The Red Sox and Yankees have been fighting since the very first time they played
There have been some great brawls in the long-standing Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. And it all started when they first met at the turn of the 20th century.
The Red Sox and Yankees have been brawling for over a century. In fact, before they were the “Red Sox’’ and the “Yankees,’’ the Boston Americans and New York Highlanders fought the very first time the teams met, on May 7, 1903.
New York’s Dave Fultz “bowled over’’ Boston pitcher George Winter on the base paths, leading to a scuffle between the teams and setting the tone for what would grow into the greatest rivalry in baseball.
The May 7 melee was covered in the 2004 book, Red Sox and Yankees: The Great Rivalry, and more recently referenced by the New York Daily News. Yankees team historian Brian Richards told Boston.com that while he didn’t have any records of an incident from May 7th, 1903, there was another altercation two days later. New York starting pitcher Jesse Tannehill and second baseman Jimmy Williams were ejected from the May 9 game for arguing balls and strikes, and Williams went so far as to engage in a physical altercation with the umpire.
For a recap of more of the many moments that define the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry, check out the gallery below.
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