World Series

There are few times when “the Grandeur” lets his personal sporting affiliations be known. And this would definitely be one of them. The Boston Red Sox win the 2007 World Series!
Yes, my uber-excitement might be coming from the fact that I did drink five straight Red Bulls starting after the seventh inning. It could even be that it’s from the fact that I have now been awake the past 48 hours celebrating causing severe sports columnist goofiness. But it’s probably because the Red Sox won their second World Series title in the past four years and the Yankees have totally bombed in the past four postseasons.
Now you may be wondering how I became a part of the famed Red Sox nation. I must admit, like most other 11 years, I began liking them because I thought their hats were cool looking, you know the real important things. But then I made a trip to Fenway Park and it was love at first sight. The place is an absolute gem. It combines a classic design while not being too big to create an intimate atmosphere. I got to touch the Green Monster. I got to sit in great seats right down the third base line while watching Pedro Martinez get a dominating win while going perfect for six innings. It was one of those cool, cloudless summer nights when a Major League baseball game seems like heaven on earth.
And now after watching the Red Sox grab their second title in four years, I have realized that there is also magic in Fenway Park. When October rolls around in Boston, there is something in the air inside the stadium that works miracles. I think it’s always been there, it just happened to be dormant for 86 years. But since the great comeback of the 2004 ALCS, the magic has been revived. It When David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez step up to the plate and Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett come up on the mound, you always know there is a chance. It’s why the Cleveland Indians said they wanted to clinch their series at home because they didn’t want to go back to Fenway. And when they lost and had to go back to Boston, they knew the series was over before games six and seven were even played.
That is the difference these days in Red Sox Nation. Before and during the 2004 title run, the attitude was always “Please, don’t blow it, don’t screw it up.” Now it is more like “Hey, were a good baseball club and were winning championships, this is kind of fun.” That constant sick feeling has now been replaced by optimism because “the curse” is gone and Boston is enjoying the moment and it has been fun. After coming back against Cleveland and sweeping the Rockies in the Series, Red Sox Nation has been high as a kite. Now Colorado is a fantastic team that got a great winning streak but those eight days off combined with the charisma of October, those Rockies never had a chance. There was simply too much chemistry and too much firepower and pitching. Boston knew how to outgun Colorado in games one and three and grind out games two and four.
Theo Epstein has put together a great mix of youth and experience and those young guys are only going to get better. Boston will be a serious contender every year for the next decade if they keep everyone together. Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon and Jacoby Ellsbury are only going to get better while established players like Manny, Beckett and Big Papi show no signs of slowly.
It is a good time to a Red Sox fan. We have wandered in the wilderness for 86 years but now we have found the Promised Land. And we are ready to enjoy the milk and honey.