It's a controversy that could only happen in Boston.
The Boston Herald uncovered that Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) took a $2,500 donation -- the maximum -- from Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees. The conservative-leaning tabloid was infuriated over the donation, splashing "BRONX CHEERS!" on its front page and quipping, "What’s next, a Derek Jeter endorsement?"
Brown, facing a tough re-election fight against Harvard Law professor Elizabeth Warren, has tried to capitalize on Red Sox fandom. In a recent radio ad, Brown touted his love for 100 year-old Fenway Park, the closest thing New England has to a secular cathedral.
"You know there's been a lot of talk over the years about replacing the park," Brown said. "But that would have been a mistake. John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino deserve credit for improving what we have instead of starting over somewhere else. Families throughout the years will never forget their first Fenway appearance."
The Huffington Post's Sam Stein uncovered that Brown had said exploring Red Sox relocation to Foxborough -- where the New England Patriots play -- made "fiscal and economic sense." Brown was a state representative at the time, whose district was centered in neighboring Wrentham.
Brown spokesman Colin Reed told the Herald that they were happy to accept the donation.
"The way Scott Brown looks at it is, this is their way of paying us back for Babe Ruth," he said, referring to the infamous trade that regional folklore -- popularized by a bestselling book -- says created an 86-year World Series drought.
It's not a stretch to say that the donation has the potential to hurt Brown. After all, Red Sox gaffes helped sink his opponent Martha Coakley's campaign in 2010. She suggested that Curt Schilling -- the former Red Sox player legendary for pitching against the Yankees in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS with a bloody sock -- was a Yankees fan. (Schilling has a long history of supporting GOP candidates.) She also gave an infamous quote to the Globe in an effort to dismiss the notion that she was being too passive in the campaign. "As opposed to standing outside Fenway Park? In the cold? Shaking hands?" she said.
This post has been updated.