After a few weeks to reflect on the 2018 Boston Red Sox, I have had some time to think about what it was that made this season so special. Like many fans entering the season, I was cautiously optimistic that between the returning talent, a new coach, and a few key acquisitions, that we could contend for a championship. After the first game of the season that ended up with a typically impressive Chris Sale-performance, a bullpen collapse, and an eventual loss, I was already feeling the slight disappointment that this season could end like the previous two. How wrong I was.
Baseball always has its unpredictability. It's one of the things that makes October playoff baseball so exciting. With many of the other sports, there is a sense that you can almost "sim" to the end of the season and get to "the good stuff". With baseball, 162 games sure is a lot. But the growth that you see in the game differentiates itself from the others. This season we saw the true emergence of an MVP in Mookie Betts, a statement season from J.D. Martinez, the redemption of David Price, the underdog stories of Ryan Brasier and Steve Pearce, and the character of an outstanding coach in Alex Cora.
After '16 and '17, fans were certainly justified in being somewhat hesitant in 2018. But just like with the grit of the previous Red Sox World Series teams of this century, these guys "trusted the process", played as a team, and came out World Champions. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future, but I have no doubt this will not be the last time we see of these guys. Oh the perks of being a Boston sports fan!
