Over the years, the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays have had quite the antagonistic relationship. Numerous beanball wars have broken out between the two teams, and bench clearing brawls seemed to be an annual occurrence. Indeed, death, taxes, and the Rays and Red Sox getting into a skirmish were the absolutes in life.
Over the past few years, that rivalry has lost a bit of its edge. Perhaps it is because the Rays are no longer the new kids on the block, looking to prove themselves against the dominant teams, but that animosity is no longer there.