Guest Author - David Landry
Until 2004, it was an exaggeration to call the Yankees and the Red Sox a rivalry. Rivalry implies that both teams enjoy some measure of success and there is a back and forth nature to the competition. In fact, it was nothing more than a trail of tears for the Red Sox, resulting in frustration after frustration. It’s a story that would be labeled unbelievable, if it were written by a Hollywood screenwriter.
The rivalry dates back to 1920. That’s when the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth’s contract to the Yankees. Up to that point, the Yankees had been an also-ran and the Red Sox had won five of the eighteen Word Series. The roles were quickly reversed. After selling Ruth the Sox would appear in only five more Series over the next 85 years, winning only in 2004. Babe Ruth and subsequent generations of Bronx Bombers dominated the American League for the next eighty or so years. In all, they appeared in 36 World Series, winning 26.
The Red Sox World Series drought became known as “The Curse of the Bambino” or just “the curse”. What else could explain over eighty years of frustration? There had to be a supernatural reason why the Red Sox couldn’t succeed and clearly it all started with Ruth. Or so it was often said.
I remember walking out of Yankee Stadium during the 1999 American League Championship Series and overhearing a Yankee fan say, “Hate the Red Sox? Why would I hate the Red Sox?”, then laugh heartily. This summed up the Yankee side of the rivalry - a knowledge that ultimately the Sox would fold.
They folded in 1949 when the Yanks took the last two games of the season from the Sox, robbing them of the pennant by one game. In1978 the Yanks went to Fenway for a one game playoff to decide the pennant. Bucky Dent, a guy not known for his power, hit a three run homer to bury the Sox again. Finally, in 2003 the Sox snatched defeat from the jaws of victory when Grady Little left Pedro Martinez in to pitch after he clearly had lost his stuff. Pedro blew a three run lead, setting the stage for another light hitter, Aaron Boone, to hit a 12th inning walk-off.
The rivalry became two-sided when the Red Sox pulled off an upset of historical (biblical?) proportions in the 2004 ALCS. They became the first baseball team ever to come back from a 0-3 deficit in the post season. And they did it against a lineup that included A-Rod, Jeter, Giambi, Sheffield and Rivera! Once they were down by three, it was something most Red Sox fans didn’t dare dream about. In retrospect it was exactly what was needed to exorcise their demons and reverse the curse.
In 2005 they finished in a dead heat for first place and both lost in the first round of the playoffs. In 2006, the Yankees again finished in first with the Sox in third. Again, NY fell in the first round after an embarrassing showing against Detroit. 2007 looks like it’ll be another great year for the rivalry. Both teams are loading up on free agents (Pettite, Drew, and, possibly Matsuzaka) and appear ready to bash each other with strong pitching and hitting. The winners will be the fans.
