The last time we saw the Red Sox and Yankees on the field together, Tim Wakefield's knuckleball was disappearing into the left field stands of Yankee Stadium, Aaron Boone was circling the bases and Sox fans were counting the minutes until manager Grady Little was fired. That was five months ago. Today in Fort Myers, the two teams meet again for the first time since Game 7 of last year's ALCS, but the rivalry did not take a break in the offseason. Four letters fuelled the offseason nastiness: A-Rod. Here's the offseason breakdown of what happened with the Red Sox-Yankees, baseball's version of the Hatfields and McCoys.
BEST OFFSEASON MOMENT
Red Sox: We got Curt Schilling!
Yankees: Guess where A-Rod is going?
WORST OFFSEASON MOMENTRed Sox: A-Rod went where?!
Yankees: No fair, Roger retired!
CONSEQUENCES OF A-ROD DEALRed Sox: Hey, Nomar, buddy-old-pal, you're not mad, are you? Nomar?
Yankees: Whatever happened to Aaron Boone?
OFFSEASON CONTROVERSYRed Sox: Nomar? Are you there? Nomar?
Yankees: Hey, Sheff, there's a package here for you and Jason.
DONALD TRUMP MOMENTRed Sox: Grady, you're fired.
Yankees: Aaron, you're fired.
OFFSEASON DESCRIPTION IF IT WERE A BROADWAY SHOWRed Sox: Damn Yankees!
Yankees: The Producers.
OFFSEASON DESCRIPTION IF WERE A ROLLING STONES SONGRed Sox: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.
Yankees: New Faces.
OFFSEASON DESCRIPTION IF IT WERE A TELEVISION SHOWRed Sox: Less Than Perfect.
Yankees: Charmed.
OFFSEASON DESCRIPTION IF IT WERE A SHAKESPEARE PLAYRed Sox: Much Ado About Nothing.
Yankees: All's Well That Ends Well.
THE OWNERS' FIGHTIN' WORDSRed Sox: "(The Yankees) have gone so insanely beyond the sources of other teams"
Yankees: "Get on with life and forget the sour grapes."
TRANSLATION OF OWNERS' FIGHTIN' WORDSRed Sox: "Waaaaaaaaaaa."
Yankees: "Get on with life and forget the sour grapes."