This is one of the most intense rivalries in the world of sports. The Yankees and the Red Sox in a nutshell hate each other very much. From 1901 until now there have been legendary games and baseball would not be understood without their clashes.
They have faced each other on more than 2,300 occasions and there has been everything. Fights, legendary victories, player swapping, well, this rivalry of more than 100 years is one of the best in the world and not only in baseball but in sports.
This season, the Yankees are remembering what it’s like to be a championship team, and they are playing very well and aiming to enter October as one of the favorites. That’s why going to bookmaker-ratings.net.za is a very good idea to bet on them at the best sites with the highest odds.
The beginning of hatred
The rivalry is not only a sporting one. The contempt between the two cities began in the American Revolution. Boston was seen as the powerhouse and the center of the United States, but New York began to surpass them, and that made there was a kind of resentment.
Boston always saw New York as inferior and dirty, so their climb up the ladder to the elite made their hatred plenty. Fast-forward to 1901. The Red Sox were the most dominant team in MLB and were already the best on the planet by winning the first World Series in 1903.
They were unrivaled, in fact, there was no such thing as the Yankees who at the time were known as the Baltimore Orioles. Obviously, when they became the New York Yankees, there was already that old Boston bitterness that was evident in their clashes.
The Red Sox dominated that era, and the Yankees were no match, but they had a small moment of glory when in 1917 in a league game Yankee pitcher George Mogridge threw a no-hitter at Fenway. The first ever for the Bronx, and an offense for the Sox.
The Curse of the Bambino
Everything would change in 1916 with one of the most controversial decisions in sporting history. Babe Ruth, at the time one of Boston’s best players, was traded to the Yankees to finance a musical play that no one remembers.
From that moment on the New York Yankees became the best team in the MLB, they were unmatched. El Bambino exploded in Yankee garb, while the Red Sox plunged into a mediocrity that lasted for many, many years.
With The Babe, the Yankees won 4 World Series, was the most valuable player, and the 1924 home run champion. He became a Yankees legend, who ended up retiring his number.
The Red Sox won their last World Series in 1918 with Ruth in their ranks, and since he was let go they went through a long period of obscurity and inexplicable failures. In lore, this era is called the Curse of the Bambino. Letting go of your best player who gave you results was something that took almost 90 years to recover from.
The return of the Red Sox
The Yankees became a baseball dynasty, the best came, and they had legendary teams like the Murderers Row, who hit whatever they threw at them. Teams with Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, were so successful that they brought in Roger Maris who ended up breaking Ruth’s record, basically everyone wanted to play for the Yankees.
While the Red Sox had to watch their bitter rivals win World Series and American championships while they failed at every attempt, and when they faced each other they came out on top.
But as they say, no evil lasts 100 years, well in this case it lasted 86. In 2004 Boston managed to celebrate in the face of their great rival. In the 2004 American League Championship, a surprising Red Sox faced the Yankees to see who would go to the World Series.
The Yankees were the favorite and one of the best teams in the majors, while Boston entered as a wild card and would end up facing their arch-rivals in the AL championship.
It all started as expected. New York dominated and won the first three games. One more and they were in another World Series. Boston was defeated, and once again the evil empire was crowned right under their noses.
But on October 17, 2004, in Boston, a heroic Red Sox came back in the last inning to tie the game at 5 and send it to extra innings, where they won. Momentum shifted and the Yankees never recovered. Boston went on to win the next 4 games to pull off one of the most impressive comebacks in sports history.
No one had ever won the ALCS after losing the first three games and the Yankees had never come back from such a big deficit, the Red Sox did it and made it to the World Series, something they had not done since 1986, and to this day no one has been able to come back from that lead, a series never to be forgotten.
In the World Series, the demons of the curse of the Bambino appeared, but against all odds the Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals and buried forever that stigma they had, besides after the epic against their hated rival, the 2004 World Series will be the sweetest of all.
Power shift?
Since their 2004 victory, Boston has won 3 more World Series. The Yankees have only been able to lift the trophy once. The Red Sox has been more dominant in recent years as the Bronx are rebuilding, and the Sox are already a serious MLB power.
But with all this current period, that is all Boston. The Yankees dominate by far with 1250 wins. Obviously, the sporting success of the Bronx Bombers is unmatched. 27 world series against 9. Unbeatable.
But in a curious fact, they have faced each other 24 times in the postseason, and they are very evenly matched. 12 victories per side. In this we refer to the games, because they have faced each other in the AL championship three times and the Yankees have the upper hand with two wins.
But in 2018 the Red Sox won the divisional series and in 2021 the wild card game. This puts them at an advantage in decisive moments and confirms this recent great era of Boston.
There is no doubt that this rivalry crosses borders and is one of the best in the world. It’s up there with Boca vs River from Argentina, Real Madrid v Barcelona from Spain and Cowboys v Steelers from the NFL. Who is your favorite, Yankees or Red Sox?