Top 5 moments of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry
By Peter Nakos
The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have a storied past filled with memorable moments. Here are five favorites from recent years.
In honor of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees squaring off this weekend for the first time this season, here are some of the top moments between these rivals since the turn of the century.
May 1, 2006– Johnny Damon‘s return to Fenway
It’s a bit hard to leave out Johnny Damon in the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry. Yeah, the Curse of the Bambino may seem a bit more infamous than Damon leaving the Sox to go the Yankees. What sets this apart is that Damon helped break the curse, only to later return to Fenway wearing pinstripes.
Damon was heckled and booed like never before, but then when the announcer introduced him there was a mix of claps along with the heckling. Boston had so much respect and gratitude for him, but at the same time they couldn’t get over the fact that one of their heroes had become a traitor.
2004 American League Championship Series– Who’s your Daddy
"“They beat me,” Martinez said in a press conference during the 2004 ALCS Series. “They’re that good right now. They’re that hot. I just tip my hat and call the Yankees my daddy.”"
This was before everybody fully had iPhones and laptops, but this still erupted into a firestorm. By the time of Martinez’s next start, which was in New York, everybody knew about it. So, when he stepped up to the mound for his first pitch the chant of “Who’s your Daddy,” echoed throughout the stadium.
Those events haunted Red Sox fans, but it seems as if Red Sox Nation has come to peace with it, due to the fact that they won the series and went on to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Still, just thinking about that chant sends shivers down the backs of Red Sox fans.
April 22, 2007– Red Sox hit four back-to-back home runs against the Yankees
In the bottom of the third with two outs, Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek homered in consecutive at-bats against the Yankees, tying the MLB record.
Maybe this will always be one of the rivalry’s greatest highlights for Red Sox fans just because it seemed almost too perfect to be true. It was the icing on the cake. It doesn’t get much better then that and then the Red Sox went on to win the World Series that year.
Pure Perfection.
2003 ALCS– Pedro Martinez demolishes Yankee coach Don Zimmer
Watching the replay of this debacle may be one of the funniest things ever, seeing Pedro Martinez push over 72-year-old Yankee bench coach Don Zimmer. It led to the biggest brawl in the rivalry’s memory, and set the tone for decades to come.
In his book, Martinez says it is the biggest regret of his career, but it seemed as if on that day the amount of tension had boiled up to an extreme point. The benches cleared in the fourth inning when Yankee pitcher Rodger Clemens threw a high and inside pitch at Manny Ramirez. The benches cleared and then Zimmer went charging at Martinez, who had started the game for the Red Sox.
2004 ALCS– Breaking the curse and history
Growing up, every child in a Red Sox household was taught about the Curse of the Bambino. Many truly believed it would not be broken in their lifetime, especially when the Red Sox went down 3-0 in the ALCS Series. But then everything happened.
Dave Roberts stole second base. Curt Schilling pitched through the pain and the bloody sock. Pedro Martinez overcame adversity. David Ortiz hit home runs when needed most. Yankee fans threw trash on the field. Bronson Arroyo, a starter, came in and pitched the eighth inning in Game Six.
It was a dream and it was history.
Next: Red Sox beat Yankees 8-0
No team had ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a series and came back and won the entire series.
It’s the magic in the rivalry of the Red Sox-Yankees.