The Boston Red Sox are an iconic part of the Massachusetts life. Founded in 1901, the Red Sox have a long history. Although they started off strong, the Sox had one of the longest championship droughts in baseball history, 86 years, called the "Curse of the Bambino" after Babe Ruth was traded to the rival Yankees two years after the 1918 championship. The New York Yankees and Red Sox have perhaps the most intense and fiercest rivalries in North American professional sports. The Red Sox are also quite known for their stadium, Fenway Park. Fenway Park is the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, and has many quirks, such as the Green Monster, the tall green wall in the left field. It also has the scoreboard on the bottom part, and is updated by hand.
The Red Sox have many unforgettable players that have left a huge mark on the Boston community. This past Monday, October 10, was the last game of David Ortiz, aka "Big Papi", probably one of the most iconic players of this generation for Bostonians. He remains the all time leader as a designated hitter in MLB history for home runs, runs batted in, and hits. He has left a huge mark on Boston, not only with his playing but with his attitude. When Boston suffered the marathon bombings, Ortiz spoke in front of the crowd at the next game, saying "This is our f**king city, and no one is going to dictate our freedom. Stay strong." His number, 34, will be retired this oncoming 2017 season.
The New England Patriots are another widely followed team in the area, especially more recently. The Patriots are extremely loved in New England, but largely hated everywhere else for reasons I cannot understand. Just earlier today, someone called me "white trash" for being a Patriots fan...The Patriots have appeared in the Super Bowl eight times, and six of them have been since the arrival of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady in 2000. Since then, they have become one of the most successful teams in NFL history; they have won twelve AFC East titles in 14 seasons since 2001, without a losing season during that time. In 2015, the deflate gate scandal involving the Patriots, specifically Tom Brady, became a huge controversy, and Brady just finished his suspension a few weeks ago. Without going into too much detail, Tom Brady was accused of using deflated footballs on a couple ocassions. Despite these obstacles, the Patriots remain one of the strongest teams in the league.
I never knew the scoreboard at Fenway is still updated by hand. I thought your take on Boston sports is fresh, and you seem to encapsulate the feeling of many Bostonians. My roommate resides there and Sunday is not complete without her yelling about the Pats. Thanks for giving me an insider's take.
ReplyDeleteI love the Red Sox so much and I am so glad you chose to post about them. Honestly I did have tears in my eyes during Big Papi's last game (love him so much) and have been to Fenway on more than one occasion. Love your posts!
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