As I watched the offseason moves, my initial reaction was positive. My thoughts centered on the common themes of each player signed... a grinder, gritty and a lover of the game. I liked each move despite the pundits criticisms.
I was pleased as I thought they would at least compete, and do it in the "dirt dog" manner Sox Nation had grown to love (check out bostondirtdogs.boston.com. if you want to learn more).
I thought the pitching would be good and the defense better, but I was not sure of the offense. Then, as our closers fell (two in the first half of the season), I resigned myself to a season of mediocrity, which is better than last year's pitiful last place finish.
Right from the beginning, the offense was better than most of us thought it would be. The lineup proved to be one of the better ones in the league, and the bench was as good as any other team. Each night introduced us to a new hero as everyone was contributing. I remember thinking that, even if this team ends up winning nothing, I like them. I like the way they play the game. They played it the way it was meant to be played... with dirt and sweat.
Then, as the Sox flirted with first place for the first two months, I readied myself for that drop out of first place that I was sure would come. The first part of summer found them still holding onto first place. It finally happened later in the summer as the Rays overtook the Sox and claimed first place, but then in just a few days, there the Sox were, back in first place again.
Pretty soon August came around and all of a sudden, the Red Sox had a magic number for clinching the division. What? Weeks later they clinched the division with the best record in the league. The playoffs came and went, and here we sit, World Series Champions for the third time in ten years. Three title in ten years! Three titles since 2000! Truly unbelievable!
There was a time when I wondered if the Red Sox would ever win ONE title, and now here they sit with three. My Nonno (Italian for Grandfather) was a tortured Red Sox fan. He passed away early in 2004 at the age of 97 and never saw a championship. Later that year, the Sox won it all, and we (my entire family) were content. We had our championship; lightning in a bottle had come and none of us dared hope for anything more. Then, 2007 came and another championship. That one was on pure talent. The Sox were, by a good distance, the best team that year.
And, here we are in 2013 with another championship. This one is special to me. The Red Sox were not possessed with the most talent, the best pitching, the best hitting or the best closer. These Red Sox, for me, represent all that I love about the game of baseball. These Red Sox were the best team because they were composed of players who loved the game and became a team.
I remember reading an article about several Red Sox players taking in a MLB game. Now, what made this story news worthy was that the Sox were on a long road trip and had just played many games in a row on the road. The article focused on the fact that these ballplayers, on their day off, decided to take in a MLB baseball game. This captures, for me, the difference in this team. These players understood that it was the game that was great, and not them. They played for the game, the fans and each other, and never considered themselves bigger than any of those things.
This team also embraced the added role thrust upon them this year, healer. The bombings in Boston caused many to reconsider professional sports and their safety. But Boston and their sports teams, especially the Sox, were thrown into the spotlight, like it or not. What would be our response? Right or wrong, the response of the Boston sports teams would be all of our responses.
What a year, and what a ride. Congratulations to 2013 Boston Red Sox. Thanks for a great year!
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