system that works and a fan base that will be there when we suck and when we sweep two World Series.
The Nation is strong, unified, angst ridden but loyal.
Go Sox
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Pete Cole about 1 year ago
The Yankess stuff is falling apart like a cheap suit. I see how they dominated with their chemically fueled antics. I remember a game (I think 04) when steroid poster boy Clemmons threw a broken bat at someone and tried to pretend it didn't happen, kinda like his preformance on capitol hill of late.
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Max Iascone about 1 year ago
it was in 2000 during the subway series between the mets and yanks the hitter was Mike Piazza
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Louise Richer about 1 year ago
Why aren't tne RED SOX not one of your popular teams?If you live in New England they sure are.
If tje yankees didn't use steroids they would be bottom of the list, because they SUCK.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
Re: Hank, son of George. The nut sure didn't fall far from that tree!
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mike spamalot about 1 year ago
steph great article.................WILL YOU MARRY ME?
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Steph Rockwood about 1 year ago
haha ummm ... ill get back to you on that one lol.
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Max Iascone about 1 year ago
very nicely written if not a bit slanted, you forgot to mention exactly how the rivalry started, former owner Harry Frazee selling ruth (best player in baseball maybe even ever) so he could finanace his girlfriend's broadway production of "No No Nanette" not kidding thats how stupid Frazee was
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Bryan Milward about 1 year ago
Frazee didn't sell Ruth to finance a musical, its been proven false several times. He sold him because Ruth was demanding double his current salary and threatened not to play until he got it. Frazee got fed up and sent him to New York and the rest is history
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Steph Rockwood about 1 year ago
i knew that ... i cant even count how many books i read about the situation.
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Mike Salerno about 1 year ago
QUITE slanted considering she forgot the following things:
October 13, 1999- Bernie Williams hits a 10th inning walk-off home run off Rod Beck to win Game 1 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium. I was at this one, try and beat that Tom.
July 1, 2004- Probably the greatest Yankees-Red Sox regular season game ever (outside of teh 1978 one-game playoff, that is). "Jeter makes the catch, AND DIVES INTO THE STANDS!" -Michael Kay. John Flaherty's double wins it in the 12th inning.
June 6th, 2006- Melky robs Manny of an 8th-inning game tying home run at Yankee Stadium right in front of Monument park. Manny stops dead in his tracks around 1st base stunned. Yankees win 2-1.
September 2006- The Boston Massacre, Part II. I was very surprised you missed this one. With the Yankees holding a slim lead in the division, they went up to Boston for a make-or-break rare five game series in Beantown. The Yanks took all five games, crippling the Red Sox' dreams of a division title.
Seems like you've done a lot of research about the history of these two teams, but you forget some important events that took place recently. Decent article. It's ok to be biased one way, just keep all the facts straight.
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Steph Rockwood about 1 year ago
if you havent noticed this site is full of biased articles ... thats mainly the point ... that way people get to read stuff that relates to them ... i included everything that was necessary ...
i rest my case.
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Steph Rockwood about 1 year ago
ur a yankee fan, thats y your bein sour.
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Mike Salerno about 1 year ago
true, but im hardly being sour. lol. i have no problem with biased articles at all. in fact, my favorite writer by far is bill simmons, a die-hard red sox/pats/celtics fan. i just think the "rivalry" has been somewhat misrepresented in your article, at least in the past decade. granted the sox clearly have the upper hand, but this is probably the 1st season they'll be going in as the favorites for the AL east crown with the yanks a close second...as opposed to the past 10 years where it was the opposite. the yankees haven't been up to "their caliber of play" i guess simply because we haven't won the world series in seven years. nobody holds themselves to such a high standard, and the biggest threat to "RED SOX NATION" is still the "Yankee Universe." i'd say the rivalry is as alive as ever since 2004. besides, im not quite sure you can call it a rivalry if one side always wins.
the only difference in the past few years is that the animosity has cooled significantly. but the next time Joba throws high and tight to a sox player like he did to youkilis last season, (or vice versa) look for it all to come flying back in a hurry.
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
i don't understand where red sox fans get the idea that they're a humble bunch of saints. I've lived in Boston for the past couple years and not only are they arrogant, but unnecessarily violent. I was there for the 2007 win in kenmore and people literally fought each other and flipped cars for no reason. Riot police were called in and had beat charging fans away. Boston fans have some preconception that liking the yankees insults the entire city of Boston, which is incredibly stupid. Guys have tried to fight me on multiple occasions b/c they told me my yankee hat insulted their town and their pride. Vendors have flat out refused to serve me for the same reason. Get a grip sox nation, it's baseball. The players don't play for you, they play for the seven figure contracts they signed so they can finance their three homes in the Dominican Republic. It's fine to have pride in your town and team, but sox fans take it to such an uneccessary level it's disgusting. Of course, same can be said for some yankee fans, but the universal sentiment in boston makes the city look like a bunch of idiots.
O, and you forgot Bucky fuckin' Dent and Aaron Boone
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Steph Rockwood about 1 year ago
wow, its just an article, get a hold of yourself ... i think you are the one a little out of control right now.
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JOe Smith about 1 year ago
What ??? NO mention of Pedro kicking Don Zimmer's butt during another Yankees - Boston Red Sox bench clearing brawl??
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jared farber about 1 year ago
Where is the Aaron Boone walk-off. Also the Joba-youkalis incident. I live in Cincinnati, and attend Youkilis's high school. of course everyone was talking about it the next day. If that can start controversy in Cinci it must have started something in Boston and the Bronks.
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Ron Johnson about 1 year ago
I guess you want a cookie for living in the most OZ-like city in the NFL? And now you want to throw in Youkilis's name in the mix? What a load of BS!
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Emily Rose about 1 year ago
I thrive on this rivalry truth be told. The players want you to think that it's all fan based but those facts prove that it's not entirely. Great article, I enjoyed it immensely! I'm excited to see what's going down in 2008 for these two teams!
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