Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,
MY GOD! I got just 2 1/2 hours sleep and still went to work. I hope your night was as PERFECT.
:nod: as mine.
Going from worst to first, the Red Sox will serve as inspiration to teams (such as the Jays)...
Nothing will ever replace 2004. I believe it was Red Sox announcer Joe Castiglione who said: "generations have come and gone" in reference to the story of ever hopeful fans and epic tormenting endings. The script of a great team that seemed to be all but covered in it's grave with such complete finality and tragedy miraculously rising to so thoroughly thrash it's historic evil tormentor like supreme justice was the stuff of unbelievably contrived scripts turned astounding dream-like reality. But being reborn after an epic collapse and another full year of complete failure, thus coming from absolutely nowhere to to win it all with a team built on unified spirit as well as renewed talent to win it all...almost on SHEER WILL as it often seemed...was a true thing of pure beauty. The totally unexpected nature as well as the perceived impossibility doubled the sweetness of it all making the accomplishment all the more MAGNIFICENT!
The tag line on the Red Sox was "The Year of Redemption" after the 2011and 2012 lost years plummeting to the bottom. Few thought more of that slogan at the beginning of the year than as a strained promotion. Yet, it happened.
eace:
...teams that have faced ridicule over decades (you know who) can turn their fortunes around and also become champions themselves. I'm not sure about the Cubs, though.
I think the prospect of the Cubs winning it all, now that the Red Sox and White Sox the other longest suffering teams have done it, might just capture the imagination of the country more thoroughly. I sure would love to see it. Who wouldn't love to see them break a 105 years losing streak, except the opponent's fans. Maybe the only bigger story would be to see a returned Montreal team take the Series in their first year of return after being robbed of their best chance in a strike season.
Redemption Strong: Red Sox wrap up improbable title
http://bostonherald.com/sports/red_...ption_strong_red_sox_wrap_up_improbable_title
The song wasn’t written for the Red Sox, but it probably should have been. Heck, they even adopted it as their anthem, the lyrics blaring in the clubhouse during each of the sudsy celebrations that became so common throughout this magical autumn.
Started from the bottom, now we’re here.
The Red Sox couldn’t have been any lower when general manager Ben Cherington began to build the team that would go on this journey that culminated last night with a 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals and a World Series championship, the first to be won on their home turf since 1918.
If 2004 was about reversing the Curse, and 2007 was about validating that first title, then this was about redemption, about restoring the good name of a franchise sullied by a hellish 13 months of ne’er-do-well pitchers who guzzled beer and munched on fried chicken during a September collapse for the ages and the 93-loss nightmare of a season that followed.
Anybody remember any of that now?
Didn’t think so.
All was washed away last night in Game 6 of the World Series, beginning with another bases-clearing swing by Shane Victorino and ending the only way that it could, with indomitable closer Koji Uehara racking up another strikeout, leaping into catcher David Ross’ arms and pointing skyward, having safely secured the Sox’ 108th victory in a season that was as satisfying as any ever played in the 101-year history of Fenway Park.
“At some point, you begin to think there’s something special happening here. You had more and more of a feeling that this was a special team,” principal owner John Henry said. “But I don’t remember thinking it was going to end this way.”
Nobody did. Well, except a group of players who insisted from the start of spring training that they wouldn’t only contend for the playoffs but that they could actually win a championship. They bonded over everything, from their runaway beards to a cigar store indian that was purchased in August by pitcher Jake Peavy and became a lucky charm.
And, of course, they rallied in April around a city that was reeling from the tragic bombings at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
“This was above us as a group,” Ross said. “This was bigger than a baseball team, an organization. The city brought passion, character. This was bigger than just the Boston Red Sox and the guys on the field. This is a great win for the city of Boston.”
Said left fielder Jonny Gomes: “I don’t think a win-loss record sums up how much we care about this city. I’ll tell you what, I don’t think we put Boston on our back. I think we jumped on their back. They wouldn’t let us quit. This World Series isn’t icing on the cake. This has turned into a lifetime. I don’t really know how to sum it up besides it’s time to cue the Duck Boats.”
The clincher was vintage Red Sox. With his three-run double, Victorino superseded President Obama as the most important Hawaiian in town yesterday. Stephen Drew, who had been in a 4-for-51 slump, belted a home run that he told teammate Mike Napoli during batting practice he was going to hit.
And starter John Lackey tossed 62⁄3 stellar innings, then tipped his cap to the 38,447 souls lucky enough to get a ticket who now were chanting his name nearly two years after wishing to never see him again once he emerged from Tommy John elbow surgery.
“This is a team that we have a lot of players with heart,” said David Ortiz, named Series MVP after ridiculously batting .688 (11-for-16) with two homers and six RBI and the link between the 2004, 2007 and 2013 teams. “We probably don’t have the talent that we had in ‘07 and ‘04, but we have guys that are capable to stay focused and do the little things. And when you win with a ballclub like that, that’s special.”
A year ago, Cherington promised he would build the “next great Red Sox team,” though he never guaranteed it wouldn’t happen so quickly.
“I think this is early,” Henry said. “This is a little early.”
Said Cherington, “The 2013 Red Sox team is great. There’s still things we need to do to get better and ways that the organization can get stronger. But they won their last game of the postseason, so this team is great for 2013.”
When the Red Sox went 18-8 in April, the doubters admitted it was a great start but wondered if they really could keep it up. At the All-Star break, they were 58-39, best in the American League, and had a 21⁄2-game lead in the division. And during a 10-day span from Aug. 28 to Sept. 7, the AL East lead swelled to 81⁄2 games. By then, any lingering skeptics had been converted.
The Red Sox rolled over the Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series, outlasted the Detroit Tigers’ four aces in the AL Championship Series, and trailing 2-1 in the World Series after an obstruction call brought a never-before-seen end to Game 3, they won back-to-back games in St. Louis to bring the Series back home.
And with two chances to get the one win that would secure their third crown in 10 years, the Red Sox didn’t mess around.
Like his new team, Victorino had a bounceback season after signing a three-year, $39 million contract that was ridiculed around baseball. In Game 6 of the ALCS, he beat the Tigers with a grand slam. With the jam-packed crowd standing and roaring, he nearly did it again, hitting a line drive that scraped the top of the Wall in left field and pounding his chest after giving the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.
Drew’s homer made it 4-0 in the fourth, and four batters later, with two out, the Cardinals intentionally walked Series MVP David Ortiz before Napoli served an RBI single that scored Jacoby Ellsbury from second base. And after Gomes walked to re-load the bases, Victorino took mercy on the Cardinals, only lining a single to left field that drove in Ortiz for a 6-0 lead.
The rout was on. All that was left was a crowning moment 95 years in the making, and when Uehara wound up for his final pitch, it finally hit Napoli like a truck.
“I’m going to be a world champ,” he said. “It doesn’t even feel real, to tell you the truth.”
The Red Sox started from the bottom. Now look where they are.
Special thanks to:
Koji Uehara, who came seemingly almost from nowhere to fill an unfamiliar all important closer role and without whom so much of the Red Sox achievements would not have been nailed down.
John Lackey, who came into camp having resurrected himself as a committed fit athlete totally dedicated to the team and turning everything around, almost the mirror image of the entire Red Sox season.
All the guys who somehow found a way to step-up at the precise moment they were needed.
THE POWER OF THE BEARDS!!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/s...louis-cardinals-to-win-world-series.html?_r=0
"“They did it by sheer force of will,” said the owner John Henry, who headed the group that bought the Red Sox in 2002 and set the team on the path to a dynasty." - DAVID WALDSTEIN, Published: October 31, 2013, New York Times.
:thumb:
:lol: OMG!
Merlot
PS:
Nice try Joe.t...but I have ANOTHER parade to attend Saturday. I will have many new pics ready soon for your very personal viewing PLEASURE!!!!!!!!!! :eyebrows:
