Yankees-Red Sox rivalry missing the same fire that used to define it

MLB

By Jon Heyman

BOSTON — Here, in this city of recent champions — certainly compared to New York — the supposed biggest rivalry in sports is turning into an afterthought. It’s sad, really it is.

The Yankees and their alleged nemesis Red Sox were set to meet for the first time in 2024 — more than 70 games into the season — and the game is so little considered it was moved out of prime time to accommodate what the old town hopes will be yet another team title. The Celtics are the clear focus of the moment, and here where standards are high, the Yankees-Red Sox game was pushed into lobster roll time with a rare 6:30 start before being delayed by rain.

(Actually, that’s better for the deadline, so thanks, and this is the one paper that sent a columnist and beat man here to cover.)

Manager Aaron Boone, who hit the home run that sent the Yankees to the World Series and the Red Sox home in 2003, which just might be the last great year of this rivalry, says it’s “always bubbling,” and can come back again. We shall see about that.

There’s no debating it’s down now, and here are three reasons:

1. From the time the Yankees acquired Babe Ruth through 2003, the Yankees led the Red Sox in championships 26-0. Which is utter domination, and spurred a slogan — “The Curse of the Bambino” — and a book, too.

“That’s part of it — the inferiority complex — New England and New York. It’s not the same,” legendary Boston-based baseball writer Peter Gammons told me.

2. There’s a newfound friendliness that didn’t exist when Graig Nettles was breaking Bill Lee’s arm, when Jason Varitek and Alex Rodriguez were tussling on the basepath or when Pedro Martinez was tossing Don Zimmer to the turf.

“There aren’t guys on the Yankees for the Red Sox to hate,” Gammons said. “Who could even hate Aaron Judge? The first baseman [Anthony Rizzo] was [originally] a Red Sox. They love him.”

3. And this is the obvious one. The Red Sox aren’t on the Yankees’ level at the moment.

Considering their surprising youth, the Red Sox are actually putting together a pretty nice season. But it doesn’t compare to the once-hated Yankees, who were the best team in baseball at 49-22 entering play.

The Red Sox actually aren’t bad, especially for rebuilders, which is what they are now. They simply aren’t good enough to be a threat following a winter when yet again they didn’t do much of note beyond hold Zoom calls with stars (Jordan Montgomery was one).

“They still don’t have the top-tier guys,” Gammons said. “They won’t go out and sign the big-money guys.”

If there’s one thing the Red Sox current ownership is noted for — beyond breaking the 86-year jinx and winning three more titles — it’s redoing its baseball management team. Yes, their owners are more like the Boss than Steinbrenner’s own son Hal, who’s running the most stable franchise in sports.

Meantime, Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner anointed the fourth leader of their baseball ops department this decade. This diverges from the Yankees who’ve been run by Brian Cashman since, oh, forever.

Darned if Red Sox ownership isn’t consistent. For the third time out of four, it tabbed a Yalie, former pitcher Craig Breslow, following Chaim Bloom and the legendary Theo Epstein (a Breslow buddy who was wisely brought back as a consultant). They certainly have a type.

Breslow is showing promise, on the fly forming a pitching staff that’s performed at a surprisingly high level (they were sixth with a 3.43 ERA through Thursday). But this being the Red Sox, that win one, lose one trend isn’t going to cut it, and everyone around here is gearing up for the club to sell at the deadline.

In their last big trade, they sent starting outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Yankees, which is Exhibit A of the undesirable chumminess that now exists. Of course, it’s the even bigger trade involving Verdugo — the one where homegrown superstar Mookie Betts was sent to the Dodgers — that Bostonians still aren’t over (and probably never will be).

Verdugo is a big plus for the Yankees, and though he’s one of baseball’s best quotes (no clichés here!), he continues to be unwilling to trash the Red Sox even after it came out that Boston manager Alex Cora was tiring of him. True to the state of these teams, Verdugo again told us Friday how much he respected Cora and even how much their families get along.

Now, that kind of talk won’t help the rivalry one bit!

Verdugo is a big plus in Yankeeland, and even if he helps the Yankees break their title-less streak at 15 seasons, the Red Sox must not mind too much. Verdugo isn’t going to win the MVP — that will most likely go to one of his two outfield mates, Juan Soto or the incomparably great Judge — but the Red Sox’s stunning willingness to help the Yankees signaled their disinterest in continuing the hate that makes a rivalry great.