The historic rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox in MLB lived a new chapter full of drama, irony and revenge on social media. What began with a sweet victory for the Bronx in the Wild Card Round ended in a war of words after the Yankees were eliminated by the Blue Jays. The target of the revenge was rookie Cam Schlittler, who went from October hero to social media center for the eternal enemy.
During Game 3 against Boston, Cam Schlittler dominated from the mound and helped New York shut out the Red Sox. The timing and euphoria of the victory led him to throw a taunt that did not go unnoticed:
I studied in Boston for three years, I live in Southie during the off-season… start getting ready for the Bruins, buddy.
The seemingly harmless taunt only further fueled the flame of MLB’s oldest rivalry. And now, after the New York team’s elimination, Boston’s response came with force.
Red Sox fans’ revenge on social media
Far from being forgotten, Schlittler’s phrase was archived by Red Sox fans as if it were something personal. After the Yankees’ loss to Toronto, the revenge was immediate. Dave Portnoy, known for his hatred of the Bronx team, lit the fuse with a sarcastic post on his X account:
Congratulations to the @Yankees! Another successful season for the Bombers! No one will ever be able to take away the celebration of the wild card series!
The message opened the door to a wave of comments, which picked up on the initial mockery and Cam Schlittler’s words:
Hey, can you ask Cam Schlittler if he’ll be back in Southie in time to see the Bruins tomorrow?
Another one finished with more venom and directly at the pitcher, who was also the starter in the game against the Blue Jays and now did not go blank like that game three in the Wild Card Series:
Good job, Cam Schlittler. Your trash talk with the Boston fans only served to eliminate a team that your fans swore all season that they outperformed… now the Bruins are 10-0.
Cam Schlittler from hero to zero: how everything changed for the rookie
Ironically, Cam Schlittler did his job, in the regular season he posted a 2.96 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 73 innings. In the key game against Boston, he pitched eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts. And against Toronto, he again delivered with 6 1/3 solid innings and just two earned runs, being the only reliable starter in this series.
But sometimes baseball is cruel, and the memory of the fans even more so. On social media, his achievements did not matter and his name became a trend, not because of his performance but for having challenged the fans of his arch-rival.
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