The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees last squared off for an on-field brawl back in 2018.
At the time, Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts was still in a Red Sox uniform and Boston was at the starting point of its soon-to-be World Series-winning run. But before that, the Red Sox needed to assemble their 108-win campaign, one that included an eventful night in April at Fenway Park, which Betts looked back on.
Speaking to Aaron Judge, who was also part of the benches-clearing scuffle, on Bleacher Report’s “On Base With Mookie Betts,” the former Red Sox star revealed what exactly went through his head at that moment.
“I remember when we had our brawl and Joe Kelly hit Tyler Austin, and I’m in right field. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, here we go,” Betts told Judge. “So, everybody runs in. Mind you, y’all had everybody that was 6’5″ and taller on your team. So I had Tommy Kahnle, who, he’s 6’2″ but he’s a wrestler. He loves wrestling. Then Dellin Betances, 6’8″. (Aroldnis) Chapman, Chad Green, right behind me in right field. I slowly walked.”
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As the story goes, Kelly plunked Austin in response to a spiking incident with Brock Holt a few innings prior, causing the first of two bench-clearing encounters. Only this time, it resulted in fisticuffs. Now, to Betts’ credit, that 2018 Yankees squad towered Boston in terms of size, making his perspective and course of action at the moment more than understandable.
“I’m a lover, not a fighter,” Betts explained. “And ya’ll was too big, man, but that perfectly depicts the Red Sox-Yankees.”
The Kelly versus Austin battle was the first Boston-New York tussle since the iconic Jason Varitek-Alex Rodriguez fight from 19 years ago back in 2004.
Featured image via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
