The Bitter Rivals Thread

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  • KenFougere
    Sr Member BB-Almanac 1998
    • Jan 2000
    • 2246

    The Bitter Rivals Thread




    Which teams do you think to have the strongest, most bitter rivalry
    in Major League Baseball?

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    .

    .
    My Personal Opinion:


    This rivalry dates back a century. It has become both a tradition and a passion. This starts with the owners, front office staff, coaching staff, players, and finishes with their fans (past & present). In contrast to their rivalry with other teams across the country, they have never re-located since joining the league. They have kept their exact team uniforms the same since before the Titanic sank, except for the numbers on the back.
    There is no other rivalry in baseball comparable to this historic, Boston Red Sox – New York Yankees rivalry.


    The number 1 reason was the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees, which reversed the baseball fortune of the 2 teams for the following 86 years.

    It was especially impressive that in 2004, the Red Sox made MLB playoff history as the first team to overcome a 0-3 deficit to win the American League Championship Series. Oh, BTW, they defeated the New York Yankees. As a result of that historic comeback, the Red Sox went on to win their first World Series in 86 years by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals. Following their 2004 World Series title, the Red Sox won World Series titles in 2007, 2013, and 2018. To me, this rivalry is not only the best in MLB, but of all American pro sports.
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    This is our 21st Year!

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    12
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    50.00%
    6
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    58.33%
    7

    The poll is expired.

    Last edited by KenFougere; 11-09-2022, 02:18 AM.
  • cowboy15
    Registered User
    • Oct 2002
    • 6

    #2
    i would have to say its a tie between the mets and braves, they have always been rivalrys of the astros and many of the mets fans that i have met have been complete jackasses, please dont take offense if any of you are fans, but im just talking about the few i have met personally. and then the braves of course because they always seem to bump the stros outta the playoffs whenever we get there
    "it aint over till its over"
    -yogi berra-

    Comment

    • rockin500
      Cubs Fan
      • Jan 2003
      • 2687

      #3
      White Sox n Brewers. I hate the Brewers more than any other team. (well, not hate, as i dont really hate any time. just cant stand the team)

      Comment

      • Steffo
        Below The Mendoza Line
        • Jan 2000
        • 81

        #4
        Yankees. They are the rivals of the Dodgers and I just hate them.

        Comment

        • Baseball Guru
          Registered User
          • Aug 2002
          • 2572

          #5
          Re: Your most Bitter Rivalry

          Originally posted by KenFougere
          Which do you think is "THE" rivalry that is the oldest & strongest?


          My thoughts>>>>

          For almost 100 years now THE rivalry began. Ever since then it has taken on a life of its own! It starts at the front office exec's to the players, right down to all the Boston & New York baseball fans (past up to present). Unlike other rivalries these two teams never re-located. They have the same address and team uniforms that date back to before the Titanic sunk! No other rivalry can match the Red Sox - Yankee history.

          Agreed.....

          Nothing compares to that rivalry...

          A good current rivalry now is the Mets and Braves....

          Mets and Yanks is always a highly anticipated matchup now that they play each other in interleague.....
          "There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit.
          ~~Al Gallagher


          God Bless America!

          Click here to see my baseball tribute site!

          Click here to see the best pitcher NOT in the HOF!

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          • yellowdog
            Registered User
            • Aug 2002
            • 53

            #6
            Without a doubt, the Yankees-Red Sox is the mother of all rivalries. But the Dodgers-Giants would have to be the runner up. The Baseball Guru mentioned the Braves-Mets which should heat up this year, especially with Glavine on the other side now. But in recent years, this has been a pretty one sided rivalry with the Braves pretty much dominating it. That may change this year.

            The Braves also had a pretty good rivalry going with the Dodgers in the early 90s when both teams were in the NL West but that sort of fizzled out when the Braves moved to the East.

            And I`m thinking the Cubs-Cardinals have a pretty good rivalry going also.

            Comment

            • PopTop
              Fat Old Guy
              • Jan 2000
              • 581

              #7
              Agreed, Sox-Yanks sits atop the list all-time ... I might go Giants-Dodgers next, maybe Cubs-Cards third ... Guru's Mets-Braves could fit in there, 'specially since the '69 divisional split.
              Never confuse character with geography --- Red Smith
              Astros Daily

              Comment

              • YankeeMan
                SABR member since 1994
                • Feb 2003
                • 767

                #8
                #1 Rivalry -- Red Sox v. Yankees

                Originally posted by LouGehrig
                The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is a rivalry only to the Red Sox FANS.

                A rivalry is a competition for a prize. One team has won the prize 26 times. The other has not won it during that same time frame.

                How can that be a rivalry?

                I think you need to expand your vision of rivialry. Besides, the BoSox have won a few pennants that the Yanks would have liked to have won themselves. But, unlike the Yanks, the BoSox never capitlized on the opportunities. True, it's bigger for BoSox fans than Yank fans. But hey, what franchise, in any sport, compares with the Yanks?*


                *Montreal of the NHL?
                Last edited by YankeeMan; 02-22-2003, 09:41 PM.
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                Comment

                • KenFougere
                  Sr Member BB-Almanac 1998
                  • Jan 2000
                  • 2246

                  #9
                  Your missing the point

                  Originally posted by LouGehrig
                  The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is a rivalry only to the Red Sox FANS.

                  How can that be a rivalry?
                  Although I've been a hardcore Red Sox fan for over 36 years & I really can't stand the Yankees, I do respect the team. I feel very privileged to have a hometown team that has been and still is involved in this VERY SPECIAL part of baseball...
                  It's ashame you don't appreciate this unique aspect of the game.
                  Both teams are lucky to have each other to compete with for so many years!


                  :grouchy
                  Last edited by KenFougere; 04-27-2014, 06:38 PM.

                  Comment

                  • Sandman
                    Believer
                    • Feb 2003
                    • 111

                    #10
                    Yanks-Sox
                    Yanks-Mets
                    Mets-Braves

                    Comment

                    • Baseball Guru
                      Registered User
                      • Aug 2002
                      • 2572

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Markfisher
                      I think it would be Yankees-Mets if only the Mets were consistently competitive....sorry Mets fans.

                      Cheers
                      Since interleague began the Mets have been pretty consistantly competitive...

                      They have even played the Yanks in the WS....

                      My thing with listing this as a good rivalry is not only some of the good games they have played but also the fact that it is NY vs NY and all of the sub-plots that come into play when they play each other..

                      IE. Clemens and Piazza....

                      Mets are 11-16 vs the Yanks since the beginning of interleague play.....
                      Not as one sided as one may think...
                      "There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit.
                      ~~Al Gallagher


                      God Bless America!

                      Click here to see my baseball tribute site!

                      Click here to see the best pitcher NOT in the HOF!

                      sigpic

                      Comment

                      • NickG
                        Non-prophet
                        • Jan 2000
                        • 51

                        #12
                        There's no doubt that the big one is Yankees vs. Red Sox.

                        What about Atlanta and Florida? This is one that got started in 1997, and the games have always been interesting since then, even when the Marlins have stunk. It's not as "historic" as the others mentioned here, but it deserves a mention, I think.
                        I'm NickG, and I approve this message.

                        Home page

                        "In God we trust, all else must have data."
                        -- Mets pitching coach Rick Peterson

                        Comment

                        • LouGehrig
                          Registered User
                          • Jan 2000
                          • 1366

                          #13
                          Re: Your missing the point

                          Originally posted by KenFougere

                          It's ashame you don't appreciate this unique aspect of the game.
                          Both teams are lucky to have each other to compete with for so many years!


                          :grouchy
                          I do appreciate the unique aspect of the game which you refer to as an intense rivalry at the highest level.

                          While you are right that in 2003 most fans would consider the Yankees-Red Sox to have the greatest rivalry, I do not accept that conclusion to be valid for the reason I stated.

                          I lived through the New York Giants-Brooklyn Dodgers rivalry. Due to the passage of time, most modern fans do not consider it the equal of the Yankees-Red Sox, but that does not change the fact that is was more intense for the fans and, more importantly, for the players.

                          The Yankees and Red Sox players do NOT have the dislike for each other that the Dodgers and Giants players had for each other. Ask David Cone, Mike Stanton, Sparky Lyle, or Mike Torrez ( I did ask Torrez and he said he considers himself a Yankee but has nothing against the Red Sox).

                          As punishment, O'Malley traded Robinson to the Giants, and to his credit, Robinson simply retired.

                          When Sal Maglie walked into the Dodgers clubhouse as a DODGER, it was with trepidation and great wariness.

                          Another important factor is that the Dodgers won sometimes and the Giants won sometimes. While the Dodgers won only one WS while in Brooklyn, it must be recognized that the two teams competed for the pennant, as do the Yankees with the Red Sox, but that there was not great domination of one team over the other as with the Yankees and Red Sox.

                          Finally, after the Giants won the WS in 1933, neither team again won it until the Giants won in 1954, so there were 21 seasons in which neither team won it all. And the following year, the Dodgers won it. No Yankee World Championship has been followed by a Red Sox WS victory.
                          Baseball articles you might not like but should read.

                          Comment

                          • KenFougere
                            Sr Member BB-Almanac 1998
                            • Jan 2000
                            • 2246

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Baseball Guru ..... all of the sub-plots that come into play when teams play each other..

                            IE. Clemens and Piazza....
                            Very good point about the "sub-plots" that fester in a rivalry between certain players.

                            Do you remember when.....
                            Carlton Fisk met Thurmon Munson at homeplate?
                            :grouchy

                            Ah.....the good-ole-days!
                            Last edited by KenFougere; 02-23-2003, 04:47 PM.

                            Comment

                            • BoSox Rule
                              Registered User
                              • Aug 2002
                              • 1027

                              #15
                              In my opinion, which doesn't have to be the same as your's, is that nothing will ever compare to Red Sox vs. Yankees.

                              Comment

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