You might ask, “What is the big deal?” or “Why do people care so much?” This is only baseball after all. Well, the answer is simple. This rivalry is more than a game. It is history, heartbreak and identity rolled into nine innings.
I have been a New York Yankees fan since birth and last Thursday, I saw the Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox 4-0 to win the American League Wild Card Series. For most fans, it was a big win. For me, it was everything. This was the first time in my life I had seen the Yankees eliminate Boston in October.
Over the course of more than a century, these two teams have been defined by heartbreak, unforgettable moments and events that have shaped their history and the memories of their fans.
The imbalance began with the Curse of the Bambino, marked by the sale of pitcher Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1919, a move that led to the Red Sox not winning another World Series for 86 years. Meanwhile, the Yankees built a dynasty, winning 27 championships and becoming the most successful franchise in sports history, creating resentment in Boston and arrogance in New York.
Every game became a battle for bragging rights, and every October meeting felt like a heavyweight fight.
I grew up on stories of infielder Aaron Boone’s walk-off in 2003 and the gut punch of 2004 when the Red Sox came back from 3-0 to stun the Yankees. I watched highlights of shortstop Bucky Dent’s homer in 1978 and the chaos of pitcher Pedro Martinez tossing infielder Don Zimmer in the 2003 ALCS.
That is why Thursday night mattered so much. For years, Boston had owned the Yankees in October. They beat us in the 2004 ALCS, the 2018 Division Series and the 2021 Wild Card Game. Until now, I had never seen New York flip the script.
Some say the rivalry has cooled in recent years. Both teams have had ups and downs, and the game has changed. But when these two meet in October, the energy is different. This series reminded us why.
Game one was a nightmare. Pitcher Garrett Crochet dominated the Yankees, striking out 11 in a 3-1 Boston win. Even when first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, outfielder Aaron Judge and outfielder Cody Bellinger loaded the bases with consecutive singles starting the bottom of the ninth inning, Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman recovered to get the save when he struck out hitter Giancarlo Stanton, retired infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. on a shallow flyout, and struck out center fielder Trent Grisham to end the game.
Game two was a nail-biter. Yankees second baseman Chisholm Jr. scored the go-ahead run from first on a catcher Austin Wells single in the eighth and Yankees closer David Bednar closed it out. That set up Thursday’s winner-take-all game.
Rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler took the mound for the Yankees and delivered a masterpiece: eight scoreless innings, 12 strikeouts, no walks. A franchise record for a rookie in his postseason debut. On the other side, Boston’s rookie pitcher Connelly Early cracked in the third inning.
Bellinger’s hustle double sparked a rally with shortstop Amed Rosario singling in the first run, shortstop Anthony Volpe added another, and two more scored on an error from first baseman Nathaniel Lowe.
That was all New York needed, and for the first time in 22 years, the Yankees sent Boston home in October.
What keeps this rivalry alive is not just the games. It is the culture. It is the way New York and Boston see themselves, as two cities that refuse to back down.
It is the fans like me who argue with friends and family for hours every season and winter about why we are a better team and why you guys suck.
It is history that never fades, no matter how many years pass. Through all the stories my dad told me, whether about heartbreaks or triumphs, I have finally added my own memory to the list.
This is why people should care. Yankees-Red Sox is not just baseball; it is a rivalry at its purest form.
As long as these two teams exist, the fire will never go out, and the rivalry will never die.
