Hate Still Flows In Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry; Two OutKick Writers Bet On 2024 Outcome

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have one of the biggest rivalries in all of American sports, and its intensity reached its peak in the early 2000s. But after a new generation of players replaced the old, the rivalry has cooled down.

Except, has it really?

OutKick's Mike ‘Gunz’ Gunzelman (a die-hard, insane Yankees fan) and John Simmons (a crazy, loyal Red Sox fan) don't think so. They stated their cases on why the rivalry between these historic franchises is still strong, and relive their most memorable experiences from the rivalry.

Is The Red Sox-Yankees Rivalry Alive And Well?

Simmons: Absolutely. This is still a big rivalry. You can go anywhere on the internet to find a list of the top rivalries in American sports, and the Yankees are usually in the top five if not the top three. The fact that one team might be bad and the other team might be better doesn’t mean it all of a sudden goes away. 

Any time these two teams play each other, there’s a different energy, the players give different weight to it, the fans give different weight to it than the other games of the year. 

For me, I am most happy when the Red Sox sweep the Yankees or at least get two out three in a series. That joy doesn’t compare to any other win the Red Sox might get in the season. And players know that when you put on one of these jerseys, you’re signing up to put more importance on these games.

Few rivalries get as tense as the Red Sox and Yankees. Here, Joe Kelly (fist raised) takes a shot at Tyler Austin in a game in 2018. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Gunz: There is a different energy, there is a different feel, there is a different atmosphere out there. Although obviously a lot of players have moved on since (the early 2000s), I honestly believe the fans still hate each other, two passionate fan bases that haven’t forgotten all those years.

Even though you have different younger players, they have to understand that there’s something different. There’s no way they can’t understand it. It's louder, it's more aggressive, there might be fights in the bleachers, there is just something different between the Yankees and the Red Sox. I would argue it’s one of the best rivalries in all of sports.

Favorite Moment From The Rivalry?

Simmons: I think the obvious answer would be the 2004 ALCS, but I wasn’t old enough to remember that series. A memory that I hold dear is the 2021 Wild Card Game.

Gerrit Cole was starting for the Yankees. I came to watch the game a little bit late, but the first thing I remember seeing when I walked in was Xander Bogaerts hitting a home run to straight dead center field to get Fenway Park absolutely jumping on that October night.

Cole was supposed to be the Yankees answer man, and he didn’t even get through the third inning of that game. As the game progressed, our pitching nullified the strikeout-prone Yankees lineup, I was like, "We’re going to do this."

And when Kiké Hernandez and Bogaerts combined on a relay to nail Aaron Judge at home, that’s when I knew the Yankees were going to pack their bags and head home for the rest of the year.

Gunz: My favorite moment is Aaron f—ing Boone. I was at the stadium, I was at the bars outside. There was a bowling alley bar. I had a giant afro, and everyone at the bar was rubbing my afro like it was a genie lamp. I was at that same bar like eight years later, and somebody came up, looked at me and was like "Oh, my gosh!" and started rubbing my head again.

Greatest day of my life, the swing from Boone, I didn’t even see the ball go over the fence, we just knew, and beer went everywhere. Greatest moment of my freaking life, Aaron effing Boone, you cannot make it up. Unfortunately, we didn’t win the whole thing, but I will always say it was unbelievable. Aaron Boone of all people was the guy to do it? But that’s the beauty of baseball, you never know who's going to come up in that big spot.

Least Favorite Moment?

Gunz: The worst moment for the Yankees and the Red Sox (for me) was a colossal collapse just a year later (in the 2004 ALCS). I cannot believe we blew this series - never happened before in sports - to the Red Sox! I had nightmares. I’m still so furious and angry about it. I’m pulling my hair out right now. 

Ever since then I always think the Yankees have gone downhill. Not saying we’re cursed, we won another World Series (in 2009), but we’re not the same team. I think something really, really, screwed with us. I hate you!

I spoke to Kevin Millar a while ago, and he walked me to his basement on this Zoom call, and he showed me all the photos and trophies he has in his man cave just to rub it in. I was like, "This is my worst nightmare."

Simmons: My least favorite moment has to do with Johnny Damon.

At the time, I loved Johnny Damon. People called me "Johnny" as a nickname growing up. So when I saw Johnny Damon, I was like, "Wow, there’s a player on my favorite team who’s got the same name as me! I love this guy!" And it was just this innocent, child-like admiration for the guy.

Then I found out in December of 2005 that he had been traded. Not to the Dodgers, which I would have been fine with. Not the Orioles, which wouldn’t have been great but still it wasnt those Yankees. And then I did find out, he did go to those Yankees. 

When the news broke that Johnny Damon (swinging the bat) would play for the New York Yankees starting in 2006, a young Simmons was distraught. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

My parents made the mistake of telling me that after I had gotten off the school bus at home that day, and not telling me in the house. Because once I heard the news, I started sobbing uncontrollably. My parents still remember the day. They said I went boneless. I would not walk, I wouldn’t do anything to help myself. Imagine the most comical collapse possible, and that was me when I found out Johnny Damon got traded. That one still hurts 19 years later.

Wildest Story Between Yankees And Red Sox Fans You’ve Ever Heard Of?

Simmons: A friend of mine went to (Game 3 of the 2003 ALCS) when Pedro Martinez threw Don Zimmer to the ground, which I still think was a terrible move. Say any criticism you want, I will take it without defending myself.

My friend started getting in a fight with other fans after that happened, and he spent a night in Fenway jail because of how bad the fight got. 

Gunz: There’s been many times when I wouldn’t give up my seat to somebody wearing a Red Sox hat, on the subway or anywhere. It could be the middle of December, and if somebody is wearing a Red Sox hat at the bar, I will just stare them down, maybe give them the finger from time to time if I'm intoxicated enough.

After that Yankees-Red Sox series in ‘03, I remember the horses came out around the Bronx for riot control, and there were 40-oz beer bottles being thrown. One of them grazed my afro at the time, got thrown from a four-floor apartment (they went up and arrested that guy). It grazed me, I might not have been here dude. If that thing (hit) me, a full 40-oz bottle of Old English would have knocked me out.

Expectations For The Season?

Simmons: I don’t foresee a great year for the Red Sox. Unless Nick Pivetta gets his Pedro Martinez on, I don’t think our pitching staff is going to have nearly the same success as they has in years past. 

I’m expecting the Red Sox are going to have to fight for every win and that its not going to be a very fun season to follow. But I bleed red, so I’m going to do my due diligence and follow my boys from March to September, and hopefully, October.

Even though the rivalry looks different today than in years past, expect things to get tense when Anthony Volpe (throwing the ball) and the New York Yankees clash with Rafael Devers (sliding) and the Boston Red Sox. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Gunz: My New York Yankees are going to go all the way this year. We’ve got Juan Soto who’s going to be a straight-up baller. We got Rizzo, we got Giancarlo (Stanton). We got (Gerrit) Cole out for a couple of months, that’s okay, (Nestor) Cortes is going to step up, (Carlos) Rodón is going to step up, the Yankees are going to be absolute ballers. The Yankees are going to win the AL East, Boston last place, that’s the way it should be.

Gentleman’s Wager For The Sox-Yankees 2024 Season Series?

Simmons: Whichever team wins more games will have to post a picture of themselves wearing the other team’s jersey.

Gunz: Okay, deal. I’m willing to take that because I’m going to win. 

Do you have your own thoughts on the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry? Do you have stories that show your passion for your team and hatred for the other? Send your thoughts to michael.gunzelman@outkick.com or john.simmons@outkick.com.