RIGHT TO THE CHIN

Where Did All These Red Sox Fans Come From?...Who cares!?! We won!!!

After an emotionally exhausting and unprecedented come-from-behind victory over the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, the Boston Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals for their first World Championship in 86 years. And with each successive Red Sox victory along the way, more and more Chattanoogans proclaimed their allegiance to “their” team.

I have been a Red Sox fan since 1978. Growing up in Connecticut, I had no choice. My parents were Red Sox fans and they dragged me into it. Boston started great in 1978, but by the end of the season they had slumped and were forced to play the Yankees in a one-game playoff for the division title. When Bucky Dent hit the home run that proved to be the game winner for New York, my parents screamed obscenities at the television screen. I decided to go outside and play, not completely aware of the trials and tribulations that both I, and the Red Sox, were in for in the future. I stuck with the team, though, through good and bad, hoping that, one day, they’d eventually win it all.
Though last year’s postseason defeat was as rough—if not rougher—than other Red Sox postseason defeats, I started to notice something in the midst of the disappointment: The Red Sox were starting to pick up fans.

This season began with the Red Sox wanting to—and then proceeding to—beat up on the New York Yankees. It was like they had tunnel vision, and the tunnel led to a victory over the Yankees in the postseason. And though the 2004 Red Sox hit a few rough patches, they played well enough to win the Wild Card and ensure a rematch with the Yankees in the Championship Series. And, just like in 2003, more people around the Tennessee Valley were rooting for the Red Sox to win. And this time they did.

In my immediate circle of fellow local Red Sox fans are my wife (a Red Sox fan by marriage), her cousin (who became a Red Sox fan, as he told me, after witnessing my devotion to the team), and two other friends—one who became a Red Sox fan after falling in love with the team’s storied history via Ken Burns’ Baseball documentary series, and another who became a Red Sox fan via the first friend’s love for the team…and a matching hatred for the Yankees.

On Saturday, 3.5 million Red Sox fans crammed into downtown Boston to watch the celebratory parade. They would’ve gladly made room for 3.5 million more. Speaking on behalf of lifelong Red Sox fans everywhere, I’d like to say that we welcome all new fans, front-runners, and bandwagoneers. It’s going to be fun to finally have Babe Ruth off our backs.