Rivalries come and go in the world of sports, yes. But let me be the first to tell you that none can come remotely close to The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. It's easily the most well-known and decorated rivalry in Major League Baseball and pretty much all sports for that matter.
This all began before the Yankees were even known as the "Yankees" but instead, The New York Highlanders. The Red Sox were the most elite team in the league for a long stretch before Harry Frazee made a major history-altering decision in 1918. Being in a financial bind, he traded "The Sultan of Swat, The King of Crash, The Colossus of Clout, The Great Bambino" — Babe Ruth.
Ruth was in the midst of transforming from one of the greatest who played the game to an actual living legend before trading his uniform for some Pinstripes. The trade ended up being a paltry sum of $125,000 and Sox fans still have a distraught taste in their mouth because of it.
This "curse" marked a period of unprecedented hollowness because the Red Sox continuously struggled in their quest to win a World Series in the most horrific, soul-crushing ways possible. On the other hand, The Yankees became the most successful baseball franchise of the 20th century, winning a slam-worthy 25 championships between 1923 and 1999.
It wasn't until the turn of the millennium that the rivalry became more balanced. In 2004, the two teams were playing each other for a place in the World Series and The Red Sox finally got their revenge for years of beatings by coming back from a 0-3 deficit to beat New York. This led to Boston sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series and becoming champions for the first time since the "Curse of the Bambino" emerged.
In 2005, the rivals tied atop the AL East. In 2006, the Yankees buried the Sox with a devastating five-game sweep in August. In 2007, Boston nearly edged New York in the division race and captured another championship. In a sport hailed for its adversity and uncertainty, these two teams and their antipathy toward each other was constant.
Fast forward to 2018, and it's starting to feel like the mid-2000s all over again. If you ask me, it brings me just as much joy as if it were Christmas morning. This is a new era of baseball, and we're all here for it.
A heated division race between archrivals always carries a certain excitement, but the stakes are way higher in the era of MLB's dual-wild-card system which began in 2012.
With different names and different storylines, there's still the same level of intensity and urgency. The Yankees have their baby bombers like Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino, Miguel Andujar, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gleyber Torres— with some seasoned veterans like CC Sabathia, Brett Gardner, and Andrew McCutchen.
And on the defending division champions, the Red Sox are led by a core of established players like J.D. Martinez, Mookie Betts, Craig Kimbrel, and Chris Sale.
For the 2018 season, the Red Sox and Yankees have already clashed with this level of intensity resembling the good 'ole glory days. During an April matchup at Fenway Park, Red Sox pitcher, Joe Kelly, sparked commotion when he drilled Yankees first baseman, Tyler Austin, with a 98-mile-per-hour fastball, avenging retribution for Austin's questionable slide into second base a couple innings prior.
Now in the postseason, it all comes down to the best of five games for the ALDS. Going into Game 3, Bronx bound I may add, each team has secured a dub. But unfortunately for New York, it's Boston who clinched. The Red Sox then proceeded to beat Houston in a major series upset, leaving them World Series bound.
Should the Sox win it all, it's safe to say the Bronx Bombers will be out for blood come next year. So get excited, the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry is back, and its latest chapter has only just begun.
