Red Sox, Yankees rivalry as old as Fenway itself

BOSTON (WHDH) -- It was only fitting that Red Sox were taking on the Yankees in their 100th anniversary game on Friday, because the rivalry itself goes back a century.

When that first game at Fenway was played 100 years ago, the Yankees actually weren’t yet called the Yankees; they were called the highlanders.

In 1918 the sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees in a trade that would lead to nearly a century of frustration for Red Sox fans.

That included a historic 1978 home run by Bucky Dent at Fenway. The big hit sent the Yankees into the playoffs and the Sox back home.

The teams faced off in the American League championship series in 2003. At Yankee Stadium in Game Seven, Aaron Boone swung at Tim Wakefield’s first pitch in the 11th inning. That swing broke the hearts of sox fans, who hadn't won a World Series in 85 years.

Everything changed in 2004. In the third inning of a regular season game, Yankee Alex Rodriguez stared down pitcher Bronson Arroyo. Sox catcher Jason Varitek came to his teammate's defense, sparking a bench clearing brawl that led to several fines and suspensions.

The red sox played the Yankees again in the 2004 ALCS, falling behind three games to none. The team won two in a row, and then sent Curt Schilling to the mound with an injured ankle in Game Six.

With blood seeping through his sock, Schilling pitched seven innings and gave up just one run.

The next night, the Sox jumped out to a big lead early and beat the Yankees in Game Seven on their way to their first World Series win in 86 years.

The storied rivalry took another turn in 2008, when a Red Sox fan, working as a construction worker on the new Yankees stadium, buried a David Ortiz jersey in cement. The jersey was discovered, and then donated to charity.