The Yankees and Babe Ruth parted ways following the 1934 season and Babe returned to finish his career in the city where it all started.

Babe signed to play for the Boston Braves in 1935 but retired in May of that same year.

From the time the Yankees acquired Babe Ruth until his final year with them in 1934, their record was 1,405 wins and 895 losses (.611). From the time the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees until he left them in 1934, their record was 891 wins and 1,403 losses (.388).

And you could say, “Nuf Ced”! But you’d be wrong…..

Because you could say the Yankees won seven pennants and four World Series  while the Red Sox reeled off nine last place finishes, including six in a row!

And you could say that Red Sox acquisition Herb Pennock was 162-60 in 11 seasons with the Yankess and 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA while pitching 52 innings in four Yankee World Series! And he went into the Hall of Fame in 1948 wearing a Yankee hat!

Herb Pennock and Babe Ruth, Red Sox teammates in 1917.

And you could say that Red Sox acquisition Waite Hoyt was 157-98 in 10 seasons with the Yankees and 6-3 with a 1.62 ERA  while pitching 77 innings in six Yankee World Series! And went into the Hall of Fame in 1969 wearing a Yankee hat!

Waite Hoyt won games one and four of the 1928 World Series, a four game sweep of the Cardinals.

And you could say that Red Sox acquisition Wally Schang, who caught for Boston in their 1918 World Championship season, caught for New York in their first World Championship season in 1923.

 Wally Schang was acquired by Red Sox owner Harry Frazee in 1918 and caught for the Red Sox through 1920 before being traded to the Yankees.

And you could say that Red Sox acquisition Everett Scott, who was the Red Sox shortstop in their 1918 World Championship season, played shortstop for the Yankees in their first World Championship season of 1923.

Everett Scott  was the Red Sox shortstop for their 1915, ’16’ and ’18’ World Championship teams. He played in 1,307 consecutive games from June 20, 1916 until May 5, 1925; a record he held until broken by teammate Lou Gehrig who began his steak on June 1, 1925, with Everett Scott as his shortstop.

And you could say that Red Sox acquisition Mike McNally who was a valuable utility player on the Red Sox World Championship teams of 1915 and ’16’; was a valuable utility player on the New York Yankees 1923 World Championship squad.

Mike McNally scored the winning run in game two of the 1916 World Series against the Dodgers; a 2-1 complete game win for Babe Ruth.

And you could say that Leslie Ambrose “Bullet Joe” Bush who won 15 games for the Red Sox in their 1918 World Championship season, won game five of the 1923 World Series 8-1 in a complete game effort that gave the Yankees a three games to two lead in the Series, on their way to that first World Championship.

“Bullet Joe” was 62-38 in three years with the Yankees.

And you could say that Red Sox acquisition “Sad Sam” Jones  who was 16-5 with the Red Sox in their 1918 World Championship season of 1918, was on the mound and recorded the final out, saving the clinching game of the 1923 World Series, New York’s first World Championship!

“Sad Sam” was 67-56 in five years with the Yankees, including 21-8 in 1923, their first World Championship year.

And you could say that Red Sox acquisition Carl Mays who was 2-0 in the 1918 World Series, Boston’s third in four years, was 80-39 in five years with the Yankees, including 5-2 out of the bullpen in their first World Championship season of 1923.

Carl  Mays was famous for his “submarine” pitch.

And you could say that as far as the pure definition of the word rivalry, the Red Sox/Yankee rivalry still was not quite yet there. Oh they were still ” attempting to equal or surpass” one another and they were still “pursuing the same object”, however, as the Red Sox had once been a far superior team, so now were the Yankees. The head to head battles were still a ways away.

Oh and you could say that Babe Ruth went on to become the greatest baseball player in the history of the game and nearly 100 years later…..

HE STILL IS!

“Nuf Ced”!

to be continued…..

And so it was at this time in Fenway Park history, 1918-1923, transition time.