MLB playoffs ALDS, October, and a Rematch 14 Years in the Making

BOSTON - OCTOBER 2: Water drips from a railing behind home plate as the Boston Red Sox hold a workout prior to Friday's start of the ALDS at Fenway Park in Boston on Oct. 2, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
BOSTON - OCTOBER 2: Water drips from a railing behind home plate as the Boston Red Sox hold a workout prior to Friday's start of the ALDS at Fenway Park in Boston on Oct. 2, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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MLB playoffs
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 03: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees celebrates with Brett Gardner #11 and Aaron Hicks #31 after defeating the Oakland Athletics by a score of 7-2 to win the American League Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium on October 03, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The sluggers in the Bronx and Boston have been here before…

Going back to as recent as last year’s postseason, a lot of the sluggers on these squads have seen the bright lights of October before. Most notably, reigning AL Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge enters his second postseason in two years. J.D Martinez, who partook in last year’s playoffs as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, enters this year’s pennant chase as one of the strongest hitters in baseball.

Andrew Benintendi, who’s played in the postseason every year he’s been in the majors, looks to continue his success in the ALDS.

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The guys to watch in this series, however, are

Aaron Hicks

and

Mookie Betts

. Betts is a strong candidate for AL MVP, and Aaron Hicks is quietly having the best season of his career.

It would take hours, days even, to sum up the rivalry between these two clubs. It goes back generations and is quite possibly the most historic rivalry in sports.

So, as we sit back and watch this series unfold, pay attention to the history behind it. The last time these two teams met in October, the Red Sox broke an 86-year curse that began with the trading of a certain player to the New York Yankees.

We know what happened in the MLB playoffs in 2004, the question is, what happens now?