Hey this goes out to all you Yankee and Boston fans. I live in Oakland and my buddy from NY comes out to visit. We go to the bar to see NY play Boston, and there is this guy from Boston there. Immediatly he starts goin off about how the Yankees suck and how this is the greatest rivalry in baseball. What took me by surprise was how calm and nonchalant my buddy was. He said that there was no rivalry, Boston made it up. In order for there to be a rivalry Boston would have had to win at least a few meaningful games, if NY just beats them all the time how is it a rivalry? I have to agree, this is just a battle of two old teams, with one of them clearly and consistantly dominating the other in anything meaninful. What are your guys's takes, especially NY and Bos fans?
I've heard this alot. There can be a case made for both sides I guess. Some of my favorites are...
Does Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner have a rivalry?
Does a hammer and a nail have a rivalry?
IMO, yes there is a rivalry. They hate eachother with passion and have forever. During the 70s, Carlton Fisk wouldn't let his teammates talk to the Yankees before the game. Now there is a war it seems between Steinbrenner and Henry. They'll do whatever it takes to keep a player from going to eachother. George explodes if the Red Sox beat the Yankees.
There have been so many great games between them. Maybe the Red Sox never win them, but it's as big of a rivalry as anything I know.
I think it's the second greatest rivalry in American sport (right behind the Cards and Cubs, OK I'm a homer, sue me ). I never really understood why Yankee fans (they're the only one's who don't think it's a rivalry) think that Boston isn't their rival. At least they [Boston] put themselves in the position to be in those meaningful games, that has to count for something.
ajgnydc722 wrote:I've heard this alot. There can be a case made for both sides I guess. Some of my favorites are...
Does Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner have a rivalry?
Does a hammer and a nail have a rivalry?
IMO, yes there is a rivalry. They hate eachother with passion and have forever. During the 70s, Carlton Fisk wouldn't let his teammates talk to the Yankees before the game. Now there is a war it seems between Steinbrenner and Henry. They'll do whatever it takes to keep a player from going to eachother. George explodes if the Red Sox beat the Yankees.
There have been so many great games between them. Maybe the Red Sox never win them, but it's as big of a rivalry as anything I know.
That's what I was trying to say, he just said it better.
Whether or not Boston and NY is a great rivalry is not determined by how the fans of Boston and NY feel IMO. A mark of a great rivalry is when it draws baseball fans of other teams.
For instance, I'm a Mets fan but I enjoy Cardinals and Cubs match ups to me that's a great rivalry. Boston and New York became a great rivalry after last years post season. People want to tune in and catch these games. I am not sure I buy the argument that because NY had won "x" number of games it's not a good rivalry.
Maine has a good swing for a pitcher but on anything that moves, he has no chance. And if it's a fastball, it has to be up in the zone. Basically, the pitcher has to hit his bat. - Mike Pelfrey
The greatness of rivalries has never been determined by dominance. Palmer-Nicklaus was the best rivalry in golf history, even though Jack totally dominated Arnie. Think about some of college football's most storied annual battles...many of these are one-sided in terms of results. Russell beat Chamberlain just about every time they met in a game that meant something, but it was nonetheless an incredible rivalry.
Every great franchise has a great rival. Of course the Yankees main rival is the Red Sox. Always has been, probably always will be. Granted, the hatred is stronger on the Red Sox side, but that's the way it will always be (as it is in many other rivalries) when one is constantly victorious and the other perceives itself as the victim.
But anyone who suggests that Red Sox-Yankees is not one of the great rivalries of all time in all sports hasn't got a clue...and ever worse, they're thus denying themselves of getting the most out of what clearly exists.
Amazinz wrote:Whether or not Boston and NY is a great rivalry is not determined by how the fans of Boston and NY feel IMO. A mark of a great rivalry is when it draws baseball fans of other teams.
For instance, I'm a Mets fan but I enjoy Cardinals and Cubs match ups to me that's a great rivalry. Boston and New York became a great rivalry after last years post season. People want to tune in and catch these games. I am not sure I buy the argument that because NY had won "x" number of games it's not a good rivalry.
I'm sorry, you're a Mets fan and I should agree with you, but ever heard of 1918? Babe Ruth created this rivalry forever ago. It didn't just spring up last year.
Babe, Bucky, Buckner, and THEN Boone.
Jeez, all NYY needs to do is field an all-B team....
I love it when Yankees fans are all smug when they arrogantly start spouting off that there isn't a rivalry... like they had something to do with the Yankees winning even 1 game. Well, I choose to be a Yankees fan now, does that mean I have the right to be an arrogant jerk?
It's really not fair to single out the Yankees in this case. I guess every team has fans that think they are somehow responsible for their team's success. I live in Tallahassee and have seen numerous FSU fans over the years that think they are above fans of other teams. Then again, the Gator fans act the same way... so go figure.
Its both a rivalry and complete dominance. The rivalry gets credit, but so does the Yankees' complete and utter dominance of the Red Sox, who have proven themselves an inferior franchise. You hear about the Yanks Sox rivalry all the time, but how many times do you hear about 1918 and the Red Sox ineptitude? A lot as well.
Amazinz wrote:Whether or not Boston and NY is a great rivalry is not determined by how the fans of Boston and NY feel IMO. A mark of a great rivalry is when it draws baseball fans of other teams.
For instance, I'm a Mets fan but I enjoy Cardinals and Cubs match ups to me that's a great rivalry. Boston and New York became a great rivalry after last years post season. People want to tune in and catch these games. I am not sure I buy the argument that because NY had won "x" number of games it's not a good rivalry.
I'm sorry, you're a Mets fan and I should agree with you, but ever heard of 1918? Babe Ruth created this rivalry forever ago. It didn't just spring up last year.
Babe, Bucky, Buckner, and THEN Boone.
Jeez, all NYY needs to do is field an all-B team....
Well I'm not old enough to really remember the '70s but this rivalry wasn't all that great in the 80s and 90s. Prior to last year this was called a great rivalry because of history and because it was supposed to be one. Last year it actually became one again IMO.
Maine has a good swing for a pitcher but on anything that moves, he has no chance. And if it's a fastball, it has to be up in the zone. Basically, the pitcher has to hit his bat. - Mike Pelfrey
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by Kingsac » Thu Jul 01, 2004 2:30 pm 
). I never really understood why Yankee fans (they're the only one's who don't think it's a rivalry) think that Boston isn't their rival. At least they [Boston] put themselves in the position to be in those meaningful games, that has to count for something.
