Just when you thought the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry was subsiding a bit, leave it to the All-Star Game to help revive it.

It all began when Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon decided to make his views known on potentially closing out Tuesday's All-Star Game. Usually, this wouldn't be a big deal but the game happens to be in Yankee Stadium and there's that guy named Rivera that is also out there in the pen.

His quote: "We've both earned that right; us, by winning the World Series and having the opportunity of having our manager there and our team being represented, and Mariano by what he's done for this role, we're in Yankee Stadium and blah, blah, blah...It's not that easy. Everybody thinks it's a cut and dry answer, but it's not. If I was managing the team, I would close. I'm not managing the team, so it don't matter."

A huge deal? Not really. He backed off the statements on Tuesday, giving Rivera praise which he has also done in the past and saying that Rivera probably should close given the situation. But things escalated a bit during the big parade leading up to the All-Star Game Tuesday with Papelbon claiming that his pregnant wife was threatened. MLB.com reported that he and his wife were being showered with insults during the event which the closer blamed on the New York media blowing the comments out of proportion and souring his All-Star experience as a result.

Paps told MLB.com, "Your family gets involved like that and you're trying to enjoy an experience with your family, and you have a wife who's pregnant who doesn't feel safe riding in a red-carpet event, you know what I mean? How would you feel?"

Classy as always, Yankee fans. Papelbon struck out two, yielded a single and gave up an unearned run thanks to a Dioner Navarro error to center on a Miguel Tejada steal attempt that led to an Adrian Gonzalez sac fly. And not surprisingly, he was booed and endured several chants like "Overrated" and "Rivera".

The Red Sox and Yankees next play at Fenway Park on July 25-27th.