When you talk about sports rivalries, you’re talking about a tapestry of stories, each one filled with the passion, tension, and drama of a fiercely contested competition. Whether it’s India Pakistan in cricket, or Barcelona and Real Madrid in soccer. In MLB, there are no rivalries as heated or storied as the one between the Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Their tale of rivalry goes a century back. However, something strange happened this time during the World Series. In a twist nobody saw coming, the Bronx team found themselves borrowing a mantra from their fiercest rivals.

Yes! This was the case in the World Series when the Yankees trailed behind the Dodgers and used the mantra—’Don’t let us win tonight.’ This was first made famous by Kevin Millar of the Boston Red Sox in 2004. It was when the Red Sox did the unthinkable; they made a comeback so great that it’s a story worth telling even after years of it happening!

It was the year the Red Sox made history by becoming the first team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS and beat the Yankees. Not to forget the main thing—they won their first World Series title since 1918. Boston fans will not forget the ‘Curse of the Bambino’ and Pedro Martinez’s role is huge in breaking that curse. Yankees, though weird, were looking to follow in their rival’s footsteps in the World Series; but they couldn’t. And Pedro didn’t chance away from mocking them.

Pedro Martinez stirs the rivalry pot with the New York Yankees

Netflix has immortalized that legendary comeback of 2004, by the Red Sox, in their new docuseries, The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox. It’s a testament to just how crucial that win was—it broke a curse that was going on for more than half a century. It started when the Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees. That decision had changed everything for the Red Sox. The Yanks rose to dominance with that trade, and the Sox fell into a championship drought that went on for 86 years. Until they broke it finally, in 2004. This led to a fierce rivalry between the two teams, and while people say the rivalry isn’t very prevalent—it very much is, at least the past Red Sox players like Pedro Martinez are keeping it alive.

Pedro Martinez has been a key player for the Boston Red Sox. And now that the Netflix series is making the rounds, the media has asked him about the Yankees and their inability to come back from 3 to 0 in the World Series. To which Martinez said, “They had the same opportunity we had 20 years ago to make a comeback and make history. They didn’t. I’m taking David’s words; they’re not us!!” Well, safe to say, that the rivalry still runs deep.

However, the New York Yankees’ Brian Cashman will disagree with Pedro Martinez, as he seems to have not much regret. He had said previously that while he does accept that they played poorly in the World Series; they weren’t a poor team. Dodgers were simply good, and they also had a bout of bad luck!

David Ortiz keeping the good old rivalry alive 

David Ortiz was a former Red Sox slugger, and during the World Series, he savored every bit of the Yankee struggles. And given his strong personality, after the Yankees lost to the LA Dodgers trailing 3-0, Ortiz said, “DA Yankees lose!” Well, that made the pinstriped fans mad, and soon the Yankee stadium was filled with the ‘Papi s-cks’ mantra. Well, given that Ortiz was just seated beside Yankee icons Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, the situation seemed even more dramatic. All in good ol’ rival spirit, that is! But that’s not all.

In just one game, the Yankees won, and Anthony Volpe turned out to be their star. He was seen as the next Jeter, and he proved his mantle in Game 4. Volpe hit a go-ahead grand slam in the third inning and kept the Bronx dream alive, at least if only for a game. Then Big Papi, in the post-game interview by FOX, gave Volpe a ‘My Dawg t-shirt’. And Derek Jeter did a playful nod and hinted at Volpe that, “No, no, no. Don’t take that.” One can say the rivalry is very much alive on both sides.

Volpe, although did take the T-shirt. However, the Yankees and Red Sox both have a fresh new year to look forward to, and this off-season, both are also up for key players. Whether it’s Soto for the Yankees or Roki Sasaki for the Red Sox.