6 Red Sox players who betrayed the franchise and went to the Yankees
There are few worse sins than for a Red Sox player to leave and join the New York Yankees.
The Boston Red Sox have one of the most storied rivalries in all of sports with the New York Yankees. A lot of the rivalry has been VERY long built, but it sure didn't help that Boston was in the middle of a many decades long title drought and Yankees fans relished in reminding Boston fans of it when they were winning ring after ring.
Things have been different lately as the Red Sox have been holding their own in the World Series title department, but the hatred between the two teams has remained. Ask fans of either team which team they despise the most and you will not have to wait long to hear the Yankees or Red Sox mentioned.
The rivalry goes so deep that if a player of one team leaves to join the other, many fans will blacklist that player for all eternity. However, that hasn't stopped some brave souls from making that leap anyways.
Here are the Red Sox players that betrayed Boston fans and joined the Yankees
There is a healthy mix of guys in here from guys that got traded directly to New York (one in particular still gives Red Sox fans heartburn) to guys that signed with the Yankees immediately after leaving Boston to guys that eventually found their way to the Yankees after other stops. Not all of these players are created equal with some being resented more than others, but they all deserve some mention.
Without further delay, here are the Red Sox players that betrayed fans and joined the Yankees in no particular order.
Roger Clemens joining the Yankees was a gut punch for Red Sox fans
Roger Clemens has seemed to go out of his way to piss off basically anyone he encountered over the years, but his defection to the Yankees was a brutal one. The Red Sox made multiple attempts to bring Clemens back to the Red Sox when he was set to hit free agency in 1996 despite the fact that he perennially showed up each season out of shape. Eventually, he would hit free agency and sign with the Blue Jays on a four year deal.
Clemens would win a pair of Cy Young awards in Toronto which was bad enough for Boston fans. However, he was then traded to the Yankees where he would win another Cy Young as well as a couple World Series rings and his legacy was settled in the minds of Red Sox fans. Clemens was a Hall of Fame talent and a force of nature during his career, but playing for the Yankees (along with allegations of using performance enhancing drugs) blew any goodwill he built up in Boston from the good years.
Jacoby Ellsbury defecting to the Yankees was brutal, but worked out for Boston
Jacoby Ellsbury's arrival in Boston was the culmination of a long journey in the organization. Boston drafted him back in 2005 and after he raked down in the minor leagues for two plus seasons, he got called up in 2007, Later that season, Jacoby' presence on the postseason roster was a big reason why the Red Sox were able to sweep the Rockies in the 2007 World Series. Ellsbury would become a staple in Boston's lineup for seven seasons.
While Ellsbury leaving in free agency was understandable given how much he was expected to command on the open market, his seven year, $153 million deal with the Yankees still resulted in a ton of outrage from the Red Sox faithful. As it turns out, things worked out in Boston's favor as a litany of injuries kept Ellsbury from playing during the back half of his deal. He ended up getting paid and the Yankees wasted a bunch of money. Sometimes things just work out.
The Babe Ruth Trade
This is very often mentioned as the worst trade in Red Sox history and with good reason. Babe Ruth was a burgeoning star in the game and when Boston sold his contract to the Yankees, it was the beginning of not only Ruth's rise to be considered the best hitter to ever play the game, but of the Curse of the Bambino as it would take Boston 86 years to finally win a World Series title again.
What is lost in all of that is that Ruth kind of forced his way out of Boston. He was demanding a big salary increase and had little use for off the field discipline and rules. The biggest factor was that Red Sox owner Harry Frazee needed the money from the sale, but Ruth played his part. Nevertheless, you won't see too many Red Sox fans celebrating the Babe's time in Boston all that much.
Wade Boggs leaving for the Yankees was highly unfortunate
Even for his time, Wade Boggs was a bit of a unicorn as a hitter. He, along with Tony Gwynn, weren't mashers by any stretch. However, the guy just continuously put up numbers by putting the ball in play a ton. Many thought that his career would start and end in Boston as he became synonymous with Red Sox baseball in his 11 seasons there.
Unfortunately, when it was time for Boggs to re-up with the Red Sox, Boston's owner passed away and that contract offer was taken off the table by the new owners of the Red Sox. So, after debating his options, he decided to sign with the Yankees and Boston fans never really forgave him for it. It took Boston a long time to even retire his number despite him meeting all the known criteria. Never underestimate the Red Sox and their fans' ability to hold a grudge.
Luis Tiant spent the twilight of his career with the Yankees
This one is a bit less severe, but still worth mentioning. Luis Tiant spent seven years in the big leagues before he joined the Red Sox for the 1971 season. Over the next eight season, Tiant would finish in the top six of Cy Young voting three times and post a 3.36 ERA with 1075 strikeouts with the Red Sox. His 1972 season is the stuff of legend where he posted a 1.91 ERA despite not even being in the rotation for the first half of the season.
When the time came for him to decide if he was going to stick around, he instead decided to take a two year deal with the Yankees. In fairness to Tiant, he was in the twilight of his career and was just looking for one more decent payday before he retired. He also has stuck around the Red Sox franchise in his retirement. However, there are a number of fans that haven't forgotten that he jumped ship for the hated Yankees.
Johnny Damon signing with the Yankees may have been the biggest betrayal of all
Johnny Damon started his career with the Royals, but his time in Boston saw him personify the Red Sox "idiots" that turned Boston from bridesmaids into finally winning a World Series title again. In his four seasons with the Red Sox, he went to two All-Star Games and slashed .295/.362/.441 with 56 homers and 98 stolen bases. Many thought he was going to be in Boston for a long time.
It was then shocking that when Damon became a free agent, he decided to signed with the Yankees for four years and $52 million. Not only were Boston fans upset that the Red Sox just lost one of their best players, but he decided to go to the Yankees of all teams. Damon would play pretty well in New York for four seasons before bouncing around the last few years of his career.
The worst part of Damon's betrayal, though, was that he said he would never sign with the Yankees. He went on the record to say that he wasn't looking to get the most money possible if that meant he had to sign in New York. Well, that is exactly what he did and Red Sox fans will never let him forget it.
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