Few rivalries are as storied as the feud between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Some big superstars have been involved in elite matchups, top playoff performances, and, of course, brawls. In 2004, Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez got involved in an intense rivalry during a close game. 17 years later, in 2021, he confirmed that the feud is never gone.

Notably, 2004 was a year when the Yankees and Red Sox went head to head in the AL East. On July 24th, 2004, things boiled over between the two teams as A-Rod was one of the main instigators of a bench-clearing brawl. According to Rodriguez, the rivalry that started in that conflict remained alive even in 2021.

Alex Rodriguez confirmed that his rivalry with Justin Varitek was serious in 2021

During the 3rd inning of the July 24th game in 2004, Alex Rodriguez was hit by a Bronson Arroyo pitch. The Yankees legend took exception to the incident and spit some unsavory words at Arroyo in return. Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek confronted A-Rod and hit him in the face with his catcher?s mitt. This started the infamous bench-clearing brawl. In 2021, while commentating on a Yankees-Red Sox game, Rodriguez confirmed that the rivalry with Varitek was alive and serious. Furthermore, he said that he hadn?t spoken to the Red Sox catcher since that 2004 game.?

According to NJ.com, Rodriguez said, ?How strong is our rivalry? I have so much respect for Jason Varitek, but that fight was the last conversation we had. So when you talk about how serious it is, it is dead serious.??

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This was a candid revelation from A-Rod, who shared his clear thoughts on the situation. He and Varitek seem to have maintained that feud even after retirement. What makes the situation even more bizarre is that A-Rod was very close to becoming Varitek?s teammate a year prior.?

A-Rod was one step away from joining the Red Sox!

Although it may seem unbelievable, Alex Rodriguez was very close to joining the Yankees rivals. In 2003, the Red Sox had almost finalized a trade with the Texas Rangers. A-Rod had even agreed to reduce his salary. But the MLB Player?s Association rejected the deal. They didn?t like the fact that Rodriguez was reducing his salary and restructuring his contract to join the BoSox.

But the BoSox didn?t want to take on A-Rod?s full salary and the deal eventually fell through. Rodriguez was devastated at the time as he wanted to join a contender and saw the BoSox as a promising team to contend with. Luckily, he landed on the Yankees shortly after and won his World Series in 2009.

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In 2021, Alex Rodriguez confirmed that time does not heal all wounds. His rivalry with Jason Varitek and the bitter relationship they share may be one that never changes. What do you think of their rivalry?