Watch Alex Rodriguez get punched in the face for picking a dumb fight with the Red Sox
Remember when Alex Rodriguez got punched in the face for being Alex Rodriguez?
Today marks the 10-year anniversary of the infamous Red Sox-Yankees brawl that began with a routine plunking and ended with this iconic image of A-Rod getting a face full of mitt:
Iframe Code
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rodriguez was then in his first year in pinstripes, and his Yankees had an 8.5-game cushion over Boston in the AL East. With a 3-0 lead in the third inning of a game at Fenway, Rodriguez took a pitch to the elbow from Bronson Arroyo and pouted his way toward first, jawing as he went. Sox catcher Jason Varitek stepped in and, after a little "come at me, bro" gesture from A-Rod, all hell broke loose.
Boston went on to win the game on a walk-off homer, and then, after staging a historic comeback over the Yankees in the ALCS, they went on to win the World Series, too. Red Sox fans still fondly remember the brouhaha as a turning point in the team's season.
The above image remains a fitting metaphor for how Boston fans feel about A-Rod. And given how Rodriguez has gone nuclear on just about everyone in the Yankees organization, the image probably fits the bill for New York fans, too.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
6 scenic white water rafting destinations to get your heart racing
The Week Recommends Have a rip-roaring time on the water
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Dangerous substances in Lunchables are raising concerns over children's health
In the Spotlight High levels of lead and sodium were recently found in the snack packages
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Fired art
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published