Former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/boston">Boston</a> Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield — famously known for his iconic knuckleball-style pitching that helped the franchise win two World Series titles — died at age 57 on Sunday, the team announced.
Although an official cause of death was not immediately revealed, Wakefield reportedly had been undergoing treatment following a brain cancer diagnosis.
&#8220;Our hearts are broken with the loss of Tim Wakefield,&#8221; the team&#8217;s official X account posted. &#8220;Wake embodied true goodness; a devoted husband, father, and teammate, beloved broadcaster, and the ultimate community leader. He gave so much to the game and all of Red Sox Nation.&#8221;
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Our hearts are broken with the loss of Tim Wakefield.
Wake embodied true goodness; a devoted husband, father, and teammate, beloved broadcaster, and the ultimate community leader. He gave so much to the game and all of Red Sox Nation.
Our deepest love and thoughts are with… <a href="https://t.co/ah5kV2Yt8j">pic.twitter.com/ah5kV2Yt8j</a>
&mdash; Red Sox (@RedSox) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1708550648914903185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Last week, Wakefield&#8217;s former teammate, Curt Schilling, faced backlash after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tim-wakefield-illness-curt-schilling-8f068c984b7c3e5924b3d27f0cd05832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealing</a> without permission that Wakefield had been diagnosed with brain cancer and asked for fans to respect his privacy.
The team issued a statement on Thursday with the consent of Wakefield and his wife, Stacy, saying, &#8220;Unfortunately, this information has been shared publicly without their permission.&#8221;
&#8220;Their health is a deeply personal matter they intended to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease,&#8221; Red Sox officials reportedly said. &#8220;Tim and Stacy are appreciative of the support and love that has always been extended to them and respectfully ask for privacy at this time.&#8221;
Wakefield, who was born in Melbourne, Florida, on August 2, 1966, made his Major League Baseball debut in 1992 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team had drafted him four years earlier as a first baseman to the minor leagues, where his career slowly launched until a Pirates coach saw him throwing a knuckleball while playing catch with a teammate.
&#8220;I was disappointed [the Pirates] were giving up on me that quick [as a hitter],&#8221; Wakefield said in his memoir, &#8220;Knuckler: My Life with Baseball&#8217;s Most Confounding Pitch,&#8221; <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38539709/former-red-sox-knuckleballer-tim-wakefield-dies-brain-caner-57" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ESPN. &#8220;But then, they basically told me, &#8216;You&#8217;re going to pitch or you&#8217;re going to go home.&#8217; So I said, &#8216;OK, I&#8217;ll pitch.'&#8221;
The move immediately garnered Wakefield national attention after winning 8-1 with a 2.15 ERA and two more games during the National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves. But after underperforming the following season, the team sent him back to the minors until ultimately releasing him.
The Boston Red Sox picked him up in 1995, where he found his permanent home for the rest of his professional career and pitched for 17 seasons.
He contributed to the team winning the World Series championship in 2004 against the St. Louis Cardinals to claim their first championship in 86 years. Wakefield scored another World Series title with the Red Sox after defeating the New York Yankees in 2007.
Wakefield retired in 2012 with 200 major league game victories under his belt — 186 with the Red Sox — <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tim-wakefield-death-red-sox-ae1f9bd465fbefede0d030f915b1f988?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;utm_medium=AP_Sports&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> placing him behind legendary baseball players Cy Young and Roger Clemens in the team&#8217;s history.
According to ESPN, he finished his career with a 4.41 ERA with 2,156 strikeouts &#8212; and 1,205 walks &#8212; in 3,226 2/3 innings pitched over 627 appearances (463 starts).
&#8220;There were some years there where I didn&#8217;t know if I was going to come back or not,&#8221; Wakefield said at his 2012 retirement news conference. &#8220;But I&#8217;m very grateful that I&#8217;ve been able to put this uniform on for such a long time, and win two World Series for this great city.&#8221;
Shortly after retiring, Wakefield began working as an analyst for the Red Sox broadcast network NESN. He also remained involved in Boston charities, including the Red Sox Foundation.
In 2016, the franchise inducted him into the Red Sox Hall of Fame to join former players, leadership, and staff members who have contributed to the team&#8217;s 120-year-plus history.
Red Sox owner John Henry said in a statement on Sunday following Wakefield&#8217;s passing that &#8220;Tim&#8217;s kindness and indomitable spirit were as legendary as his knuckleball.&#8221;
&#8220;He not only captivated us on the field but was the rare athlete whose legacy extended beyond the record books to the countless lives he touched with his warmth and genuine spirit,&#8221; Henry said. &#8220;He had a remarkable ability to uplift, inspire, and connect with others in a way that showed us the true definition of greatness. He embodied the very best of what it means to be a member of the Boston Red Sox and his loss is felt deeply by all of us.&#8221;
Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said, &#8220;It&#8217;s one thing to be an outstanding athlete; it&#8217;s another to be an extraordinary human being. Tim was both.&#8221;
&#8220;He was a role model on and off the field, giving endlessly to the Red Sox Foundation and being a force for good for everyone he encountered,&#8221; Werner said. &#8220;I felt fortunate to call him a close friend and along with all of us in Red Sox Nation, I know the world was made better because he was in it.&#8221;
Wakefield is survived by his wife, Stacy, and their children, Trevor and Brianna.

(082611, Boston, MA) Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Tim Wakefield (49) as the Red Sox take on the Athletics at Fenway Park. Friday, August 26, 2011. (Staff photo by Stuart Cahill)

Boston Red Sox Legendary Knuckleballer Pitcher Tim Wakefield Dead At 57

Baseball

Boston Red Sox

Cancer

Death

Major League Baseball

Obituaries

A viral video shows baseball fans leaving a stand selling Bud Light at Fenway Park <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/red-sox-fans-snub-bud-light-fenway-park-viral-video-their-stands-ghost-town" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high and dry</a> during a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays.
TikTok user Luis Tejada made sure to film fans lined up at a nearby refreshment stand before panning to the empty concession selling Bud Light, which was apparently situated in the bleacher concourse. His <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@luistejadabostonrealtor/video/7228661874873650474?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">38-second video</a> has been seen over 1.2 million times.
“Guys, this is so funny and bizarre. Look at that,” Tejada says in the video. “Look at that,” he says, claiming, “That is every single Bud Light stand here at Fenway Park.” He accompanied the video with a statement saying, “Fenway Park Bud Light stand Ghost Town!”
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No one is buying Bud Light at the Red Sox game <a href="https://t.co/evTMApnYGx">pic.twitter.com/evTMApnYGx</a>
&mdash; Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1654145655030403072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The backlash against Bud Light was catalyzed when the company sent trans-identifying influencer Dylan Mulvaney a can of beer with Mulvaney’s face on it as part of an ad partnership. Mulvaney posted a TikTok video with that can of Bud Light, celebrating 365 days of “being a woman.”A subsequent video showed Mulvaney in a bikini while sitting in a bathtub drinking a Bud Light beer.
Meanwhile, the brewery sent a letter to wholesalers about the backlash, trying to convince them that the Mulvaney controversy has been overblown.
“This was one single can given to one social media influencer,” the letter declares. “It was not made for production or sale to the general public. This can is not a formal campaign or advertisement.”
The letter was forwarded to retailers, bars, and restaurants by Grey Eagle, which distributes Anheuser-Busch products, the St. Louis Dispatch <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/a-b-responds-to-controversy-just-one-single-can-sent-to-one-influencer/article_12db8c52-e90f-11ed-be5d-338d88dc3a41.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter_stltoday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. A cover letter from Grey Eagle stated, “Anheuser-Busch did not intend to create controversy or make a political statement.”
“In reality, the Bud Light can posted by a social media influencer that sparked all the conversation was provided by an outside agency without Anheuser-Busch management awareness or approval,” Grey Eagle continued. “Since that time, the lack of oversight and control over marketing decisions has been addressed and a new VP of Bud Light marketing has been announced.”
In the wake of the controversy, Anheuser-Busch is reportedly offering a <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12042215/Bud-Light-offers-FREE-beer-wholesale-employee-begs-forgiveness-Mulvaney-row.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free case of beer</a> to every employee of its wholesaler network.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/one-single-can-anheuser-busch-sends-letter-to-minimize-disastrous-mulvaney-backlash">‘One Single Can’: Anheuser-Busch Sends Letter To Minimize Disastrous Mulvaney Backlash</a>

Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees

‘Ghost Town’: Boston Red Sox Fans Leave Bud Light Vendor Empty In Viral Video

'Ghost Town': Boston Red Sox Fans Leave Bud Light Stand Empty In Viral Video

Bud Light

Sports

U.S.

LeBron James, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nba">NBA</a> star and part owner of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baseball">Boston Red Sox</a>, had some harsh words for Boston Celtics fans on a recent podcast as the Los Angeles Laker criticized them for allegedly being &#8220;racist as f***&#8221; — despite previously saying that he had never experienced racism in the Massachusetts city.
James made the comments on the most recent episode of his talk show &#8220;The Shop.&#8221; When asked where he hated playing, James did not hesitate to name Boston as the toughest place to play.
Maverick Carter — a guest on the show and fellow Red Sox co-owner — <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/le-bron-james-red-sox-co-owner-says-he-hates-celtics-fans-because-they-racist-as-f-005513844.html">asked</a> James, &#8220;In basketball, there are fans that can literally take the game from you? You can feel like, &#8216;The fans is not going to let us win this one tonight?&#8217; What place?&#8221;
&#8220;I mean, Boston,&#8221; James responded.
Co-creator of the show Paul Rivera asked, &#8220;Why do you hate Boston?&#8221; The sure-fire NBA Hall of Famer shot back, &#8220;Because they racist as f***.&#8221;
&#8220;They will say anything and it&#8217;s fine. It&#8217;s my life,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been dealing with it my whole life. I don&#8217;t mind it. I hear it. If I hear somebody like close by, I&#8217;ll check them real quick. I move on to the game. &#8230; They might throw something on you. I got a beer thrown on me leaving the game.&#8221;
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In 2021, both Carter and James <a href="https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2021/04/30/lebron-james-now-owns-part-of-the-red-sox-what-does-that-mean-for-sports">invested</a> in the Fenway Sports Group which owns the Red Sox, Fenway Park, Liverpool Football Club, and the New England Sports Network (NESN).
“Well first of all, it’s great to be with such a great group with FSG,&#8221; James told the press after the deal was announced. &#8220;They’ve done so many great things over the years, and just that collective group of people — they’re just amazing to be partners with.”
“I think for me and for my partner Maverick, to be the first two Black men to be a part of that ownership group in the history of that franchise, I think it’s pretty damn cool,&#8221; James added.
The three-time NBA Finals champion was blasted on Twitter for his remarks.
Gerry Callahan, Boston radio legend and host of &#8220;The Gerry Callahan Show&#8221; podcast, tweeted, &#8220;Of course, he gives no examples, not even made up ones. Question is, have the Red Sox owners apologized to this a**hole yet?&#8221;
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Of course, he gives no examples, not even made up ones. Question is, have the Red Sox owners apologized to this asshole yet? <a href="https://t.co/jvbYMwMVL9">https://t.co/jvbYMwMVL9</a>
&mdash; Gerry Callahan (@GerryCallahan) <a href="https://twitter.com/GerryCallahan/status/1548094120136044546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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OutKick writer Bobby Burack tweeted, &#8220;LeBron James is the biggest fraud on the internet,&#8221; while making note of his stake in the BoSox.
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LeBron James is the biggest fraud on the internet. <a href="https://t.co/OE2DmxkilD">pic.twitter.com/OE2DmxkilD</a>
&mdash; Bobby Burack (@burackbobby_) <a href="https://twitter.com/burackbobby_/status/1548116315944103936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In May of 2017, James also <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2017/05/04/lebron-boston-racism-adam-jones/">told</a> the media that he had never personally been affected by racism in Boston.
His comments came in support of Baltimore Orioles centerfielder Adam Jones, who claimed that somebody called him the n-word from the stands of Fenway Park and threw peanuts at him during a game in Boston. Jones received a standing ovation from the Fenway crowd during his first at-bat the next day after the reported incident.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been to Boston. I&#8217;ve played in Boston a lot I just try to have tunnel vision when I play I don&#8217;t &#8230; I can&#8217;t recall me ever hearing something that was racism towards me,&#8221; James <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkhGSjPy0R8&amp;t=10s">told</a> the media. &#8220;But I think it was great that the other guys spoke up for him not even on his own team. I think the guys from the Red Sox spoke up for Adam Jones saying like, &#8216;Hey fans, we need you guys to, you know, this is a situation where you guys need to have a standing ovation. Please do that because it&#8217;s not it&#8217;s not great for sport &#8230; it&#8217;s not great for society.&#8221;
A video of the standing ovation for Jones can be seen here:
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James has <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/2020/7/7/21307828/lebron-james-career-as-told-through-the-eyes-of-the-boston-celtics">an all-time series record</a> of 5 &#8211; 2 against the Celtics in the playoffs for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat — both teams in the Eastern Conference. Now as a Laker, the only time he will face the Celtics again in the postseason will be if both teams make it to the NBA Finals.

Lebron James

‘Racist As F***’: LeBron James, Part Owner Of Red Sox, Blasts Boston Fans During Talk Show

NBA Star LeBron James, Part Owner Of Red Sox, Blasts Boston Celtic Fans During Talk Show "The Talk"

Boston

LeBron James

Racism

This <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/baseball">Major League</a> pitcher has serious control issues.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/boston-red-sox">Boston Red Sox</a> pitcher Chris Sale, rehabbing in the minor leagues from a rib injury, went berserk in the clubhouse after a poor performance Wednesday night in a moment of extreme frustration caught on video. The one-time ace was seen on video ripping fixtures from the walls in the team’s Triple A affiliate Worcester’s clubhouse. The display of rage came after he gave up a bases-loaded walk.
“Pfffff. Not good,” Sale later <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/07/06/sports/perhaps-his-last-rehab-hurdle-chris-sale-throws-hard-control-is-spotty-short-start-worcester/">told</a> The Boston Globe in recounting his performance. “I was just out there fishing today. … Nothing to hang your hat on, that’s for sure.”
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It appears that Chris Sale was not happy with his rehab start performance tonight 😳
(h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/AlyshaNBCBoston?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AlyshaNBCBoston</a>) <a href="https://t.co/3xbfg4vxVR">pic.twitter.com/3xbfg4vxVR</a>
&mdash; B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) <a href="https://twitter.com/BRWalkoff/status/1544904043218161664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The lanky lefthander was pulled after lasting just 3.2 innings and giving up the run-scoring walk. He walked five batters and struck out five. Sale, who is trying to work his way back to the big club, was an ace with the Chicago White Sox before joining Boston in 2017. Since coming to Beantown, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boston-red-sox-pitcher-throws-third-immaculate-inning-of-his-career-joining-sandy-koufax?itm_source=parsely-api&amp;utm_source=cnemail&amp;utm_medium=email">has been brilliant when healthy</a>, even leading the team to a World Series title in 2018.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/youll-never-see-this-again-bizarre-spectacular-play-makes-baseball-history">YOU&#8217;LL NEVER SEE THIS AGAIN: BIZARRE, SPECTACULAR PLAY MAKES BASEBALL HISTORY</a>
But the 33-year-old has been plagued by injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery before the start of the 2020 season, and returned last year for just nine starts. He suffered a stress fracture in his ribs before the start of the current season and hasn&#8217;t pitched for the Red Sox yet.
Despite Wednesday’s struggles, Sale appears poised to get the call from Boston. In his four rehab starts, Sale has logged 11.1 innings with 19 strikeouts and a 2.38 earned run average. The Red Sox, who are currently tied for second place behind the arch-rival New York Yankees in the American League East, could use a healthy ace on the mound when the second half of the season resumes following the July 19 All-Star game.
If the organization decides Sale should pay for the damage he did to the Worcester clubhouse, it should not be a problem. He is earning $30 million this year and is under contract for the next three years. In 2019, Sale agreed to a contract extension &#8220;in $150 million range,&#8221; <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/03/22/chris-sale-contract-extension-boston-red-sox-mlb-rumors-world-series">reported</a> ESPN&#8217;s Jeff Passan.

Oakland Athletics v Boston Red Sox

WATCH: Big League Pitcher Goes Berserk, Trashes Clubhouse After Poor Start

A few basics of baseball: walks by your pitching staff will kill you, contact is always better than striking out, smart base-running is the difference between a good team and a great team. 
If you take a look at last night’s American League Wild Card game box score after reading that first sentence, you’ll be able to tell which team is advancing to the ALDS and which team is headed home for a long, cold winter. 
The Boston Red Sox were the better team from the first pitch Tuesday night, ending the Yankees season with a 6-2 victory. 
Cy Young candidate Gerrit Cole was chased after just two innings, giving up a two-run shot to Xander Bogaerts in the first and a massive home run to Kyle Schwarber in the third. 
“Sick to my stomach,” Cole <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/05/sports/baseball/yankees-red-sox-wild-card-playoff.html">said</a> after the game, adding later, “This is the worst feeling in the world, and it happens to 29 teams every year, going home early and not achieving your ultimate goal.
The $324 million man came into the winner-take-all matchup struggling, owner of a 6.15 ERA in his last five starts, and didn’t have anywhere near his best stuff from the first pitch. 
Cole has a checkered history at Fenway Park — a 1-4 record with 5.21 era in seven career starts —  but it’s not like he got any help from a Yankees offense that is known for smashing balls out of the ballpark. 
The Yankees managed just six hits and two runs on the night, striking out 11 times with zero walks. On the other hand, Boston walked seven times, including three walks in the seventh, which allowed Alex Verdugo to break the game open with a two-out two-run single. 
New York also shot themselves in the foot in an area that has been a problem for them all season —  the bases. 
In the top of the sixth inning, the Yankees finally got on the board with a solo shot from first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Aaron Judge followed with an infield single, giving Yankees fans in attendance a reason to cheer for the first time all night and ending Red Sox starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi’s evening. 
Giancarlo Stanton followed with a long shot to center that hit off the wall. Judge — not known for his speed — was shockingly sent home by third base coach Phil Nevin, and was thrown out by a few feet after a perfect Red Sox relay, stalling the Yankees&#8217; best opportunity to get back into the game.
&#8220;That was better than a homer for me, personally,&#8221; Bogaerts <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32346019/boston-red-sox-oust-new-york-yankees-win-wild-card-advance-alds">said</a>. &#8220;I mean, if that run scores, it&#8217;s 3-2, Stanton is at second base, the whole momentum is on their side. The dugout is getting pumped up.&#8221;
&#8220;As Judge was out at home, I saw Stanton was pretty mad. He probably wanted a homer there, but also an RBI, and he didn&#8217;t get that, and he probably felt like he didn&#8217;t do much because that run didn&#8217;t score. But that changed the game.&#8221;
It was the perfect example of the 2021 Yankees, an up and down team that struggled to do the little things well all season long.
&#8220;I think coming in, the ball coming in looked like it was going to be kind of an in-between hop to the infielder,&#8221; Yankees manager Aaron Boone <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/phil-nevin-aaron-boone-yankees-aaron-judge/15un2ztmnaplx1g3lo4e2noosm">said</a> in his postgame news conference. &#8220;Bogaerts did a good job of creating a hop, catching it clean and obviously throwing home and getting him. And that kind of squashed the potential rally there so I think what saw was what he thought was going to be kind of an in-between hop and really a tough chance.”
Boone has been much maligned for much of the 2021 campaign, with many calling for a managerial change as the Yankees have failed to make it to the World Series in Boone’s four seasons. 
&#8220;I haven&#8217;t had any conversations about [my contract] with anyone, so we&#8217;ll see,&#8221; Boone <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32346452/yankees-manager-aaron-boone-peace-future-air-new-york-season-ends">said</a>. &#8220;I love being here. I love going to work with this group of players.&#8221;
&#8220;The league has closed the gap on us,&#8221; Boone later said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve got to get better in every aspect. Because it&#8217;s not just the Red Sox and the Astros now in our league. Look at our division, the Rays are a beast, Toronto, there&#8217;s some teams in the Central that are better and better, teams in the West that are better and better, teams that have closed the gap on us.&#8221;
Boone&#8217;s contract ends after the 2021 season. 
For Boston, they advance to the ALDS to face the Tampa Bay Rays in a best of five series starting on Thursday.
&#8220;Now, we go to the next one, and we&#8217;ve just got to be ready to face a great baseball team,&#8221; Red Sox manager Alex Cora <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32346019/boston-red-sox-oust-new-york-yankees-win-wild-card-advance-alds">said</a>. &#8220;Coming into the season, everybody talked about them being the best team in the big leagues, and we have a huge challenge. But we&#8217;re ready for it.&#8221;
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

American League Wild Card Game: New York Yankees v. Boston Red Sox

MLB: Yankees Bats Go Silent, Red Sox Advance To ALDS

New York Yankees

If you want to sit down and debate the greatest rivalries in sports, I’m more than willing to have that conversation. 
Duke vs. North Carolina, Lakers vs. Celtics, Bears vs. Packers, Ohio State vs. Michigan … all have legitimate claims to the best rivalry. But for me, it&#8217;s Yankees vs. Red Sox. 
The rivalry dates back 120 years, but the intensity of the rivalry truly began with Boston trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920. 
Through the years, the Yankees have won 27 World Series titles, while the Red Sox toiled away under the “Curse of the Bambino,” failing to win a championship for 86 years. 
Times have changed in the rivalry since 2004, with Boston winning four World Series to the Yankees one.   
The two storied organizations renew their rivalry Tuesday night in Fenway Park, in a loser-goes-home American League Wild Card matchup. 
Being a lover of the history of baseball, I decided to take a look back at the top five moments between the two storied organizations. There are certainly more than five, so feel free to argue about which moments I left off. 
5. Jason Varitek vs Alex Rodriguez 
A-Rod entered the rivalry in 2004, traded from the Texas Rangers to New York for second baseman Alfonso Soriano. The star shortstop was the highest-paid player in baseball at the time, and coming off an MVP season in 2003. To add insult to injury, the Red Sox and Rodriguez had agreed to a deal earlier in the offseason that had fallen apart when the MLBPA stepped in and said that A-Rod could not reduce his salary to make the deal work. 
So, tensions were obviously high on July 24, 2004, at Fenway Park. 
Rodriguez was plunked by Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo in the elbow and had words for the starting pitcher as he walked toward first base. Catcher Jason Varitek got between the two, they exchanged words, and the brawl began. 
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There’s quite a bit more to come from the 2004 season, so don’t forget this moment. 
4. Bucky Dent 
While the Red Sox had been toiling away without a championship for decades by 1978, Bucky Dent may be the moment when Boston fans started believing in the curse. 
The Yankees and Red Sox played in a winner-take-all game for the American League East crown in October of 1978 at Fenway Park. New York had closed a 14-game deficit in the division to force the tiebreaker. 
With the Yankees down 2-0 in the seventh inning, Dent stepped to the plate with two men on base. 
The rest is history, and the phrase “Bucky Bleeping Dent” was born. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Bucky Dent 1978 - His Big Homer w/Frank Messer&#039;s audio &amp; WPIX-TV video" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ubeFmHEVzQ0?start=140&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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“There’s nothing like playing in a one-game playoff,” Dent <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/10/04/bucky-dent-hoping-for-new-hero-to-emerge-in-yankees-red-sox/">told</a> the New York Post about Tuesday’s game. “It’s totally different from anything else. It still has the same impact [as the play-in]. You’re trying to win to go on. And it’s Boston and New York. The big thing is, you want to be mentally ready to play. Shoot, it’s the greatest thing that there is. It’s what you play for.”
3. Pedro Martinez throws down Don Zimmer
In game three of the 2003 ALCS between Boston and New York, things got completely out of hand. 
It started with Pedro Martinez hitting Karim Garcia in the back up near his head with a fastball. The two exchanged words before Garcia went to first. After a double play in which Garcia went hard into second base, catcher Jorge Posada yelled at Martinez from the dugout. Martinez pointed at his head, leading many to believe that he was telling Posada that he was going to throw at his head when he came to the plate. 
In the bottom half of the fourth, Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens threw high and inside to Manny Ramirez — though not particularly close to his head — causing the benches to clear. 
Yankees assistant coach Don Zimmer, who was 72-years-old at the time, charged Martinez, who threw Zimmer to the ground by his head. 
You can watch the entire sequence below. New York would get the last laugh, which we discuss next. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Yankees - Red Sox Brawl 2003 ALCS (Pedro, Zimmer, Karim Garcia, Manny, Clemens)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OZAH3Ag4kuw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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2. Aaron Bleeping Boone
Boston took a 5-2 lead into the 8th inning of game seven in the 2003 ALCS, when it all fell apart for Martinez and the Red Sox. 
Derek Jeter started off the rally with a one-out double, Bernie Williams drove him with a single, followed by a ground rule double by Hideki Matsui to put the tying runners on base. 
What followed will forever go down in Boston sports infamy. 
Manager Grady Little left a tired Martinez in to face Posada, who hit a flare over second base, scoring Williams and Matsui, tying the game at 5-5.
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After three shutout innings from Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, knuckleballer Tim Wakefield faced Aaron Boone to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning. And with one swing of the bat, Boone forever became a Yankees legend. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="2003 ALCS game 7 highlights" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jY_SUmt15mA?start=692&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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1. Red Sox come back from 0-3 hole to beat Yankees, break the curse
After decades of torment, the Red Sox finally were able to get the best of the Yankees. And in a historic way. 
Down three games to none in the 2004 ALCS, Boston faced the impossible challenge of becoming the first team to win a series after being down 0-3. 
It started in the ninth inning of game four when Dave Roberts stole second base, and eventually scored the tying run on Bill Mueller’s single off of Mariano Rivera. David Ortiz launched a walk-off two-run bomb in the bottom of the 12th inning. The next night, Ortiz’s single in the bottom of the 14th inning sent the Red Sox back to New York. 
Boston won game six 4-2, behind Curt Schilling’s epic “bloody sock” performance. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="2004 ALCS Gm6: Schilling&#039;s epic performance through adversity" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lwjJg3vmM_Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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In game seven, Johnny Damon’s grand slam in the second inning put Boston up 6-0, as the Red Sox went on to win game seven 10-3. 
The “Curse of the Bambino” ended shortly after in St. Louis. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Red Sox break the &quot;Curse&quot;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KCBFjmtLgSI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Counting Down The Greatest Moments Of The Yankees, Red Sox Rivalry Through The Years

Readers Pass

The game of baseball takes its history very seriously. There is no other sport where historical statistics take on such meaning. 
It&#8217;s why what occurred on Thursday night was so special. Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale joined Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax as the only pitchers to have thrown three immaculate innings.
What&#8217;s an immaculate inning you ask?
An immaculate inning occurs when a pitcher strikes out all three batters in one inning and does so by throwing the minimum number of pitches possible — nine. 
On Thursday night, Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale made history, throwing the third immaculate inning of his career against the Minnesota Twins. 
Sale accomplished the feat by striking out Nick Gordon, Andrelton Simmons and Rob Refsnyder of the Twins. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Chris Sale throws an IMMACULATE INNING! (3rd immaculate inning of Sale&#039;s career)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dNAYwtpA6jw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“I don’t remember if I’ve been part of an immaculate inning,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli <a href="https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/chris-sale-dominant-bobby-dalbec-homers-lead-red-sox">said</a> of Sale’s feat. “[Major League coach Bill Evers] looked right at me, next to me on the bench, and said, ‘That was nine pitches, nine strikes.’ I was not locked in on that fact. I was thinking about looking at other things.”
Sale&#8217;s two other immaculate innings came on May 8, 2019, against the Baltimore Orioles and June 5, 2019, against the Kansas City Royals. 
Sale was starting just his third game of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, causing him to miss the entirety of the 2020 season. 
&#8220;Today was probably the best my mechanics have been start-to-finish. I really felt like I was staying on top of the baseball. I really kind of found it out in the bullpen before the game,&#8221; <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32091893/boston-red-sox-ace-chris-sale-joins-sandy-koufax-only-pitchers-record-3-immaculate-innings">said</a> Sale. 
Sale moved to 3-0 on the season in Boston’s 12-2 victory over the Twins. Sale went 5 ⅓ innings, striking out eight while giving up just the two earned runs. The only blip in his box score was a two-run home run by Willians Astudillo. 
“That’s probably the most [angry] I’ve been on the baseball field in a while,” Sale <a href="https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/chris-sale-dominant-bobby-dalbec-homers-lead-red-sox">said</a> about the next batter he faced after the home run. “That’s just coming out of anger and frustration. … Today was probably the best my mechanics have been [from] start to finish.”
“He was good, he showed us that he has something in the tank,” manager Alex Cora said.
The Red Sox are currently seven games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East but are currently holding the second Wild Card spot. They begin their series against the Cleveland Indians Friday night in Cleveland.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/detroit-tigers-announcer-suspended-indefinitely-after-using-accent-with-japanese-star-shohei-ohtani-coming-to-the-plate">Detroit Tigers Announcer Suspended Indefinitely After Using Accent With Japanese Star Shohei Ohtani Coming To The Plate</a>
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohtani-not-offended-by-announcers-comment-hits-40th-home-run-of-the-season-on-wednesday">Ohtani Not Offended By Announcers Comment, Hits 40th Home Run Of The Season On Wednesday </a>
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

Texas Rangers v Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox Pitcher Throws Third Immaculate Inning Of His Career, Joining Sandy Koufax

Authorities in the Dominican Republic have arrested a man they believe is the mastermind behind the shooting of former Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz.
Police have detained Victor Hugo Gomez, who, they allege, actually orchestrated a hit on his cousin, Sixto David Fernandez, who is also a friend of Ortiz. Fernandez was with Ortiz the night of the shooting, and the two men look alike. Authorities believe the hitmen mistook Ortiz for Fernandez, The Associated Press <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27075347/suspected-mastermind-ortiz-shooting-arrested?platform=amp">reported</a>.
Gomez posted a video on YouTube professing his innocence, claiming he would not try to kill his cousin.
“I would never do something like this,&#8221; Gomez said in the seven-minute video posted Friday.
He said he now feared for his life and has asked police in the country to investigate further, the AP reported.
“I want to clarify that I have nothing to do with any attempt on the life against Sixto David Fernandez,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;re family.&#8221;
The AP reported that Gomez then spent much of the remainder of the video “accusing Fernandez of having ties to drug traffickers, saying that many people would back up his claims.”
Gomez’s alleged motive for wanting his cousin dead is that Fernandez allegedly ratted him out to Dominican authorities in 2011 for drug crimes. Gomez served jail time for his crimes, where he allegedly met one of the nearly dozen suspects arrested for the Ortiz shooting.
Fernandez was reportedly not injured during the shooting, which sent Ortiz to the emergency room. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/48223/former-red-sox-star-david-ortiz-stable-condition-ashe-schow">previously reported</a> that Ortiz’s assistant, Leo Lopez, said the former baseball star was “bleeding from his liver” and needed to have “portions of his intestines, colon and his gallbladder” removed to stop the internal bleeding. Ortiz was eventually moved to a hospital closer to his home, in Boston, where he has since been moved out of the intensive care unit.
Gomez, according to Dominican police, allegedly sent threatening messages to his cousin Fernandez before the shooting, though the exact timing of these messages is unknown.
After his stint in prison in 2011, Gomez was one of dozens accused of drug trafficking in March 2019 after a sting in Houston, the AP reported. In his YouTube video, Gomez said he couldn’t afford a lawyer or bond, which is why he didn’t turn himself in to U.S. authorities for the drug trafficking allegations. He also said he wasn’t home at the time he was being sought by authorities.
The AP also reported that another suspect has been arrested in connection with the shooting of Ortiz: Alberto Rodriguez Mota. Mota allegedly paid the hitmen about $8,000 to carry out the attack. The outlet reported that Dominican police “said he was captured off the eastern coast of the Dominican Republic en route to Puerto Rico.”
Ortiz is expected to recover from the attack.

Man Suspected Of Orchestrating Hit On David Ortiz Has Been Arrested

Shooting

Authorities in the Dominican Republican have identified Alberto Miguel Rodriguez Mota as the man who allegedly paid hitmen to kill former Boston Red Sox star, David Ortiz.
The Associated Press <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26996804/dr-authorities-id-man-say-paid-ortiz-hitmen?platform=amp">reported</a> that Mota was identified by Gabriel Alexander Perez Vizcaino, whose nickname is &#8220;Bone.&#8221; Perez was in court in connection with the attack on Ortiz, and believed to be &#8220;the liaison between the alleged hitmen and the person who paid them,&#8221; the AP reported.
Yet another suspect, who is already in prison for unrelated crimes, allegedly contacted Perez to set up the hit and gave him Ortiz&#8217;s picture to give to the hitmen. Perez is accused of giving the hitmen the picture mere moments before they approached Ortiz and shot him. Court documents reviewed by the AP stated that the day after the attack, Perez sold a gold-colored iPhone 6 for $180. Authorities said he used the phone to plan the attack, but he claimed he sold it because it wasn&#8217;t working properly.
&#8220;He did this upon finding out that police were looking for him,&#8221; court documents said, according to the AP.
Perez is just one of 10 suspects detained by police in connection to the shooting of the baseball legend. They are still looking for two other men, including the one who allegedly paid the hitmen.
Ortiz&#8217;s attorney, Jose Martinez Hoepelman, told the AP that he trusts the authorities.
&#8220;They have worked tirelessly to obtain the results that we have so far. We all want more information, but we have to wait,&#8221; he said.
The AP also reported that police said the man who coordinated the attack &#8220;was offered 400,000 Dominican pesos, or about $7,800,&#8221; for his services.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/48223/former-red-sox-star-david-ortiz-stable-condition-ashe-schow">previously reported</a>, Ortiz was shot on June 9 at a club in his native Dominican Republic. Surveillance footage shows two men approach him on a motorcycle and shoot him after a few words were exchanged. Ortiz can be shown slumping over in the video.
Ortiz had to have &#8220;portions of his intestines, colon and his gallbladder&#8221; removed to stop internal bleeding, according to his assistant Leo Lopez.
About two days after the shooting, Ortiz was in stable enough condition to travel to a hospital in Boston, where he is still recovering.
In response to the shooting, Ortiz&#8217;s former team provided a statement offering his family &#8220;all available resources to aid in his recovery and will continue to keep them in our hearts.&#8221;
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RedSox?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RedSox</a> Statement Regarding David Ortiz: <a href="https://t.co/zl2yp8NREs">pic.twitter.com/zl2yp8NREs</a>
&#8212; Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1137959315703287808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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MLB also offered support for Ortiz, also known as &#8220;Big Papi.&#8221;
&#8220;Our thoughts are with David Ortiz, who is reportedly hospitalized after being shot in his hometown of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic,&#8221; the league tweeted.
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Our thoughts are with David Ortiz, who is reportedly hospitalized after being shot in his hometown of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, per <a href="https://twitter.com/Enrique_Rojas1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Enrique_Rojas1</a>. <a href="https://t.co/IH3Qjxn0BT">pic.twitter.com/IH3Qjxn0BT</a>
&#8212; MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1137923963252891648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Dominican Republic Police Have Identified A Man In Connection With David Ortiz Shooting

Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz was shot Sunday night in his native Dominican Republic and remains in intensive care following surgery to remove parts of his organs to stop internal bleeding.
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/david-ortiz-red-sox-shot/index.html">reported</a> that Ortiz underwent surgery Sunday night to remove &#8220;portions of his organs&#8221; to stop the bleeding. He was reportedly &#8220;bleeding from his liver,&#8221; according to his assistant Leo Lopez, and had &#8220;portions of his intestines, colon and his gallbladder&#8221; removed as well. A spokesperson for the Dominican Republic National Police (DRNP) told CNN that Ortiz is currently in stable condition and &#8220;out of danger.&#8221;
Initial reports indicated the shooting may have been part of a robbery, but Lopez told the outlet he was sure &#8220;it was not a robbery,&#8221; but didn&#8217;t know the true motive. He said neither he nor Ortiz knew the man who has been identified as a suspect and taken into police custody. Eddy Vladimir Feliz Garcia has been identified as one of the suspects. Garcia was injured by other clubgoers after the shooting and was treated for his wounds before being transferred to police. Another suspect is still at large.
Surveillance <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2019/06/10/david-ortiz-shooting-surveillance-video-vpx.cnn">footage</a> from the club where Ortiz was shot show him slumping over and falling to the floor. DRNP said in a statement translated by CNN that two men riding a motorcycle approached Ortiz before shooting him. Ortiz&#8217;s friend, talk show host Jhoel Lopez, was also injured in the attack. Lopez had posted a photo of himself and Ortiz to Instagram just hours before the shooting.
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BygGwr9nmHr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tu sabes que somos de calle Con el mío @davidortiz yaaaaaa</a>
A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jhoellopez01/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Jhoel Lopez</a> (@jhoellopez01) on Jun 9, 2019 at 1:00pm PDT
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The Red Sox released a statement after the shooting regarding Ortiz:
<blockquote>
Late last night we were made aware of an incident involving David Ortiz in the Dominican Republic. David&#8217;s family has confirmed that he sustained a gunshot wound to the lower back/abdominal region. David is being treated at Clinica Abel Gonzalez in Santo Domingo where he is recovering after surgery.
We have offered David&#8217;s family all available resources to aid in his recovery and will continue to keep them in our hearts.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RedSox?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RedSox</a> Statement Regarding David Ortiz: <a href="https://t.co/zl2yp8NREs">pic.twitter.com/zl2yp8NREs</a>
&#8212; Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) <a href="https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1137959315703287808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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MLB also <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1137923963252891648">tweeted</a> support for Ortiz, writing their &#8220;thoughts are with&#8221; him. Former teammate Pedro Martinez also posted a heartfelt tweet for his friend, writing:
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I&#8217;m at peace knowing you out of danger; you a strong man Compai, can&#8217;t wait to hear your voice. My thoughts and prayers are with you, see you soon.
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I&#8217;m at peace knowing you out of danger; you a strong man Compai, can&#8217;t wait to hear your voice. My thoughts and prayers are with you, see you soon. 
Me siento tranquilo de saber que estás fuera de peligro, usted es fuerte Compai, ya quiero oírle la voz. Orando, nos vemos pronto <a href="https://t.co/jdSnNsM7eI">pic.twitter.com/jdSnNsM7eI</a>
&#8212; Pedro Martinez (@45PedroMartinez) <a href="https://twitter.com/45PedroMartinez/status/1137930033505492992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Ortiz, also known as &#8220;Big Papi,&#8221; played 20 seasons for Major League Baseball, 14 of which were for the Boston Red Sox, before retiring in 2016.

Former Red Sox Star David Ortiz In Stable Condition After Being Shot In Dominican Republic

On Saturday night, after <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2019/01/27/mookie-betts-receives-mvp-award-from-baseball-writers-new-york/r2WsoV0Bl0P3brRZwSDpiI/story.html?s_campaign=bdc:article:stub">accepting</a> the Most Valuable Player award at the 96th annual New York Baseball Writers&#8217; Association of America dinner, Boston Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts said he <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2019/01/27/mookie-betts-says-will-not-white-house/5AUx8KbmwlBW33VLuUfnjK/story.html">would not join</a> other members of his team when they visit the White House on May 9. Betts told The Boston Globe, &#8220;I won&#8217;t be going there. I decided not to.&#8221;
The Red Sox were initially scheduled to visit the White House on February 15 but the government shutdown forced the visit to be rescheduled to May, when Boston has a three-game series at Camden Yards in Baltimore against the Baltimore Orioles.
Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers has already said he would not visit the White House, according to the Globe; pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez is leaning against it, and shortstop Xander Bogaerts and infielder Eduardo Nunez have not decided whether they will or won&#8217;t. The Globe reported that Red Sox manager Alex Cora appears unlikely to attend. Last September, when President Trump <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1040217897703026689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1040217897703026689&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F2018%2F9%2F13%2F17854408%2Ftrump-hurricane-maria-death-toll-tweets">said</a> that Democrats had <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1040220855400386560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1040220855400386560&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F2018%2F9%2F13%2F17854408%2Ftrump-hurricane-maria-death-toll-tweets">inflated</a> the number of people who died after Hurricane Maria hit the island, Cora <a href="he%20said%20they%20were%20%25E2%2580%259Cdisrespectful%25E2%2580%259D%20to%20Puerto%20Rico,%20but%20he%20also%20said%20that%20%25E2%2580%259C%255Bhe%255D%20hate%255Bs%255D%20that%20people%20that%20make%20it%20a%20political%20issue.%20This%20is%20about%20human%20beings.%25E2%2580%259D">commented</a> that Trump&#8217;s comments were &#8220;disrespectful&#8221; to Puerto Rico, although he added that he &#8220;hate[s] that people that make it a political issue. This is about human beings.&#8221;
Red Sox players who have said they would attend include Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Brock Holt, Brian Johnson, Mitch Moreland, Steve Pearce, Rick Porcello, Chris Sale, and Blake Swihart.
Other championship teams have had members refusing to visit Trump&#8217;s White House; many members of the New England Patriots skipped the trip in 2017. After the Golden State Warriors won the NBA championship in 2017, several Warriors said they would not visit if they were invited, including Stephen Curry. Before the team decided what they would do, President Trump tweeted, &#8220;Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!&#8221;
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Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!
&#8212; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/911572182060453893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Warriors then tweeted:
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Statement from the Golden State Warriors: <a href="https://t.co/6kk6ofdu9X">pic.twitter.com/6kk6ofdu9X</a>
&#8212; Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/WarriorsPR/status/911671456928382976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Curry <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/2018/2/27/17058176/warriors-white-house-washington-dc-children-museum-local-kiddos-good-job-yall">stated</a>, &#8220;It&#8217;s kind of funny that that tweet (Trump&#8217;s) was sent out before we had a chance to get together as a team. It is what it is. My stance is the same [as] yesterday. I&#8217;m trying to cement that even further about how things in our country have gone, especially with representing us.&#8221;
That, in turn, prompted NBA star LeBron James to tweet at Trump. &#8220;U bum <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenCurry30">@StephenCurry30</a> already said he ain&#8217;t going! So therefore ain&#8217;t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!&#8221;
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U bum <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenCurry30?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StephenCurry30</a> already said he ain&#8217;t going! So therefore ain&#8217;t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!
&#8212; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/911610455877021697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The NBA championship team has usually visited the White House the next season when they play the Washington Wizards in Washington D.C. After the Warriors won in 2017, they did not visit the White House in 2018, and then after winning the title again in 2018, instead of visiting the White House when they played in Washington D.C. this week, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/01/25/warriors-skip-white-house-meet-with-former-president-barack-obama-instead/?utm_term=.c4ee82a7a0ec">Warriors visited former president Barack Obama</a> at his Washington office.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/17468/rumor-nba-champion-golden-state-warriors-refuse-go-ben-shapiro%20%5D">shoe was on the other foot</a> in 2011, when Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas refused to visit the White House to meet with President Obama, explaining, &#8220;I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties and Property of the People.&#8221; As <a href="https://heatst.com/uncategorized/flashback-when-boston-bruin-snubbed-obama-at-white-house-media-reaction-was-very-different/">Heat Street reported</a><a href="https://heatst.com/uncategorized/flashback-when-boston-bruin-snubbed-obama-at-white-house-media-reaction-was-very-different/">,</a> the leftist media ripped Thomas:
<a href="http://www.espn.com/boston/nhl/story/_/id/7495441/tim-thomas-picked-wrong-time-make-statement">Joe McDonald of ESPN wrote</a> &#8220;Tim Thomas put himself above [the team] &#8230; When the president of the United States invites you and all your teammates to the White House to honor your Stanley Cup championship, you go and represent the team. On Monday, Thomas instead chose to represent himself.&#8221;
<a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1037288-tim-thomas-the-ugly-truth-behind-his-white-house-refusal">James Hardie from Bleacher Report wrote</a>: &#8220;If Thomas was a real man, he would have gone to the Boston Bruins management and ownership, returned the money from his contract and quit the balance of it by retiring &#8212; so he could exercise his rights as a free citizen.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.si.com/nhl/home-ice/2012/01/24/why-tim-thomas-white-house-snub-was-wrong">Over at Sports Illustrated</a>, Stu Hackel wrote, &#8220;[&#8230;]Tim Thomas decided to exploit a non-political event to expose his personal political views.&#8221;

AL MVP Mookie Betts Won’t Join Team On Visit To White House

Donald Trump

In one of the great injustices in modern sports history, the Boston Red Sox decided <a href="https://weei.radio.com/blogs/kyle-daluz/curt-schilling-left-out-red-sox-game-2-world-series-pregame-ceremonies?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter">not to invite</a> the most heroic member of their iconic 2004 World Series champions to join his teammates to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 of the World Series Tuesday night.
In the midst of the famed 2004 American League Championship Series in which the Red Sox executed the unprecedented feat of coming back from a 3-0 series deficit to finally knock off their perennial tormentors, the New York Yankees, Curt Schilling underwent a kind of surgery on his ankle which had never been performed before, then came back to win Game 6 in Yankee Stadium in spectacular fashion. The famed scene of blood oozing from Schilling&#8217;s ankle through his sock while he pitched is etched in the minds of everyone who saw that game.
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Nevertheless, the Red Sox declined to offer an invitation to join his teammates despite the fact that Schilling lives locally and would not have to be flown in for the occasion.
David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Kevin Millar, Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek, Keith Foulke and Alan Embree were invited. A team executive told <a href="https://twitter.com/Dan_Shaughnessy/status/1055202499362205696">The Boston Globe&#8217;s Dan Shaughnessy</a>, &#8220;We did not reach out to [Schilling], but it is not out of spite.&#8221;
Schilling has, in recent years, become a conservative talk-radio host, and has made no bones about his support for President Trump, or expressing his blunt opinions to forward his conservative views. He was asked if the Red Sox even asked him to participate:
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/gehrig38?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gehrig38</a> Did the Red Sox even ask you if you wanted to be part of the first pitch ceremonies tonight? If I remember correctly you were a pretty big part of that team
&#8212; Johnny 5 (@johnkos1980) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnkos1980/status/1055230732736610304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Schilling gave a gracious response:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Nope. No worries though, great to see <a href="https://twitter.com/45PedroMartinez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@45PedroMartinez</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/davidortiz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@davidortiz</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/KMillar15?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KMillar15</a> &#8220;The pimper of walks&#8221; though. Oh and I get to keep my 3 rings and 3 trophies, so it&#8217;s all good. <a href="https://t.co/tyUUWhvTPe">https://t.co/tyUUWhvTPe</a>
&#8212; Curt Schilling (@gehrig38) <a href="https://twitter.com/gehrig38/status/1055231143186964481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Red Sox owner John Henry gave $283,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 1998, $300,000 to the DCCC and DSCC in 2000, $100,000 to the DSCC in 2002, and $25,000 to the Democratic National Committee Services Corp in 2004, according to <a href="https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2016/03/01/boston-sports-owners-political-contributions/">Boston Magazine</a>.
Lest it be forgotten, here&#8217;s how heroic Schilling was in 2004. He had hurt his right ankle in Game One of the American League Division Series against the Anaheim Angels; Red Sox physician Dr. William Morgan described the injury as &#8220;a subluxation, or a tear, on one of the tendons in his ankle, the sheath that houses the tendons themselves, so the tendon is now snapping over the bone.&#8221;
Schilling started Game One of the League Championship Series against the Yankees, but it was obvious he was hurting; he barely reached 90 mph on his fastball, as he could hardly bear weight on his ankle. Before Game Three, Schilling tried to wear special high-cut spikes from Reebok to hold the tendon in place; they didn&#8217;t work.
Morgan, in desperation, came up with an idea that had never been tried before: suture the skin around the dislocated tendon to hold the tendon in place. The sutures went all the way to the deep tissue.
But, as author Mike Vaccaro noted in what is possibly the best book ever written about baseball, &#8220;Emperors and Idiots,&#8221; as the operation had never been done before, Morgan first experimented by performing the surgery on a cadaver&#8217;s leg. Then it was on to Schilling, before Game 5.
As Vaccaro writes, &#8220;Morgan worked as rapidly as he could. Several sutures were threaded through skin and tissue beneath the skin and placed between the groove and the loose tendon. This created a tiny wall of flesh that kept the tendon in place, about two centimeters outside the groove.&#8221;
Schilling then pitched Game 6, bloody sock and all, with the Red Sox trailing three games to two, in Yankee Stadium. He was brilliant, throwing 99 blistering pitches, only allowing one run in the seventh inning when Bernie Williams hit a home run.
Schilling likely risked his career that night in order to carry his team, through sheer force of will, to victory, setting up their historic seventh-game victory the next night before they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first World Series in 86 years.
And the Red Sox refused to honor him and let him join his teammates.

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