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BOSTON (WHDH) - The fabled AL East rivalry and the “curse of the Bambino” began in 1919 when the Red Sox owner sold slugger Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees.
After going 86 years without winning a World Series, the Red Sox’ luck changed in 2004, when the team came back from a 3-0 deficit in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) to beat the Yankees. The Red Sox went on to win the World Series that year, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in a four game sweep.
Although the Sox defeated the Yankees when it mattered most, tensions soared during their regular season games.
A benches-clearing brawl came in July of 2004 when the rivalry was at its peak — the famed fight between Alex Rodriguez and Jason Varitek ensued on the Fenway Park field.
In 2003, Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez threw Yankees’ coach Don Zimmer to the ground as fists flew. Zimmer ended up bleeding, and was taken to the hospital.
Aaron Boone then ended the Red Sox’ 2003 season with an 11th inning walk off home run in the ALCS. Boone has since returned to the Yankees as a manager, and has been at the helm since 2018.
Sox fans also experienced heartbreak at the hands of the Yankees before the turn of the century.
In 1978, Yankees short stop Bucky Dent ripped a three-run home run, giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead and eventually the win in a playoff game for the American League East title.
All time, the Yankees lead the Red Sox 1,249-1,037. In the postseason, since their first meeting in 1999, the two teams are even with 12 wins.
Recent history has gone Boston’s way. In 2018, the Red Sox beat the Yankees in the American League Division Series (ALDS) and went on to win the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Sox also won the 2021 American League Wild Card Series against the Bronx Bombers.
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