Generations of New Englanders will never forget that Tom Brady wore No. 12 (thanks also to his relentless branding efforts) or that David Ortiz wore No. 34 when he helped the Red Sox break the curse. Yet there are so many other examples of New England sports stars becoming linked with the number on the back of their jersey, to the point that some numbers are even retired by teams to honor those players.
There's no denying that the Boston Red Sox absolutely hate the New York Yankees. The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry is arguably the biggest in all of sports. Before the 2025 ALDS, the Yankees defeated the Red Sox in the Wild Card series in three games as they got a chance to stick it to their hated rival by knocking them out in the postseason. The loss may have left Red Sox fans, and their legends, feeling very bitter.