CC Sabathia waves off fading ferocity claims by dubbing Yankees-Red Sox contest as "sport's top rivalry"

Former New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia has great memories of fancing the Boston Red Sox.

The Yankees-Red Sox rivarly is recognized as one of the greatest in the world of sport. The two clubs have won an incredible 54 American League pennants and combined for 36 World Series titles. They are two of the league's oldest and most respected franchises. The fact that they are seperated by only 250 miles only adds to the intensity of this rivalry.

CC Sabathia was a staple in the New York lineup for over a decade after making his debut for the Bronx outfit in 2009. He may have been raised on the West Coast, but Sabathia quickly realized the responsibility and gravity that came with playing in a Red Sox-Yankees matchup.

"It's always gonna have the prestige of being sport's top rivalry"

The southpaw was speaking on a recent epsiode of the Pat McAfee Show.

Sabathia spoke about the intensity of playing in those games. Even the mid-season games had playoff atmospheres.

He reminisced about the heated battles between the two sides and throwing at Red Sox players to protect his team:

"They hit my guy, I need to hit their guy"

The former Cy Young winner went on to say that those games were "never over," and teams competed until the last out.

The Tampa Bay Rays may be the team to beat in the AL and the Toronto Blue Jays have elevated their rivalry to new heights with the Yankees. Boston games, however, are still the most highly anticipated on the schedule.

Pitcher CC Sabathia was a member of the 2009 New York Yankees championship side

CC Sabathia pitches during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field

CC Sabathia joined the New York Yankees on a seven-year, $161 million deal prior to the 2009 season. At the time, it was the biggest contract for an MLB pitcher.

"250 career wins 3,043 strikeouts 6 All-Star selections 2007 Cy Young Award 2009 World Series title CC Sabathia has put together quite a résumé over his 19 years in MLB." - YES Network

Alongside Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, he went on the win the World Series in 2009, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.

Sabathia is a six time All-Star and led the league in wins on two different occasions (2009, 2010). He was named the American League Cy Young winner in 2007 when playing for Cleveland.