Things went from good to great for New York Yankees' fans following their Game 1 win against the Cleveland Guardians.

Well, at least the fans who stuck around to watch the postgame show on Fox.

In case you're just emerging out from under your rock this morning, the New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians, 4-1, in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Tuesday night. Harrison Bader and Anthony Rizzo hit home runs, and Gerrit Cole picked up the win, in front of the fans at Yankee Stadium.

Then, as the television coverage switched from game to post-game, a New York Yankees' legend proceeded to pull a prank on a rival team's idol in front of thousands of fans.

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Alex Rodriguez Pulls Prank on David Ortiz, Trolls Red Sox Fans Following Game 1

Following last night's game, the Fox studio crew of Kevin Burkhardt, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and Frank Thomas readied themselves to break down the Yankees' Game 1 victory over the Guardians.

After finishing making a point about the game, David Ortiz falls silent, and Alex Rodriguez asks him if he's okay. He reaches into a compartment behind the desk in the studio, and pulled out a shiny, navy blue batting helmet. Because of the way A-Rod was holding it, neither the viewer, nor Ortiz, could see what was on the helmet itself.

The camera angle was changed, and here's what happened next:

You saw that right, Yankees' and Red Sox fans. That's David Ortiz, Big Papi, an icon in Boston sports history, wearing a knock-off New York Yankees' batting helmet on national television.

Please excuse me, the Red Sox fan, as I escort myself to the nearest restroom.

Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees
Rodriguez and Ortiz in 2011 / Getty Images
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Sports fandom is such an interesting thing. At surface level, this was an innocuous joke that lasted roughly five seconds, and proceeded to end as soon as it began. The studio crew had a good chuckle, and they moved on with their postgame coverage.

Yet, as a Red Sox fan, here I am the morning after, absolutely mortified by what I saw.

Two white letters, an "N" and a "Y", which intersect over one another, is a swear word to fans from Boston, much like a red "B" with a blue outline is a swear word to fans from New York. It's the logo of the rival team, and to you, that's your Scarlet Letter. You can't bear to see it, let alone wear it.

That's what makes this prank so devious. Well played, A-Rod. Well played, indeed.

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