The Boston Red Sox are officially the World Series champions after having a franchise record-breaking season of 108 regular season wins. During the playoffs, the Sox beat the New York Yankees, Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers, losing only one time to each team.
Looking dead in the water in game four, the Red Sox were down 4-0 when their offense was lifeless until the top of the seventh inning. The best players for the Sox didn’t get off the plane from Boston, as Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez were at one point being in almost two dozen at bats combined. Yet, without their best players playing the way they should have, they still came out with a win. Mitch Moreland came in to hit a pinch-hit three-run home run.
The Sox took the lead off a Rafael Devers single up the middle in the nextinning. However, the best player for the Sox was a 35 year old Massachusetts native who, in games three and four, had three home runs and five RBI’s, earning a world series MVP and a title for the Red Sox. This is now the fourth title the Sox have won since breaking the curse of the Bambino in 2004. With that being said. It’s time to admit it.
Boston is the best sports city in America. New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and the Boston Bruins right now are the greatest collection of teams in one city in the United States. Ever since the turn of the century Boston has won eleven sports championships: the Patriots with five, which might still increase until Brady retires, the Sox with four, and the Celtics and Bruins with one each. With the NFL dynasty of the Patriots still going strong since 2001 when Brady, Belichick and Kraft entered our lives winning at an unprecedented rate for as long as they have, it will never be duplicated by anyone once the dynasty finally ends. The Red Sox under owner John Henry, 2002-present, have also been the most successful franchise since the turn of the century, going 4-0 in World Series runs.
The Boston Celtics won the 2008 NBA finals with the “Big 3” of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen which also included Rajon Rondo and coach Doc Rivers. They beat the Phil Jackson/Kobe Bryant Lakers to get their first title since 1986. The Bruins won a Stanley Cup back in 2011, causing riots in Vancouver by breaking their 39 year drought.
Boston teams have been legendary so far in this 21st century, and I don’t expect that to stop. The Red Sox are still riding high after their World Series win, but will have to figure out who they want to pay and who they want to let go. But they can definitely contend again next year if they solidify their bullpen.
The Bruins, while usually playoff contenders, are not the best team in the NHL’s eastern conference. The New England Patriots continue to have a really good short-term future, but there will come the time when the Brady/Belichick tandem will end to bring us back to Earth. And of all the teams, I’m most excited for the Boston Celtics.
The next five years for the Celtics look very promising with this young team that has excellent depth. With the likes of Kyrie Irving, Jason Tatum and Jaylan Brown, they can be Eastern Conference champions for the foreseeable future and rise to NBA Finals champions once the dynasty of Golden State breaks up (it is rumored that Kevin Durant may leave the Warriors after this season).
You haters may not like it, but it’s time to acknowledge the facts: Boston is the best sports city in America today, of the 21st century, and really, of all time.
We have overcome more with our teams. The Patriots were supposed to lose to the St. Louis Rams in the 2001 Super Bowl, and they became a dynasty. The Red Sox weren’t supposed to win down 3-0 against the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS, and they pulled the greatest comeback in the history of sports on their road to breaking an 86 year championship drought.
The Celtics weren’t supposed to beat the Hall of Fame duo Phil Jackson/Kobe Bryant, and they did. The Patriots were thought to be dead early in 2014 and they went on to win a Super Bowl. They were down 28-3 against Atlanta in 2016, and they came back to win yet another title. The 2018 Red Sox were doubted all year after setting franchise records of wins and runs scored. They were about to be 2-2 against the Dodgers, yet came back down 4-0 and won 9-6 without their best hitters.
Keep doubting Boston, keep hating Boston. We bathe in the hate. Boston has won eleven titles since 2001. The only other city that’s close is LA with 7, with two teams in basketball and hockey. It’s a great time to be a Boston sports fan, and it will continue to be great for the foreseeable future.