No team in professional sports embodies its city quite like the Boston Red Sox.
The players are hard-working, gritty blue-collar types that are the life blood of the city that keeps it going. Both the team and city have seen their fair share of heartbreaks over the past century. And after the April 15 tragic bombings near the Boston Marathon finish line, the strength of Boston needed to be evident more than ever. “Boston Strong” has been the motto for the team and city the entire season.
The city and its beloved baseball team have a unique relationship; each relies on the other to get through the tough times. It is amazing to see how fast that winning a game can help cure a city of what ails it and allow its residents to forget about the horrible incidents that have occurred, if only for a moment. It took 95 years for the Red Sox to clinch a World Series victory in Boston but it only took one year for the Red Sox to go from worst to first, and what a perfect year to do it.
For a long time the Red Sox were subjected to the infamous “Curse of the Bambino,” after winning the 1918 World Series in Boston, the last time the World Series was clinched in that city. The Red Sox sold arguably the greatest baseball player of all time George Herman “Babe” Ruth in 1919, beginning the curse that would haunt the team and city for the better part of a century.
The Boston faithful were some of the most heartbroken fans in baseball. Year after year, one incident after another, something always seemed to hold back the Red Sox from reaching its ultimate goal of being world champions again.
1978 was the first of the iconic moments that plagued Red Sox nation. The Red Sox played rivals the New York Yankees in a one-game playoff, which they lost thanks to an improbable home run by Bucky “Bleeping” Dent, as he’s known in Boston.
1986 saw the next debacle. The Red Sox were only an out away from winning the World Series against the New York Mets when, in the ninth inning ,“Mookie” Wilson of the Mets hit a ground ball down the first-base line that found its way through the legs of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner.
But it doesn’t end there. 2003 was the final time that the Red Sox would have to go a year without achieving the success that had slipped through the players’ fingers so many times before. But it wasn’t without another major downer. Once again playing their rival Yankees, third baseman for the Yankees Aaron Boone hit a game-winning walk-off home run in the 11th inning off knuckle-baller Tim Wakefield to send the Yankees to the World Series.
For 86 years, fans of the Red Sox had to wait to see a World Series title be brought back to their beloved “Beantown.” Some fans had gone their entire lives without getting to see their team win it all. Others got to see the curse broken and have the huge weight of the curse removed from their shoulders.
The question, “Will I ever get to see this in my lifetime?” was put to rest in 2004 when Red Sox won the World Series — in St. Louis. No matter. The Red Sox would win it all again in 2007, but this time in Colorado. It might have been asking too much for the team to actually win it at home but the fans were content just to finally have the championship that generations had longed for.
The wait in Boston to see a championship win in that city has come to end. The thanks has to go first to Designated Hitter David Ortiz, who was the recipient of the 2013 World Series MVP award, and he was well deserving of it. After a great series that saw Ortiz hit two home runs and have a batting average of .688, the second highest batting average in World Series history, minimum of 10 at bats. Ortiz is the Red Sox. He epitomizes everything that the team stands for at its core and he is the only player still around from the curse-breaking Red Sox team of 2004.
After finishing last season in last place in the American League East, which resulted in the firing of manager Bobby Valentine, things were not looking hopeful. The Red Sox decided to hire former pitching coach John Farrell to the head coaching position, which was thought to be a great move for the team. The front office probably didn’t think they would see a return on their investment so quickly, but in his first season, Farrell led the Red Sox to their eighth World Series title. He is the fourth coach in the team’s history to win the championship in his first coaching year.
A little over six months has passed since the tragedy that occurred on Patriot’s Day, the third Monday in April. The memory of that day has started to fade in the minds of Boston residents to be replaced with the joyous moment of clinching a World Series at home on Oct. 30.
In a time when any sort of positives can help the city forget what they have been through, it was only fitting that the team that represents the city of Boston best won the World Series to become the best team in the world. There is no city quite like Boston and no city that deserves this more. Boston Strong.
