Seriously, as much of an optimist, pie in the sky, we're down 5-0 bottom of the ninth but we can still win this, kind of Sox fan that I am, I did not see this coming, even as late as the start of the playoffs. Of course, once they made it to the World Series, I did call it: Sox in six!
A hearty congratulations and WOOOFRICKINHOOO! to the Red Sox and the entire fan base! What an amazing year with a spectacular ending!
So, since this blog has a sports-oriented name and I'm a die-hard Sox fan, naturally there needs to be a post that has something to do with the World Series. Here's a collection of thoughts that have been going through my brain today (thoughts other than "man, I shouldn't have had that champagne and stayed up so late last night").
- Big Papi deserved the World Series MVP, but I'd have been just as happy if Lester had won it, or even better, if they had co-MVPs.
- You do know that if Bobby Valentine was still manager, they'd have won the series in just three games, right? And all the while, he'd be serving the team sandwich wraps!
- The awesomeness of last night was further enhanced with the realization that we'll never have to subject ourselves to Tim McCarver's deranged biased ramblings ever again. And that's a win for all baseball fans, not just Boston's!
- Hey, Phillies! Thanks, for indirectly giving us the Flyin' Hawaiian!
- I think the people who said that Pedroia was too short to play baseball need to be called out, front and center, and let Red Sox Nation point and laugh at them.
- The 2013 Red Sox season could also be called "The Redemption of John Lackey".
- So. Where's the fried chicken and beer jokes now, eh?
- Big Papi in Cooperstown? Hell yes!
- I have no difficulty in believing that Terry Francona contacted John Farrell and congratulated him on doing the same thing that he himself did: bring the Sox a World Series win in the first year of being manager.
- Farrell wasn't perfect this year, but somehow I think he's received some impressive on the job training. And no one can deny that his gut feelings which he employed in putting together the Game 6 lineup were spot-on.
- Entry in the "Sox fans will always find something to bitch about even when they win" Department: the only way this could've been better is if Pesky had been around to see one last championship, and this was the year of Fenway's 100th anniversary, not 2012.
- The shrieks of ecstasy that you heard seemingly from nowhere were the sounds of Scott Boras anticipating a huge payday in the near future.
- Speaking of which, here's four free agents whose Sox futures are uncertain: Ellsbury, Saltalamacchia, Drew, and Napoli. My prediction: Ells is gone, Salty is gone, Napoli stays, and Drew can go either way.
- If Ells does indeed go, welcome to the Jackie Bradley Jr era. This is not a bad thing.
- I wonder what Beckett, Gonzalez, Crawford, and Youk are thinking today. And of all those guys, the one I feel the most sorry for is Youk. Yeah, granted, he was getting injured a lot, but let's face it, he was a direct casualty of the Clown Manager From Hell.
- Hey, remember the news story that broke during the 2007 World Series celebration? That badly-timed, self-serving news item? Something about some baseball player getting an obscenely huge long-term contract from the New York Stinkees? Remember how many people threw back their heads and howled, and rightly so, about how the timing of that news story was poorly executed, since the big baseball news story that deserved sole attention was the Sox winning the Series? Yeah, remember that? Where are the Yankees now, and how's that relationship with A-Rod working for them today? Ladies and gentlemen, Karma has come to call, and she's in a rare mood.
- Considering how many "The Official (insert product/service here) of the Boston Red Sox there are out there, are the Dropkick Murphys the Official Band of the Boston Red Sox? If not, they should be. If they are, then whooops, never mind...
- After reading about how hard Mike Napoli took the World Series loss when he was with Texas two years ago, I feel especially happy for him today.
- Since the victory parade traditionally has a duck boat for the team's support staff, and that Pedro, Tek, and Timmay worked for the organization in some capacity this year, does this mean we'll see them in the parade? I think it does! Hope so, anyway...
- Bringing in Fisk and El Tiante to throw the first pitch in Game 6 was a touch of brilliance.
- I wonder what it's like to be Xander right now. You're 21 years old, you began the season in the minors, got called up to the majors in August, found yourself thrust onto the World Series roster, and now you're getting a ring.
- Speaking of Xander, I predict he's going to be with us for quite some time, and will become one of those beloved players, like Ortiz or Pedroia.
- If you're a fan of feel-good stories, especially in the "cast offs make good, win it all" genre, you have to love this 2013 Sox team. Whether it's veterans who've never been to the Series, veterans who've been to the Series but lost, or guys whose teams cut them loose because they supposedly had nothing left, there was a lot to root for here.
- Summing up the 2013 Red Sox: Characters with Character.
- After listening to John Henry's words upon receiving the World Series trophy, I really think the Red Sox IT department needs to install a new communications interface patch in his programming. I've seen Daleks be more articulate and emotive.
- Ben Charington, you rock, sir.
- The 2004 team was characterized as a pack of unlikely idiots. The 2007 team was just a scary good team of expert players up and down the lineup. The 2013 team is definitely more like 2004, don't you think?
- After seeing photos of the Sox both clean-shaven and with their beards, I come away with the conviction that, as a rule, men look way better without beards. Or said another way, it takes a very rare breed of man who can pull off a good beard look. Lord knows I tried back in the late 90's. I'm just about done writing apology notes to anyone who'd ever been around to see that travesty in person.
- Definitely on my Christmas list: World Series t-shirt, Red Sox Road Team jersey with Victorino's name on it.
- Okay, don't get me wrong here, but is it at all possible that we can continue to remember the marathon bombing and keep praying for and rooting for the victims and their families, and do whatever it takes to help in their continued recovery and make sure that nothing like this ever happens again, but also permanently retire "Boston Strong"? Please?
And now, the off-season begins. Whatever happens, it promises to be an interesting one. And through it all, we'll have the Red Sox victory to keep us warm through the winter.
Congratulations again to the Boston Red Sox!
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