New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox share one of the oldest and probably the greatest rivalry in sport. Whenever they clash in the ballparks, the Red Sox and Yankees give their everything to win the game. And this rivalry goes to a new level when the two sides clash in any knockout series.
The rivalry went to the next level in the early 2000s, especially when Alex Rodriguez joined the Pinstripes in the 2004 season. However, it was the Red Sox who came victorious in the memorable 2004 ALCS.
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Luis Castillo, who served the New York Yankees as their bat boy between the 1998 and 2005 seasons, shared an interesting story of the Yankees locker room during the 2004 American League Championship Series against the arch-rival Boston Red Sox. Castillo revealed how the then-Yankees DH (designated hitter) Hideki Matsui reacted before Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS.
Former New York Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui was sure of the ALCS victory over the Red Sox in 2004
The Boston Red Sox were ruthless in the 2004 MLB season. The Red Sox created history when they defeated the New York Yankees after trailing in the first three games. And to date, they are the only team to win the championship series after trailing in the first three games.
The Yankees bat boy revealed the exact conversations between the then-Yankees manager Joe Torre and designated hitter Hideki Matsui. Per Castillo, when Torre asked Hideki what was the plan for Game 7, the Yankees slugger replied with some attitude.?
His words were, “kick a*. Pop champagne. And get some h*s.?
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But little did Hideki know that the Red Sox will not only snatch the ALCS from the New York Yankees but will also go on to win the World Series that year. It was such a memorable year for the Boston Red Sox and a lesson to the Yankees for not being overconfident.
Because to date, no team has lost a championship series after winning the first three games of the series, except the New York Yankees. All they needed was to win one more game and win the ALCS, but the Joe Torre-led team faced defeats in the next four games.
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WATCH THIS STORY: MLB Stars Who Have Been On Both Sides Of New York Yankees Vs Boston Red Sox Rivalry
What do you think was the main reason the New York Yankees faced a historic defeat to their arch-rivals in the 2004 ALCS?