Via the AP:

A die-hard Red Sox fan from Gloucester, Mass., is going to have to pay up big time after a Yankees fan punched him, and hurt his hand in the process.

Bay Stater David Sanborn, 40, was ordered by a California jury to pay Yankees fan Mario Melendez $25,297 because Melendez hurt his hand when he punched Sanborn in the mouth during a bar brawl in Carlsbad, Calif., two years ago, the Boston Herald reported.

Sanborn said the two men were watching games on TVs in the restaurant when Melendez started cheering for the Yankees and Sanborn told him to sit down. A fight quickly ensued and Melendez said he punched Sanborn in the mouth in self-defense, breaking some of Sanborn’s teeth.

The bongo player said he realized how much his hand hurt later and went to the doctor, later suing because he needs his hands to make a living. The jury awarded him $15,297 for medical costs and $10,000 in punitive damages last week, the Herald reported.

Anyone else getting completely tired of hearing these Yanks-Sox fan battle stories? Someone should tell the media that the horse is dead and the shark has been jumped.