Moving from Connecticut to New York, there have been some cultural differences that I had to face. The difference in the way I say “aunt” versus New Yorkers who pronounce it like “Ant.” I get told that I speak too proper by saying things like “per usual” and “have a catch”, and that I am uncultured due to my lack of knowledge about Wegman’s and Stewart’s. While being from another state has brought on some undeniable differences, there is one that stands out above all others, and that is my undeniable love for the Boston Red Sox.
I would like to consider myself a very proud Red Sox fan. I firmly believe that I came from the “dirty water” and that the Green Monster is my second home. Just like 95% of Sox fans, I’d like to consider Andrew Benintendi my husband even though he doesn’t know it just yet. I even have the coordinates to Fenway Park in my bios of all my social media. With that being said, there have been a great deal of conflicts and feuds between me and my friends when it comes to the great sport of baseball. Never did I think that being a Boston fan would cause such an uproar going to school in Upstate New York. Yes, there are some longtime issues between the two teams, but i’ve been booed walking up the stairs of the library while wearing my Red Sox hat.
Over the past three years, I have definitely taken some heat from the native New Yorkers and their love and passion for their Yankees. The Red Sox haven’t helped my case much when they would continuously lose to the Yankees and either miss the playoffs or blow their chances at advancing during the first round of playoffs. I tried to makeup for my Boston fandom with my support for the New York Giants and my “liking” of the New York Rangers, but no one seemed to be able to get past my love for that dirty water.
Well, over the past couple of weeks, the Red Sox have done what no one believed they’d be able to do. They beat the Yankees to advance to the semifinals, beat the Astros to make it to the World Series, and then defeated the Dodgers in five games to take the World Series title as their own. Brock Holt hit for the cycle for the first time in postseason history (and yes, it was against the Yankees in case anyone was curious.) Nathan Eovaldi came out of nowhere and pitched the lights out. Andrew Benintendi made the game ending catch to push the Red Sox onto the World Series. Let’s not forget Chris Sale and his ability to strikeout almost every Yankee that came up to the plate. Now that they Sox were able to prove to not only themselves, but the rest of the world that they aren’t just all talk, the doubters and the non believers have seemed to quiet down. I am going to ride this victory wave forever, or until baseball season comes back around.