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10 Ways To Make A Boston Red Sox Fan Mad

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10 Ways To Make A Boston Red Sox Fan Mad

Fenway Park
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Let me preface this by saying, I had a lot of fun writing this article because my wife is a diehard Boston Red Sox fan and I bring a lot of these topics up just to push her buttons. The Red Sox have won three World Series titles in the last decade or so, but before that it was 86 years of futility, curses and porous baseball. Red Sox fans may be a little arrogant now, but if you talked to them 12 years ago, they all had downtrodden souls.

10. Jacoby Ellsbury Signs With Yankees

Jacoby Ellsbury Yankees
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

10. Jacoby Ellsbury Signs With Yankees

Jacoby Ellsbury Yankees
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

During the 2013 season, the Red Sox front office didn't hide the fact that Jacoby Ellsbury was not part of the team's long-term plans. GM Ben Cherington was afraid to sink a large sum of money into a guy that had problems staying healthy over the course of his career. What the Red Sox didn't expect was the New York Yankees flying in and bringing Ellsbury to the dark side. Should be noted, Ellsbury has been healthy his first two years in New York.

9. Bobby Valentine 2012 Season

Bobby Valentine Red Sox
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

9. Bobby Valentine 2012 Season

Bobby Valentine Red Sox
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

If you want a lesson in how to alienate the entire city of Boston, then please take a class on Bobby Valentine's 2012 season with the Red Sox. He started the year by criticizing fan favorite, Kevin Youkilis, for his work ethic. He then took aim at Josh Beckett for under-performing. Finally, he criticized Carl Crawford for not playing through an elbow injury that required Tommy John. To top it all off, he led the Red Sox to a last-place finish.

8. Johnny Damon Leaves for Evil Empire

Johnny Damon Yankees
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8. Johnny Damon Leaves for Evil Empire

Johnny Damon Yankees
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I don't think i've ever witnessed the pure vile hate that was cast upon Johnny Damon by the Red Sox faithful when he signed a 4-year $52 million deal with the Yankees after the 2005 season. Red Sox fans dubbed him a sellout, instead of being thankful for Damon helping to bring Boston their first World Series title in 86 years, in 2004. This one hits home for me because I bought my wife, the Red Sox fan, a Yankees' Damon jersey for her birthday.

7. Wade Boggs Leaves For The Bronx

Wade Boggs Yankees
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7. Wade Boggs Leaves For The Bronx

Wade Boggs Yankees
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One of the most beloved players in Red Sox history, Wade Boggs, decided, after the 1992 season, that enough was enough. Boggs wanted to play for a World Series contender, and after finishing in last place in their division, with a 73-89 record, the Red Sox were clearly not that team. He instead decided to rip out the hearts of Red Sox fans everywhere, and signed with the Yankees.

6. 2011 Choke Job

Robert Andino Orioles Ryan Lavarnway Red Sox
Joy R. Absalon-USA Today Sports

6. 2011 Choke Job

Robert Andino Orioles Ryan Lavarnway Red Sox
Joy R. Absalon-USA Today Sports

On September, 3, 2011, the Red Sox held a nine-game lead on the Tampa Bay Rays, and had a 99.6 percent chance of clinching the wild card spot in the American League. Enter one of the biggest collapses in baseball history. The Red Sox proceeded to go 6-18 over their last 24 games, and lost on the final night of the season to the Baltimore Orioles to allow the Rays to pass them and clinch the playoff spot.

5. Just Mention The Yankees

Joe Girardi Yankees
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

5. Just Mention The Yankees

Joe Girardi Yankees
Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

There are so many different ways to get under a Red Sox fan's skin with this one. You could bring up the curse of the Bambino. You could say "27-8," and believe me the Red Sox fans will know what that means. Bring up the fact the Yankees have 40 American League East division titles to the Red Sox's seven. You catch my drift. Basically say, in some form, that the Yankees are better, although you may want to protect yourself afterwards.

4. Tony Pena Walk-off 1995 ALDS

Tony Pena Indians
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4. Tony Pena Walk-off 1995 ALDS

Tony Pena Indians
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In 1995, the Red Sox surprised the entire league by finishing 86-58, winning their division, and clinching their first playoff appearance since 1986, more on that later. The ALDS was a best-of-five series back in those days, and in the bottom of the 15th inning of Game 1, the light-hitting Tony Pena hit a dramatic walk-off homer to lead the Cleveland Indians past the Red Sox. The Indians carried that momentum to a three-game sweep.

3. PEDs Invalidate Titles

Manny Ramirez David Ortiz Red Sox
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3. PEDs Invalidate Titles

Manny Ramirez David Ortiz Red Sox
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The Red Sox have won three World Series Championships since 2004, which is a tremendous feat, but there are baseball purists out there that believe all three titles should be expunged due to the knowledge that both David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were taking PED's at the time of the titles. Tell Red Sox fans that their championship drought stands at 97 years and counting -- just tell me first though so I can be there.

2. Aaron Boone Walk-off 2003 ALCS

Aaron Boone Yankees
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2. Aaron Boone Walk-off 2003 ALCS

Aaron Boone Yankees
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The Red Sox took a 5-2 lead into the eighth inning of Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Yankees. Manager, Grady Little, decided, instead of going to his bullpen, to stick with his ace Pedro Martinez. Martinez allowed three runs that enabled the Yankees to tie the game and send it into extra innings. In the 11th inning, Yankees' third baseman, Aaron Boone crushed a Tim Wakefield offering into the stands to send the Yanks to the World Series.

1. Bill Buckner Game 6, 1986 World Series

Bill Buckner Red Sox
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1. Bill Buckner Game 6, 1986 World Series

Bill Buckner Red Sox
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How could this not be No. 1? Red Sox fans still have nightmares over this game, and Bill Buckner has had to live with the reminder that he cost the Red Sox what would have been their first title since 1918. I was only a couple months old when this play happened, but I've seen the replay hundreds of times in my life because it's probably the worst error in the history of sports. The New York Mets won Game 6 and Game 7 to take the series.

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