Yankees vs. Red Sox

[KnoxVegas]

Can we now admit there is no rivalry? Well can we?

0-5. Outscored 49-27.

[sohotrightnow]

Thank you! Somebody said it before I did! One ALCS win does not a rivalry make! Maybe somebody can pass this info on to ESPN?

[colaxg8]

Thank you! Somebody said it before I did! One ALCS win does not a rivalry make! Maybe somebody can pass this info on to ESPN?

First off let me premise this by saying that ESPN has been called the "Yankees-Red Sox Channel" by some of my close friends, I don't totally refute that comment. The significantly hype the game(s) by ESPN is undoubtedly more than any other sporting event(s) outside of the NFL. As a big baseball fan I will not say however that this is a bad thing. I believe that with the recent events of this rivalry, not only the 2004 ALCS but also this recent rekindling of the “Boston Massacre”, creates a good level competition between the teams, thus the increased exposure. Also, with the current performance enhancing drug scandals that have rocked all types of professional sports most arguably baseball, why wouldn’t they focus their programming on the highest rated (i.e. best) game(s) of the year. Finally before I break out stat book… have you ever been to a game in one of these two cities/ regions? The amount of passion that fans on each side of the game have when these two teams meet is remarkable, on the level, if not superseding that of any rivalry in sports.

Including postseason, the Yankees and Red Sox have met 81 times since 2003 (Boston just lost the lead 41-45 as of this weekend), more than any other match up in the majors.

From Wikipedia:
"The Yankees have the advantage in the all-time series with a record of 1,060-879 (.547) through the 2005 season. The Yankees also hold lopsided advantages in World Series Championships (26 to 6) and World Series appearances (39 to 11). Since the inception of the wild card team and an added Division Series, the American League East rivals have squared off in the American League Championship Series three times, the Yanks winning twice in 1999 and 2003, and the Sox winning once in 2004. In addition, the teams have met in the last regular season series of a season to decide the title, in 1904 (where the Red Sox won), and 1949 and 2005 (where the Yankees won). In 1978, the teams finished tied for first, and the Yankees won a high-profile one-game playoff."

If you’d like to continue learning about one of the greatest rivalries in sports this please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankees-Red_Sox_rivalry

[Jay Wisnieski]

Can we now admit there is no rivalry?

One ALCS win does not a rivalry make!

Whereas I do think ESPN takes their Yankees vs. Red Sox coverage too far, to say that there's no rivalry doesn't make sense to me. They are two franchises that have been around forever, they play in the same division, which means they play each other all the time, and they are the teams that usually finish 1st and 2nd in that division. Just because one team goes over the other team the majority of the time doesn't mean they can't have a rivalry.

USC has won 6 of the past 7 times they've played UCLA in football. Does that mean there's not a rivalry? Consider the early-mid 1990's when Oklahoma was terrible and Nebraska was kicking the crap out of them (Ah, the days of the Big and winning national titles. Do you think the players and coaches on both sides didn't call it a rivalry game?

Just to be clear, I'm not attacking either of the people I quoted, I'm not saying that they're wrong and I'm right, I'm just saying I disagree with their assessment of the situation and I provided reasons why. My reasons are probably filled with logic holes, but it's late and I should be sleeping, so there.

[StrykerFSU]

0-3 to 4-3 to World Series Champs kept me warm through this long, cold weekend.

[Ben Clark]

No rivalry? Do either of you guys have anything to do with Boston or New York?

[StrykerFSU]

I also don't think that parity over a 100 year history is needed for a rivalry and there can be no argument for a better rivalry over the past 6 or so years than Sox-Yanks. What is there? Dodgers-Giants? yawn, shoot some 'roids and call me. Cards-Cubs? is that Triple-A, no just the NL Central. Sorry guys, the Sox-Yanks even have the best brawl in recent memory. Any time you have an elderly man beat down by 130 lb pitcher in a melee started because the catcher may or may not have told the $252 million man that they don't throw at guys hitting .260 you have yourself a rivalry.

Personal note: My favorite part of the the series the weekend (there were not many to choose from) was my girlfriend telling me that E-Rod clearly has his eyebrows waxed. She also told me that she would break up with me for Gabe Kapler...you gotta take the good with the bad.

[Brent Burns]

Yes, siree... the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is one of the best and oldest! Always fun to watch on TV or in person.

I still never forget SI ran some pages bidding farewell to "Sam Malone" of "Cheers" with all of the Red Sox stuff that Ted Danson was wearing at that time.

[JW]

I also don't think that parity over a 100 year history is needed for a rivalry and there can be no argument for a better rivalry over the past 6 or so years than Sox-Yanks. What is there? Dodgers-Giants? yawn, shoot some 'roids and call me. Cards-Cubs? is that Triple-A, no just the NL Central. Sorry guys, the Sox-Yanks even have the best brawl in recent memory. Any time you have an elderly man beat down by 130 lb pitcher in a melee started because the catcher may or may not have told the $252 million man that they don't throw at guys hitting .260 you have yourself a rivalry.

Personal note: My favorite part of the the series the weekend (there were not many to choose from) was my girlfriend telling me that E-Rod clearly has his eyebrows waxed. She also told me that she would break up with me for Gabe Kapler...you gotta take the good with the bad.

What are you talking about? the Rangers-Angels Rivalry is the best in all of sports since the inception of competition no two teams have played more heated baseball than these two. *

*Please note that this was written in jest and sarcasm.


PS. While I enjoy baseball and the great rivalry that is the Red Sox-Yankees, I definately don't enjoy the coverage that is shoved down my throat by ESPN. However in the middle of the summer there isn't much else to talk about.

[pokecheck]

the media is largely biased towards east coast baseball BUT,

as a yankee fan living in the heart of boston i have to say that the rivarly is still way up there, although i think that the fans carry it out more than the players, where as some teams out west are plunking each other every chance they get Red Sox and yankees players are shoting the breeze at BP before the games.

When i wear my yankees garb around town, usually at least a hat everyday, i get dirty looks and comments on EVERY SINGLE STREET corner. I remeber in 2004 during the ALCS i had left my yankees hat in NY and went to downtown crossing "lids" (boston) to buy a new one, the store refused to sell me a yankees hat! this store isn't even near fenway either. they would not ring me out and i wasn't about to leave the store with it so they could have boston police give me a hard time. Anyone who knows boston knows that BPD are always just hanging out in downtown crossing.

I beleive that what makes this rivarly so heated it that is seems that the people in Boston and NY know what is going on with baseball (ALEast baseball anyways), for the most part...... chicago i would guess is pretty close as well. Where as alot of other cities its just the baseball fans who know what is going on with the respective teams, living in NY and Boston somewhat forces you to follow baseball if you want to be able to keep up with everyday conversation.
Go yankees
Can i get an amen from the bobbleheads?