It’s happened again. After waiting 86 years, we only had to wait three this go-round.
Tom Werner, on the podium after accepting the championship trophy, put it best. The 2004 World Series was for all the grandfathers and ancestors who have lived and died with the Red Sox without getting anything in return. That championship was for them. This one? For all of us and the children. The children that will grow up in an era of success.
The Red Sox aren’t lovable losers anymore. They are the giants of the game, rapidly eclipsing the New York Yankees as the big bad men with lots of money and lots of success.
I’m not going to apologize for winning. Every single team should have a chance to taste the success the Red Sox have had these last several years. If it wasn’t evident before, it is now: the right owners bought the team.
This year is a story of the owners, of Boy Wonder Theo Epstein, of homegrown stars meshing with big-ticket stars.
2004 was a team of destiny, largely cobbled together by parts of the previous regime. This one? It’s Theo’s team… and despite the enormous payroll, it’s a team of youth, with much more on the way.
I’m not going to lie. This World Series victory pales in comparison to 2004. The circumstances were wildly different. We weren’t considered the “new” Yankees, our payroll had yet to reach epic proportions, it was a team anyone could like and it had a thousand demons whispering in its ear of failed players past. Mike Torrez. Calvin Schiraldi. Bucky Dent. Denny Galehouse. Bill Buckner. Chunk Knoblauch. Enos Slaughter. Roger Clemens. Aaron Boone.
This World Series feels vastly, vastly different. It’s still an absolutely tremendous accomplishment, and it validates all the hours I’ve put into watching and following the team — it validates all of ours. It may pale in comparison to 2004, but make no mistake: when that banner is raised Opening Day next year, Fenway will be loud. Very loud.
We like this era better than the 86 years that preceded it.
The parade is Tuesday. See you all there.
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So now we
Amen Gary, amen. Now that we’re not here to be kicked around anymore, we’re not longer convenient.
7 more rings!
GO SOX! How do you know when the Parade is?
Very well said Evan!
It was unbelievable in 04, especially after the sweeping the Yanks when we were down 3 games.
I’m sure the Yanks don’t want to read the paper or watch Sports Center today. Sweet indeed.
Eloquent, Evan.
They should hang the banner for a spell in Pawtucket. The farm system has become an integral part of our current success and, under this ownership, our future success. As it should. So, share the love, and the banner, John Henry.
You know that I’m more of a Sox sympathizer than I am a fan, but I still tip my cap to them for a job well done. Bravo, boys.
I wondered how it would feel to do it again.
It feels absolutely wonderful.
As Larry said last night (rather, early this morning), the 04 victory was for all those who wait over eight decades to see ring. 07 win is for us, who, compared to those old folks had to wait too few years to see it happen again.
And may be it even proves that in the 21st century, we have more rings than Yanks do (not).
Got rings? :)
Can we not let Theo off the plane unless he’s holding a Mike Lowell contract?
Great victory by a gutsy, professional team.
Pissed off though about the Boras/ARod announcement. Very poor form.
As the team emphasizes “family” over “nation,” I just want to give a huge thanks to all the contributors to this site. I’ve seen some of the best baseball writing around in my past two years here, and I have been happy to stop lurking this past season. Thanks for all the information, and thanks for putting up with my asinine comments. Top to bottom, this site is run well and the participation is intelligent and classy.
Best Regards,
MR
^Even you Sean O. I’d love to walk Fenway with you someday. ;)
(f*ing hate emoticons).
MR
Congratulations.
The better team won this series. Hopefully I won’t have to wait 86 years.
WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS.
Very good piece Evan. Guys, something very profound has change since 2004. The sensation of impending doom has faded completely. Our identity is not defined by tragedy anymore, but by heroics. Our new history is an EPIC history.
And there is every reason to be optimistic about the future. We are getting younger and we are getting better. Next year we will have Ellsbury from the start and we will see the arrive of Buchholz. And our farm system is full of talent to be excited about. John Henry is in fact a great and visionary owner.
We are seeing, first hand, a new “golden age” for the Red Sox.
I think Werner summed it up perfectly. 2004 closed out the past… 2007 embraced the future.
Just one quibble – I think the 2007 team is just as likeable as the 2004 squad, if not moreso. Except maybe Lugo.
Red Sox suck almost as much as zach hayes, and I’ll tell you why.
What is up with them losing 3 out of 4 to the Indians, come on they should of put the sweep on them. So now they once again become the underdog story in baseball, like “Oh my gosh these guys just keep coming back every year.” Yeah, because they screw around the first 3 games and then get down to business like true professionals. 2004 was great, and a great thing for sports in general. But for this team not to sweep their way through the playoffs is pitiful. I know thats a hard thing to do in baseball, but if the Rockies did it on their side and I would say the teams are MORE even on the NL than the AL, so the Red Sox have no excuse with the pitching and lineup that they had to not blow away all competition.
I like Terry Francona(spell check) and the Red Sox orginization, but stop looking so surprised when you win the World Series with the best team in baseball by far. At least Joe Torre and the Yankees kind of expected it after they won.
Patrick, guarantee nobody read anything after the first three words. Must be hard to cheer for a loser, whatever team you support.
And nothing says loser like posting on another team’s forum, especially a team so much better than your own.
Very well said, Sean O.