 |
Boston Red Sox
|
Optimism runs high here in New England, at least when it's early Spring and you're a Boston Red Sox fan.
New England is RED SOX country. Sure there are some Yankee fans (Yorkers as Ethan Allen would've called them) but, by-and-large the Boston Red Sox are number one around these parts. From Lake Champlain to the potato fields of Aroostook County Maine, New Englanders' love their SOX. And the SOX, have always delivered excitement, anticipation, and ultimately defeat. But WAIT!!! This is Spring and it's a brand new ballgame.
Every year RED SOX fans are optimistic - but this year the Fenway Faithful (as die-hard Red Sox fans often refer to themselves) even the most pessimistic long-time SOX fan, is anticipating a great baseball season and a division championship, maybe even an American League Pennant, maybe even a World Championship!
So why now? After all, didn't the dreaded Yankees improve too? Yes, The Yankees signed A-Rod and Sheffield, and the Orioles have Tejada, but Boston has two new, off-season acquisitions that, if they had had last year well things would have been different. The Red Sox General Manager and whiz kid, Theo Epstein acquired one of baseball's best closers, Keith Foulke, formerly with the Oakland A's, and then closed the deal for starting pitcher, Curt Schilling, who dreams of beating the Yankees in Boston and bringing a Pennant to Beantown.
With new blood in the bullpen, a new starter, and a dandy new manager, Terry Francona
(photo below), who replaces Grady Little, a likable guy ... a manager who was one of the boys and well just didn't really have the knack for when to stay with a pitcher and when to pull the plug. Francona seems up to the task, but Boston's relentless media pressure will be a mighty challenge not to mention dealing with the stadium-sized egos and quirks of some of his players. Best O' Luck, Tito!
RED SOX fans have plenty of reasons to feel confident. This could be the year!
Now if only those new Budweiser Seats would wrap all the way around Fenway, maybe getting a ticket to a ballgame would become easier than finding a parking spot near Kenmore Square.
- Biff Burke for NorthernNewEngland.com
*The Boston Red Sox logo is copyright protected by the Boston Red Sox.
Follow the links below to purchase hard-to-find Red Sox tickets and Boston concert tickets. You'll find different tickets available at each source.
