Kevin Millar: George Steinbrenner flipped Red Sox double-bird in 2003

One of the most heartbreaking losses in franchise history for the Boston Red Sox came in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, when Aaron Boone hit a solo home run off Tim Wakefield in the 11th inning to send the New York Yankees to the World Series. Can you guess who was there to rub Boston’s nose in it after the incredible series?

George Steinbrenner. The Boss himself, of course.

During an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” Tuesday, former Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar told one of the best Steinbrenner stories you’ll ever hear.

“Everybody’s crying and sad in the locker room (after Game 7),” Millar explained. “What a great series. We get on the bus and we’ve got two middle fingers (from Steinbrenner) pointed at us, flipping us off as we’re leaving.

“I’m like, ‘What just happened? That’s screwed. That’s mean. Our feelings are already hurt and you just flipped us off? You’ve got 27 rings. There’s no rivalry here, you guys aren’t sharing.”

Millar may have been offended at the time, but he said he laughs now when he thinks about The Boss flipping him and his teammates the bird.

“You look back on it now, it’s hilarious,” he added. “That’s funny. Back then I think we all wanted to jump out and choke somebody out, but it was part of the skit.”

There are a lot of reasons the rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees isn’t what it used to be. For starters, both teams don’t dominate the AL East division year in and year out like they used to. Plus, things don’t seem to be as heated now that Boston has snapped its 86-year World Series drought and won three championships since 2004.

But if Millar’s story serves any purpose, it should be as a reminder of how invested Steinbrenner was in his team — not just financially but also emotionally. I shared my thoughts on The Boss after he passed away in 2010, and my feelings remain the same. Baseball needs guys like that.