Written by: Andrew Vigliotti of Ball Game Talk
Some of the greatest players to ever play the game of baseball have been a part of the everlasting rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Redsox.
From the elder days of Babe Ruth and Ted Williams to the present day of Derek Jeter and David Ortiz, the Yankees and Redsox rivalry has October feeling in April and bragging rights on the line every meeting. Every pitch is important and every call by an umpire is magnified. The games take an average of a half hour to an hour longer than most major league games and when the two teams meet up it is a safe bet the game will be nationally televised.
“So much history,” said Shane Miller, who is from New Hampshire and is a lifelong Red Sox fan. “From Ted Williams and Babe Ruth to Nomar and Jeter, what other rivalry do you know that just says baseball season has come when they play? Two big market teams that have bread so much talent from their farm systems. Its incredible how one franchise can garner so much hate. Honestly there may never be a rivalry like this one ever again in any sport."
"To me the rivalry means history," Said Josh Brown, who has been a Yankees fan his entire life. "Every game has the potential to be historic and to achieve excellence everyone from both organizations needs to bring their A-game and their game seven World Series skills.
There have been the regular season classics such as Pedro Martinez losing his no hitter in the ninth inning and the post season classics as the Red Sox storming back down three games to zero to advance to and ultimately win the 2004 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. 
"I felt lost, angry and upset that my team thought they could sit back and relax instead of closing the Red Sox out," Brown said regarding the Red Sox come back in 2004.. "Worst feeling I think I have ever felt sports wise. I am a Bills fan as well and that series felt worse than all four consecutive Super Bowl losses."
Keep in mind that early on Ruth experienced both sides of this heated rivalry after the Red Sox were short on cash and sold the legend to the Yankees. Since that momentuntil 2004 the Red Sox failed to collect any fall classic trophies. "The curse of the Bambino," was the term labeled for Boston's rough 86-year stretch.
The label had taken an even bigger turn after the Red Sox lost in the 1986 World Series to the New York Mets after Bill Buckner made the critical error of letting the ball roll under him into right field to lose game six (The Mets would win game seven two days later).
Boston Red Sox fans are just as enthusiatic as Yankees fans for the love of the rivalry.
"As a Redsox fan the rivalry is alive and well shown by the thousands of fans out there who continue to support both teams by buying tickets, apparel, and cheering their heads off while in the seats or at home," said Thomas O'Hara, a Frederick Maryland resident.
Both stadiums provide a historic presence when you walk into them. Fenway is the older of the two stadiums now with the New Yankee Stadium opening in 2009. Fenway Park was opened April 20, 1912.
“Fenway is like no other park in the game. The Green Monster is an iatrical part to Fenway,” Said Miller, who is from New Hampshire and is a lifelong Red Sox fan.
The green monster in left field makes hitting a home run a more accomplished feat than in most parks today. Its 310 feet to left field but the height of the wall makes it difficult. Hitters love the monster because it provides an advantage to other parks because it is very difficult for an outfielder to make a catch. Outfielders who are foriegn to the ball park often have trouble fielding balls off the wall which could turn doubles into triples and maybe more.
“An almost sure fire home run can be a well hit single or double if its hit towards the monster," Said Miller. If you do not know how to play the wall you could be in trouble. The wall can eat up other outfielders out there and it can make the best defensive outfielder look stupid.”
The New Yankee Stadium still has a historic presence because of Monument Park. It's an opened air museum at Yankee Stadium that displays monuments, plaques and retired numbers that honor the former Yankee greats of the past. Despite the move from the older and historic Yankee Stadium, which was named "The house that Ruth built," Monument Park is still there which still keeps the historic feel and presence to every Yankee and baseball fan that steps into the stadium.
There have been years where one team has struggled, while the other team has enjoyed success, but no matter what the records or the players on the team, the Red Sox and Yankees rivalry will last way beyond our time and is great for the game of baseball.
Sport journalism student Andrew Vigliotti writes a weekly column on the 2011 Atlanta Braves. Interact with him on twitter @Andy_Vigliotti. You can also find more of his baseball writing here here and here
