A euology/ some rabling thoughts on the 2013 Red Sox Season

Well, here we are, one win away from the unthinkable, the Red Sox winning the World series. I always try not to be a prisoner of the moment, which is why I have been hesitant to call this years Red Sox team my favorite sports team of all time, but I can no longer deny the simple fact that it is.

I have compared this team to the 2007 Packers and 2011 Lightning as my favorite sports teams of all time. While those two teams will always have a special place close to my heart, this years Red Sox surpass them in that I feel an emotional connection to this team that I have never felt with one of my sports teams before. There are several reasons for this, and I am not sure mere words can really express the emotional connection I feel to this time, but I will try.

For starters, I have never put in more time following a sports team than I have with this years Red Sox. I would estimate I have spent about 1,000 hours over the past 6 months watching games plus pre and post game shows. Every day at work or school or home all day I would think about that nights Red Sox game. Whenever the end of my work day was close to the beginning of the Red Sox game, I would run home and turn it on the second I got home. It was such an exciting team to watch that every single day I was eagerly anticipating that days game as soon as I woke up.

Back in March, I brought a notebook, the goal to record the box score of every single Red Sox game this season. Six Months later and I have all 162 box scores plus all 15 playoff box scores in that notebook. This special special season will forever be immortalized in that notebook, and I am so glad I decided to do this.

I still remember sitting down to watch this team on opening day. Considering the team went 69-93 last year, and literally not one single person had picked them to make the playoffs, my excitement for this season was rather low. The team turned in a high energy 7-2 win on opening day, highlighed by none other than Jonny Gomes, the teams energetic sparkplug, scoring on an infield single from second base. I remember telling my dad later that night "The Red Sox looked like a damn good team today." to which he replied "Its just one game." I knew that of course, but I just had a feeling after that opening day that this team might actually be pretty good, of course I was right.

Of course there was the Boston Marathon bombings in Mid April, and its pretty safe to say no other team has been as inspired by a city tragedy than this years Boston Red Sox. Thats where a lot of the emotional connection comes from, is watching this team realize they are peoples coping mechanism from this tragedy, and accepting that role the way they have. Heres a great video that illustrates that
 http://wapc.mlb.com/nyy/play/?content_id=31171287&topic_id=7417714

Of course there was all the heartstopping moments the Red Sox put out this year, the "Cardiac Sox" as they came to be called. 11 walk off wins, a franchise record. Twice they overcame 5 run deficits in the ninth inning. Mike Carps ninth inning grand slam against the Rays in September. All the amazing moments in a single season that I will never forget. It's hard for me to pinpoint an exact moment when I started to believe this team could win a world series. Up until about the end of June I was just enjoying the ride, but never even expected the team to make the playoffs. Around early July, I started to believe this team was playoff worthy, but I dont think I began to think World Series until around late August, when the Sox took 2 of 3 from Los Angeles. Heres a video of all 11 Red Sox walk off wins this season
http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=29351411

This has been such a magical season, I cant even describe how much joy and excitement this team has provided me this season. I want them to win it all so bad, and if they finally pull it off I think I will explode. Ive never had more fun following a sports team than I have this year with the Red Sox.

I never want this season to end, but if it has to, Id rather it be tomorrow.