The Rivalry will never match the intensity of 2003-04, simply because we cannot erase Boston’s three recent titles.
Other rivals shared proximity and the same division. But Red Sox-Yankees had Babe Ruth and Curses and – most importantly – Boston’s Sisyphean attempts to win it all.
Once that vanished – once the Red Sox historically rallied from 0-3 down in the 2004 ALCS and went onto win their first title since 1918 – the most unique quality of the Rivalry disappeared, too: The Yankees’ decades-long goal-line stand to keep the Red Sox out of the championship end zone.