The World Series that Almost Was

Life is made up of a series of opportunities, both missed or taken, and of course, it typically requires just the right timing to take advantage of those chances.  In the words of Louis Pasteur, "chance favors the prepared mind".  However, nothing is guaranteed in life, except of course, death and taxes.  But if you believe in divine providence, then most of life's occurrences events are, shall we say, predetermined.  It is for this reason that this is the World Series that almost was for at least one long time Red Sox fan.

My father loved baseball, initially playing it as young man and then watching his beloved White Sox, but later adopting the Boston Red Sox as his team.  When the Red Sox won the Series in 1918, my father wasn't even born.  However, he got to witness the 1946 Series with the great Ted Williams, the "Impossible Dream" team of 1967, the heart break teams of '75 and '86, the breakthrough championship in '04, and the repeat in 2007.  Although he had traded in his allegiance to the White Sox, he even got to celebrate their World Series win in 2006.  I'd have to say, at least his teams would occasionally indulge him with their post season appearances in the October classic.

But like any self respecting Red Sox fan, there was always next year, and after the collapse of 2011 and the last place 2012 team,  the 2013 team was most assuredly going to be different.  After all, how could it get worse?  So, when spring training hit, with the pitchers and catchers reporting, my father was preparing himself too; he was practicing for the season to come and a chance to watch exciting baseball again.

As the snow began to melt and the Sun warmed the Northern hemisphere, the long winter with the blizzard was soon to become a distant memory.   Baseball was back for another season in Boston with the hope that the off season changes would make the difference between success and disappointment. The Sox had a terrific April to start their season, winning 18 games, and with that, they were off.  This rekindled the fan's enthusiasm for a team that had lost its "mojo".

Amongst all the excitement for a team on the mend, were the tragedies of Marathon Monday.  Those events galvanized a city, and reminded us that there is far more to life than baseball; and although my father loved baseball, he was moved to tears after those events unfolded, recognizing its senselessness.

As the season unfolded, the fans rallied behind its team and supported the victims of that horrific day.
My father just loved well played baseball, and he was watching the emergence of a team who simply liked to play this grand old game.  One night in June, my father watched as Big Papi hit a walk off home run, but what I really remember was the youthful excitement he displayed cheering on a team that, for over 65 years, had captured his loyalty.

Not even a month later, however, that youthful spirit came to an end, and those games became but a distant concern.  My father passed away peacefully knowing the Red Sox wouldn't disappoint, not this year anyway.  This story book season ended the way only a team of destiny would have it end, with a victory at home in front of the Fenway faithful, 95 years after their last World Series clinching game at home.

Yes, the story on the 2013 Red Sox is complete, and the ending was one for the ages.  However, there will always be next year.  For my father on the other hand, his season ended a bit prematurely, and consequently, there was no World Series for him.  The Red Sox embodied team work, perseverance and showed emotion, both on and off the field.  It's the stuff legends are made of, and having had a box seat to witness the actions of a legend, I can assure you that he would have been proud of this bearded bunch.  I am sure he would have described this as "heavenly"!