Since its release on Wednesday, thousands of Red Sox fans have likely been enjoying the three-part documentary series “The Comeback: The 2004 Red Sox” on Netflix.
However, if the original concept for the documentary had been approved, the viewing experience might have been quite different for those fans. According to Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe, the Yankees turned down the initial pitch for the documentary, which was initially envisioned as a series titled “Superpowers” focused on the intense rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees during the 2003-04 seasons. The Yankees declined to participate, reportedly stating, “We don’t have rivals.”
The Yankees’ decision to opt-out likely explains the absence of former players from their 2004 team in “The Comeback,” with only former manager Joe Torre providing an interview for the series.
In contrast, the Yankees have engaged in a different documentary series titled “Game 7,” now airing on Amazon Prime, which includes an episode highlighting their victory over the Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry is often regarded as the greatest in baseball history, fueled by historic events like the trade of Babe Ruth in 1920 and the Red Sox’s long championship drought.
The rivalry reached a fever pitch during the 2003 and 2004 seasons, marked by memorable moments such as Pedro Martinez’s confrontation with Don Zimmer and the Red Sox’s historic comeback from a 3-0 series deficit in the ALCS.
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