What’s the fiercest sports rivalry? For baseball fans, many claim that the best one has been the clash between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. To back this claim, the recent play-in action between David Ortiz and Derek Jeter, and well, the fans, was one of many instances. During Game 3 of the World Series, the Dodgers won, and the Yankees fell flat with Ortiz himself riling up the stadium, noting, “Theeeeeeeee Yankees lose!.”

Then, the Yankee crowd started cheering ‘Papi sucks’ loud and clear. Meanwhile, Big Papi was laughing in splits and asked for some love. His co-hosts, A-Rod and Alex Rodriguez, patted his hand – a rivalry at its core. And recently, when Ortiz was handing out his ‘My Dawg’ t-shirts to his hosts, all in goodwill, Jeter didn’t join in the fun. Rather, he tossed it away!

Derek Jeter’s playful nod to the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry 

Big Papi seems to have a bag full of ‘My Dawg’ t-shirts. He has been giving them to the best players of the World Series matchup. But now that the Dodgers won and finished the Series after the ugliest innings pulled by the Yankees, Ortiz probably decided to give the rest to his FOX broadcast co-hosts. And just as he was handing the t-shirt to Jeter, he tossed it off ASAP – a classic Red Sox vs. New York Yankees energy, even when they are not on the field.

However, this isn’t the only incident where Derek Jeter has been spotted inducing a lighthearted moment. Recently, Anthony Volpe, the shortstop of the New York Yankees, created magic on the field. Big Papi decided to give him a t-shirt too, but Jeter was against it. The 5X World Series champion said, “No, no, don’t take that” as Big Papi placed the t-shirt on Volpe’s shoulder, with a playful nod.

Well, normally, Derek Jeter has a no-nonsense demeanor, hence, this funny take just makes it a comedic highlight. Plus, it shows even legends have their quirks – in this fiery battle between the Red Sox and Yankees, where every moment counts, even a T-shirt can ignite some good-natured banter.

Yankees vs. Red Sox–a century of drama and competition

Of course, what we see between Ortiz and Jeter is all fun. But the rivalry between their teams, the Boston Red Sox, and the New York saga is a drama that has been going on for ages. It all began in 1919 when the Red Sox famously sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. This was a huge mistake because it helped create the Yankees as a powerhouse, and they won 27 World Series after. Meanwhile, the Red Sox fell into a win drought for 86 years, which is now known as the “Curse of the Bambino.”

However, today the tension isn’t much –  there is a newfound friendlessness that didn’t exist back then when Jason Varitek and A-Rod were butting it out on the base path, or when Graig Nettles was breaking Bill Lee’s arm. Who would the Boston Red Sox hate—Aaron Judge? Meanwhile, Anthony Rizzo was a Red Sox too, and the team loved him. But the most important reason for the rivalry dying is because there’s no competition. The Red Sox, though a good team, aren’t where the Yankees are with their lineup and level. Hence, no competition!

Their duos have a rivalry of even ideals – New York Yankees with their success and traditions and the Red Sox of the underdogs. And no matter what, even if the rivalry isn’t at its peak, whether it’s for a regular-season game or a high-stakes series—it’s never boring. What’s your take on this evergreen dynamics between both teams? Share in the comments below.