The rivalry of all games of all of baseball is once again set to begin. The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are the rivalry for so many of baseball’s die-hard fans.
There is no middle ground in deciding who you like here. Known by their fan names as the ‘Empire’ for the Yankees and the ‘Nation’ for the Red Sox, the games have always been exciting.
This year the rivalry could even be seen in the pocketbook of the teams. The Red Sox and Yankees had the two highest payrolls in baseball, 20 percent above that of the next highest team. So far this year they have played each other nine times with the Red Sox leading the series, 5-4.
Last week the Red Sox clinched the American League Wild Card spot and the Yankees were able to clinch the AL East Division Championship. With the playoffs right now all it will take is the Yankees and Red Sox winning in their series to be back at it.
Last year millions of die- hard fans watch as the two teams played each other with the winner going to the World Series. All of those fans either love or hated Aaron Boone who sent the Yankees to the World Series with a homer in the bottom of the 11th inning in the seventh game.
The Series is also one of the roughest between players. In one game there were at least three times when play had to be stopped because of fighting or near fighting.
First Martinez hit Karim Garcia with a pitch in the top of the fourth inning. Then at the bottom of the fourth Clemens threw high to Manny. Manny decided to charge the mound at Clemens.
Well, the benches cleared and 72-year-old Yankee coach Don Zimmer charged Pedro. Pedro didn’t stand idle, he threw old Zimmer to the ground by his head.
With all this fighting one other thing has to be thought about.
The fans will begin to get into it, too, so if you go to one of these games expect a lot of security.
During games when the fighting is about to erupt if you look around all you will see are rows of cops to keep the crowd cool. And recently the crowds have been taking the rivalry farther each year in fans rivalry to one another.
Right before the night ended in the ninth, a Boston groundskeeper started mixing it up with the Yankees in bullpen.
So far this season things have also been rough earlier this month when the two played, the benches came out but no fight began.
Will this year be Return Of the Red Sox? Or The Empire Strikes Back?

Author