In 2004 the Red Sox reversed the curse that was imposed on them with the sale of Babe Ruth in 1918. Not only did they reverse the curse but they silenced the chants of 1918 that could be heard in Fenway Park as a taunt. That was also the year my Dad turned me into a diehard Boston Red Sox fan. Sometimes I think he regrets teaching me so much about baseball because I have turned out to be a fan just like his sister. On October 27 2004, the day the Red Sox beat the Cardinals, I became a forever Red Sox fan,and an unbreakable bond was created between a father and daughter. Since 2004 I have watched the Red Sox win the series two more times. The 2004 win comes on the heels of the heart breaking loss in the 2003 'ALCS' and 86 years of not winning a single world Series.
In 2007 we made the trek to Boston to see the celebration parade. That is a day i will never forget,there was nothing cooler than being less than fifteen feet from the "duck boats" holding my favorite players (Jason Varitek, Dustin Pedroia and David "Big Papi" Ortiz). This was also the first and only time my Dad let me miss a day of school for a reason other than being sick.
In 2013 the hardest thing about watching the world series was watching without my counterpart. I was 4-and-a-half hours away at college and my Dad was at home. We were both watching the games but it was different because we weren't together. Instead of discussing the game across the room we had to call each other and discuss the game over the phone. Most of that was me starting with a "did you see that". The 2013 World Series victory followed the tragic bombings on Marathon day in April 2013. It was a much needed victory not only for the Red Sox but for the city of Boston itself.
Sometimes as kids grow up they outgrow things they once loved but for me my love for the Red Sox has intensified. Over the years it has only gotten stronger and sometimes I know more about the players and the team itself then my Dad does. It makes me smile when he has to ask me a question about the roster because he doesn't recognize a new player. I am constantly looking for changes in the roster and keeping track of games that I can't see on the tv. It's tough being a Red Sox fan in Upstate New York.
It's one thing to watch the games on TV but going to Fenway is a completely different experience. It's an experience I have only been able face four times in my life and it's coolest yet craziest experience I have had in my twenty five years. The best part aside from the game itself was singing "Sweet Caroline" during the middle of the 8th inning. There is shift in energy as the music begins and then the whole place erupts as everyone begins to sing and becomes one voice.
i have been a member of "Red Sox Nation" for the last 12 years. I will continue to cheer on my beloved Red Sox because of the bond it has created between my dad and I. As "Big Papi" retires "Red Sox Nation" will be saying good bye to one of the greatest players to ever grace Fenway Park and the last player from the 2004 World Series team. Having Watched David Ortiz from the start of my Journey as a member of "Red Sox Nation" I know it's definitely going to be a tough loss for my team.
The bond I share with my dad over the Red Sox is truly a bond like no other. It's the one thing in my life that I know i will never lose. I will forever cherish the moments of October 2004 when we were sitting in our breakfast nook and watching Keith Foulke pitch for the final out and then leaping into Jason Varitek's arms as soon as the out was secured at first. Forever etched in my memory.
