The Boston Red Sox are one of the most historically renowned baseball franchises. With over 100 years of heartbreak and success, this season will be the most memorable on record. Many fans wouldn’t dream of seeing a World Series trophy being paraded down the streets of New England in their lifetime; but alas, it has happened!

The team that began as the Boston Pilgrims in 1901, and renamed the Red Sox in 1907, has historically taken home 6 World Series titles, including this very year. In a span of 16 years, the team won an unrealistic 5 championships: 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, and 1918. Yet as history has taught us, all great empires fall sometime.

In 1920, the owner of the Red Sox sold a young legend named Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in order to finance his girlfriend’s play. Since then, the Yankees, whom had never won a championship before, took home 26 titles. The irony of it is that our own Red Sox have made only 4 World Series appearances, all ending tragically in Game 7.

All Boston fans can agree that the past 86 years are painful to look back upon. In 1946 and 1967, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. In 1975 and 1986 they faced the same fate against the Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets, respectively. It was in 1986 that many believed that the team could never win a World Series again. The idea quickly snowballed, and before long the Red Sox were tormented with The Curse of the Bambino. This hex was rumored to have started with the trade of Babe Ruth (a.k.a. The Great Bambino) in the 1920’s, and would prevent the Red Sox from ever becoming champions.

Anyone would admit that this year’s team was one that Boston had never seen before. After a Game 7 loss to the Yankees in last years ALCS, the Red Sox replaced their manger and worked at acquiring many new skillful players. At the beginning of the season in April, the team looked so dangerous that many baseball analysts predicted the Red Sox to easily take the World Series. Fans would expect no less than a championship either.

As if jinxed by eager predictions, they underachieved greatly throughout the whole season; and were even considered out of contention after being down by 3 games to the Yankees in the ALCS. The Red Sox were about to fail for the 87th time. As shocking as they were in 1975 and 1986, nothing is more surprising than what happened next. This fan-devoted team would stare history in the eye and overcome the largest deficit in baseball to earn a spot in the World Series. The self-proclaimed “idiots” with wild hair would sweep the St. Louis Cardinals and win their first Championship in 86 years. Our very own Boston Red Sox are now the best of the best.

Yes, this very event was unthinkable. There is no more talk of “the Curse”; no more “1918” chants or Babe Ruth photos at the hands of the Yankees; and no more predictions of season-ending heartbreaks at the mercy of other teams. That is why on October 27th 2004, the world stopped turning. No fan will ever forget what FOX announcer Joe Buck said with the last out of the World Series: “Red Sox fans have longed to hear it: The Boston Red Sox are World Champions!” That night, Boston placed their 86 years of torture behind them, and began a well-deserved celebration.

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