Red Sox use bombing to unite city emotionally and win World Series
Courtesy of Boston Red Sox Official Twitter
Boston Strong logo.
November 14, 2013
The Boston Marathon bombing was a tragic event for the City of Boston. The Boston Red Sox used this as emotional motivation to win the 2013 World Series.
On April 15, 2013, the annual Boston Marathon was underway. It was a great day for running and fans of all kinds were in attendance. Runners were finishing when two pressure cooker bombs went off near the finish line on Boylston Street. The bombs killed three people and injured an estimated 264.
The city was in chaos. The Red Sox game the following day was cancelled, as well as other sport or city related activities. This is not fair to the fans that had been looking forward to the event, but it was a safety issue.
Just like the Yankees did after their 9/11 tragedy, the Red Sox were the first Boston sports team to return to play. The team was brave for risking their safety during a chaotic time. Player David Ortiz addressed the crowd in an emotional speech that touched everyone. The Red Sox went on to win the game against Cleveland, 7-2, the night after the bombing.
“Sweet Caroline”, a song sung at every home game, had more meaning to it following the attack. Other teams played it to show their support. Neil Diamond had an amazing in person performance of this song at Fenway following the bombing.
The Red Sox went from last to first following the bombing, an unheard of hot streak to pass other good American League East teams. Fans began to recognize the team’s greatness by grinding out wins against all odds. Fans also found a welcome distraction from the aftermath of the bombing by cheering for their team.
Like the New Orleans Saints team that won the Super Bowl in a city devastated by Hurricane Katrina or the New York Yankees making a World Series run following 9/11, the Boston Red Sox can be added to this list for winning the World Series after the Boston Marathon bombing.
The Red Sox dug deep and found the intangibles of baseball, the emotional motivation. The city was in need of a reminder that no matter how tough things get, keep moving forward.
“Boston Strong” was the motto to this inspiring season. Their World Series parade had an emotional stop at the Boston Marathon finish line, finally allowing Boston fans and residents to breathe easy.
I applaud the Boston Red Sox for their determination and resilience. As a baseball fan I respect what they did for their city and their clubhouse.
