Both the Red Sox and Yankees finished the decade as two of the powerhouses in the MLB. So the question remains, is the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry the best rivalry in sports?Why it isn’t…
by Sebastian Lena I can understand the argument for why the Red Sox and Yankees should be considered as the best rivalry in sports. The two teams have a combined 34 World Series titles between them. Not to mention, when the two teams square off there’s almost bound to be a brawl. Whether it’s on the field or in the stands. However, I’m just not buying into it. The best rivalry in sports does include Boston; it just doesn’t include the Red Sox. I’m talking about the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. Since the NBA was formed in 1949, the Celtics and Lakers have combined for an amazing 32 NBA titles. That’s more than half of the 63 total NBA finals played. Sure, the Yankees and Red Sox have combined for two more titles, but the MLB has also been in existence for 46 more years than the NBA. 32 out of 63 is a hell of a lot more impressive than 34 out of 106. There’s an old saying that goes, “to be the best, you have to beat the best.” Even though they’re both in the American League, the Yankees and Red Sox have only met a meager three times in the post season. How great is a rivalry if only a handful of them are played in a meaningful atmosphere such as the post season? Just take a look at the Celtics and the Lakers. The two teams aren’t even in the same conference, yet they have squared off 11 times in the NBA finals including 7 times from 1959-1969. Need I say more? To rival another is defined as “possessing qualities or aptitudes that approach or equal those of another.” Out of their 32 total rings, the Celtics have 17, while the Lakers have 15. Where as the Red Sox and Yankees rivalry, while great, is heavily one-sided. Red Sox fans can argue all they want, but since 1918, they only have 2 titles compared to the Yankees 27. Calling that the greatest rivalry in sports is almost laughable. Why It Is…
by Andrew Otovic When looking at all of the sports and their separate rivalries, one sticks out and that is Red Sox/Yankees. The two teams meet at least 19 times a year and at least in this decade, a trip to the World Series has to go through one of these two teams. In the decade, the Red Sox have won two World Series Championships and the Yankees have won one title. However, the two teams also met in the 2003 and 2004 ALCS with both series going an amazing seven games; each team winning a series. In this decade, the teams finished one-two in the AL East in eight, let me repeat that, eight out of ten years, including a stretch of 5 years from the year 2001-2005. These teams take it seriously when they play each other as well. For over 100 years now these two teams have signed each other’s players, out bid one another in free agency, had many famous brawls, and a couple Bucky F’n Dent, Aaron Bleepin’ Boone, and Curt F’n Schilling (with his infamous bloody sock). A more astounding number is how many times the two teams have met. Since their first meeting way back on April 26, 1901, the Sox/Yanks have played over 2,000 times. An unbelievable amount of times for any two teams to play each other. Think about it, that is an average of just under 19 times a year. The Yankees hold the series led with an 1117-933-14 record. There have been “curses”, players like Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling offering their personal opinions on the so called curse, and also players who have been severely hated. If you are a Sox fan, A-Rod, Paul O’Neil, Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, just to name a few come to mind. If you are a Yankees fan, Pedro, Schill, Josh Beckett, Big Papi, Manny Ramirez, Johnny Damon as well, Bill Mueller, Jonathan Papelbon, just to name a few. When you look at fans for both clubs, they do not get along well with the opposite or the arch enemy. No true Red Sox fan is going to name their kid Alex, Derek, or Roger. While no true Yankee fan would name their kid Josh, Curt, or Jonathan. Sure it is nice to think that Duke/North Carolina, Patriots/Colts, Texas/Oklahoma, Bruins/Canadians, or Celtics/Lakers can compare but none of those rivalries can. Red Sox/ Yankees takes the cake and there is nothing remotely close to match it. The stats, the books, the energy from the players and fans, the blood (literally) all have shown itself more in this rivalry than in any other.