"One of my proudest moments" - Oscar winner Casey Affleck recounts pestering Alex Rodriguez at Yankees stadium with fellow Red Sox fan Matt Damon

A born and bred Bostonian, actor Casey Affleck's affinity for his hometown Red Sox is well-known by his fans. Recently, Affleck recounted one of the zeniths of his lifelong support for the club.

On August 6, popular sports history podcaster and former NFL star Julian Edelman published his interview with Affleck on his podcast, Games with Names. At one point, the conversation turned to the infamous 2004 ALCS, a series that every of-age Red Sox fan remembers well.

Casey Affleck recounted attending Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the Bronx with fellow actor Matt Damon. According to the 48 year-old, he and Damon were seated on the third base line, within earshot of Alex Rodriguez.

In his claims to Edelman, Casey Affleck described the encounter as such:

"We were the only people there wearing Red Sox hats. Ballsy. And I am being loud, and eventually A-Rod looks over right at us, just stares, gives a look of, like, like hate. Just annoyance and hate, and then he goes back to the game. One of my proudest moments as a fan"

Although the Red Sox would lose Game 3 of the ALCS 19-8, the club rallied to capture the series in seven games. Boston would subsequently go on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals in a sweep to capture their first World Series title in 86 seasons.

A member of the Yankees from 2004 until 2016, Alex Rodriguez is one of the most controversial players ever. Although his interaction with Casey Affleck happened well before he was outed for PED usage, his complacent personality had already gotten on the nerves of opposing fans, and it did not take long for the third baseman to become widely reviled.

Casey Affleck remains as committed ever to his Red Sox

On July 28, Casey Affleck and Matt Damon took to the the field at Fenway Park almost two decades after the encounter with A-Rod. There to promote their new film The Investigators, Affleck told the Boston Herald that the experience of being close to his favorite team is always rewarding:

“It’s incredible, every single time I come here, it’s like a dream come true, revisiting my childhood fantasies.”

While no players from the famed 2004 ALCS remain in baseball, the rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees transcends generations. Affleck and Damon are prime examples of this.