Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry Explained: History, Iconic Moments and Must-Know Games

When the Red Sox and Yankees face off, nothing else matters.

The best rivalry in baseball has brought wild crowds to Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium. Whether the AL East foes are in the middle of the playoff race or experiencing down years, the level of intensity is always high.

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Boston’s early success, the infamous “Curse of the Bambino,” World Series dynasties — there have been plenty of memorable moments in the rivalry, and some of the greatest players in MLB history have been part of the feud.

Here’s a breakdown of the rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees.

How the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry started

The Red Sox won the first World Series in 1903 as the Boston Americans. The Yankees, previously known as the Highlanders, were founded in 1903. The 1904 season ended with Boston as the AL champion and New York as the runner-up.

Boston became known as the Red Sox in 1908, and the organization opened Fenway Park with a game against the Highlanders in 1912. (The Highlanders were renamed the Yankees in 1913.) The Red Sox went on to win the World Series in 1912, 1915, 1916 and 1918. It wasn’t until 1919 that the Yankees gained the upper hand in the rivalry.

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The biggest Red Sox-Yankees rivalry moments

Broadway producer Harry Frazee sold Red Sox star Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1919. The gamble paid off for New York, as Ruth became a Hall of Famer with the Yankees, who won the World Series in 1923, 1927, 1928 and 1932.

New York appeared in the World Series 41 times after the “Curse of the Bambino” went into effect. Boston fell in the championship series multiple times before finally winning it all in 2004 and enjoying a resurgence in the 2000s and 2010s.

Legends like Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams competed for bragging rights in the 1940s and 1950s. The Yankees dominated this period, most notably winning five straight titles from 1949 to 1953.

In 1978, the Yankees decimated the Red Sox in a series that was later dubbed the “Boston Massacre,” erasing the Red Sox’s massive lead in the standings. Things went from bad to worse as Bucky Dent hit a clutch home run in a game to determine the pennant winner. The Yankees won another World Series ring that year.

Boston had stronger groups than New York in the 1980s, but the Yankees returned to form in the 1990s and 2000s. The Yankees won three championships in a row from 1998 to 2000, beating the Red Sox in the 1999 ALCS.

In Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, the Yankees’ Aaron Boone hit a walk-off home run against the Red Sox’s Tim Wakefield to send New York to the World Series. However, that moment marked the end of the latest Yankees’ dynasty and the beginning of Boston’s dominance.

There were several battles in the 2000s between the teams. In the 2004 ALCS, the Red Sox overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat the Yankees, and they swept the Cardinals to win their first World Series since 1918.

There have been plenty of clashes since that unforgettable 2004 matchup, but neither team has won the championship since 2018.

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Players who defined the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry

As previously noted, the Babe Ruth deal changed the trajectory of both franchises. Ruth was a dual-threat player with the Red Sox, thriving as a pitcher and hitter. With the Yankees, he was one of the most dominant hitters in baseball history, setting records that took years to top.

Ted Williams is the last MLB player to hit over .400 in a single season, and he was the heart and soul of the Red Sox in the 1940s and 1950s. The Yankees countered Williams with Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio.

In terms of modern history, it was the Yankees’ core of Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada that stood out. To counter the Yankees, the Red Sox had Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra.

Later, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez gave the Red Sox the edge. Alex Rodriguez was a key to the Yankees’ success and an easy target for Red Sox fans.