Anyone who was a Red Sox fan prior to October 20, 2004 (the date of Game 7 of the ’04 ALCS) has experienced the frustration and indignity of being relentlessly belittled and insulted by obnoxious, arrogant Yankees fans.

As these cretins rained verbal blows upon you, secretly you yearned for any ammunition that would allow you, just once, to go on the offensive against your mortal enemy.

Good news my downtrodden compatriots, munitions have arrived in the form of a new book entitled This Bad Day in Yankees History. Written by Baseball Hall of Fame researcher Gabriel Schechter, this book chronicles more than a century of embarrassing moments, woeful performances, ugly losses, ineptitude, misfortune, infighting and felonious behavior by the Bronx Bombers in the form of a yearly calendar.

Several historical examples and quotes of Yankee folly and stupidity are provided for all 365 days of the year.

Few, if any, dates in This Bad Day in Yankees History will offer Red Sox fans with more gratification than October 20. It was on this fateful date in ‘04 that Yankees fan Julian Kaiser uttered the following words: “The worst thing is forever we’ll be associated with a 3-0 deficit. That we blew it. It’s not the end of the world, but almost.”

No era of Yankee history is devoid of sin (much to the surprise of the cretins I’m sure) nor does any figure, no matter how revered or legendary, manage to escape the spotlight of imperfection.

On August 26, 2003, Roger Clemens served up four home runs, including a grand slam to Frank Thomas, and allowed nine runs in less than five innings against the White Sox at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees lost the game 13-2 on a day in which Clemens’ mom threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Of course, any Yankee tragedy would be incomplete without the appearance of George Steinbrenner. Luckily, This Bad Day in Yankees History affords Steinbrenner a starring role encompassing the entire range of his numerous hysterical and neurotic episodes. From second-guessing to feuding with and firing his managers to criticizing his star players to being banned from running his beloved Yankees for his association with a gambler, Steinbrenner delivers an unforgettable performance.

The best thing about This Bad Day in Yankees History though is that it allows you to wish a happy birthday to all of your friends who are Yankees fans in a very special way.

Instead of sending a thoughtful (i.e. boring) birthday card, now we can say, “Hey, today is significant not only because it’s your birthday but also because on this date (June 19) in 1977, the Sox hit five home runs against the Yanks and beat them 11-1, completing a three game sweep at Fenway during which the Yankees were out homered 16-0. Happy Birthday!”

Anyone who loathes the Yankees not only won’t be able to put this book down but will be grateful to Mr. Schechter for pulling back the curtain and exposing the many myths of the “mighty” Yankees.

The spiral-bound book is similar in structure to the popular sports trivia books and thus ideal for reading whenever, wherever and with whoever you want.

This Bad Day in Yankees History sells for $18.00 and can be purchased either of two ways. You can send a check for $20.25 for one copy of the book (add $0.25 postage for each additional copy you order) to the author, Gabriel Schechter, at PO Box 1116, Cooperstown, NY 13326.

Mr. Schechter will also grant all requests to add an inscription if you purchase the book directly from him.

Alternatively, you can buy This Bad Day in Yankees History through the website http://charlesapril.com using PayPal. Shipping costs are slightly higher when purchasing through the website.

This column was written on December 14, 2008.