Rivalry with Boston Red Sox

Lore & Background

Nicknamed "The Rivalry" by some, the 1919 sale of star Red Sox player Babe Ruth to the Yankees popularized one of the most well-known aspects of the rivalry: a superstition known as the "Curse of the Bambino", attributed to Boston’s 86-year World Series drought which began upon Ruth’s sale to New York. Coincidentally, when the Red Sox broke the curse by winning the 2004 World Series, they defeated the Yankees in the ALCS after overcoming a 3–0 deficit. The rivalry is often a heated subject of conversation, especially in the home region of both teams, the Northeastern United States. From 1995 through 2014, at least one of the two teams reached the postseason in most years, though not every year. The Red Sox and the Yankees have faced each other three times in the ALCS, with the Yankees winning twice, in 1999 and 2003, and the Red Sox winning in 2004. The two teams have also met once in the American League Division Series (ALDS), in 2018, with Boston winning 3–1, a series which included a 16–1 Red Sox win in Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, the largest margin of defeat in a postseason game in the Yankees' history. The Red Sox beat the Yankees in the 2021 American League Wild Card Game. In addition, the teams have twice met in the last regular-season series to decide the AL pennant, in 1904 (when the Red Sox, then known as the Americans, won) and 1949 (when the Yankees won). The Yankees and the Red Sox finished tied for first in 1978; subsequently, the Yankees won a high-profile tie-breaker game for the division title. The first-place tie came after the Red Sox had a 14-game lead over the Yankees more than halfway through the season. Similarly, in the 2004 ALCS, the Yankees ultimately lost a best-of-seven series after leading 3–0. The Red Sox comeback was the only time in American baseball history that a team has come back from a 3–0 deficit to win a series. The Red Sox went on to win the World Series, ending the 86-year-old curse. This match-up is regarded by some sports journalists as the greatest rivalry in sports. Games between the two teams often generate considerable interest and receive extensive media coverage, including being broadcast on national television.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Fenway Park hung heavy with humidity and eighty-six years of silence. In the bottom of the twelfth inning, the score remained deadlocked, the weight of history pressing down on every fan in the stands. A pitcher from New York stood on the mound, eyes locked on the batter, while a sea of red rose to their feet, chanting not just for victory, but for redemption. The crack of David Ortiz’s bat echoed through the night, a sound that would shatter decades of superstition and finally turn the tide against the dark shadow of the Bronx.

Reader's Guide

The rivalry has deep historical roots, with Boston and New York City sharing a rivalry as cities since before the American Revolution. The Red Sox were one of the most successful teams in baseball from 1901 to 1918, winning the inaugural World Series in 1903 and four more between 1912 and 1918. The Yankees were founded in 1903. The two teams had their first meeting in Boston on May 7, 1903. The 1904 season featured the teams facing each other in the season's final game to decide the American League pennant winner, with Boston winning. Not until 2004 would the Red Sox again defeat the Yankees in a title-deciding game. In 1919, Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees, beginning a long period of mediocrity for the Red Sox while the Yankees began their dynasty. The Yankees reached the World Series seven times during Ruth's New York years, winning four.

Did You Know?

• The Red Sox and Yankees have faced each other three times in the ALCS, with the Yankees winning twice (1999 and 2003) and the Red Sox winning in 2004.
• The Red Sox comeback from a 3–0 deficit in the 2004 ALCS was the only time in American baseball history that a team has come back from a 3–0 deficit to win a series.
• The largest margin of defeat in a postseason game in Yankees history was a 16–1 Red Sox win in Game 3 of the 2018 ALDS at Yankee Stadium.
• The 1919 sale of Babe Ruth from the Red Sox to the Yankees popularized the superstition known as the 'Curse of the Bambino'.