New York Yankees – Boston Red Sox Rivalry – Part 2
The next time that the Red Sox and the Yankees came face-to-face on the field was watched under the scrutiny of 70,000 people who were mainly there to witness what went down between the two rivals. Sadly, for the Red Sox fans the Yankees took the lead once
again and beat them 4-1.
Other exchanges between the teams took place when pitcher Red Ruffing joined the Yankees after being traded by the Red Sox in the 1930s. Ruffing was barely an average player during his time with the Red Sox but with the Yankees, he flourished like no one
expected him to and was inducted to the prestigious Hall of Fame after winning six World Series Championships with them.
A fight broke out on the field between the Red Sox player-manager Joe Cronin and the Yankees outfielder Jake Powell, which led to both of them being suspended for 10 games and being fined as well.
The rest of the years continued with the Yankees stealing the spotlight not only from the Red Sox but many other teams as well. The Red Sox barely made it to the pennants so not many encounters with the Yankees occurred, there were times when the Yankees
were struggling as well, especially when they had their 18 year title less drought. But come 2004 and everything changed.
2004 was the year when the Red Sox won a nail biting series against the Yankees. Their first game was widely anticipated and it was broadcast on National TV. Many eventful incidents occurred beforehand, for example, when Derek Jeter ran and dove into the
stands for a catch, only to come out with facial lacerations. Alex Rodriguez and Jason Varitek had a fight as well which was later followed by a brawl. In the final showdown, the Yankees took the lead, winning the first three games but the Red Sox turned things
around and won with an unexpected comeback in game 7.
The fact that the Red Sox managed to turn around the game after the first three losses is in itself a record, since no other team has managed to do that. The Curse of the Bambino had been lifted, and the Boston Red Sox were Champions at last and they beat
none other than the Yankees to get there, the same team who started their misery.
2007 saw the Red Sox winning the World Series again in the absence of the Yankees and 2009-10 saw the Yankees win the World Series in the absence of the Red Sox. It has been said that after the 2004 winning of the Red Sox, the rivalry between the two has
calmed down a lot and it is not the same as it used to be. Whatever the case maybe, the rivalry has been the subject of many debates and books and the teams have learned from themselves, as well as each other. As long as the rivalry is healthy with a constant
dose of drama, no one really minds.
The tremendous rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox is steeped in history and is now a part of American lore. The sale of Babe Ruth from the Red Sox to the Yankees is still considered to be one of the biggest blunders in sports history.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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