Our Beantown pals never knowingly underplay themselves and why should they as this week we celebrate 120 years of the Boston team party.
In the beginning they were known as the Boston Americans which was what they called themselves in 1903 when they won the first World Series.
Against the National League winners Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-3 in a nine-game series.
The pride of the American League (ours, at least) Boston run through the history of the diamond game.
Taking on the Red Sox mantle in 1908 during the stewardship of John I. Taylor on account of their red stockings it has marked them out in the years since.
As has their Fenway Park ground which they moved into in 1912 and which is the oldest in baseball.
While its 37ft Green Wall is storied in baseball since the days when George ‘Babe’ Ruth kept clearing it from 310ft away in home plate in the 19teens.
The Curse of the Bambino
Ruth, of course, looms large in the Boston story with even non-sports fans aware of the ‘Curse of the Bambino’.
When Boston failed to add to their roll of five World Series wins after they had traded the Babe to the New York Yankees in 1920.
The curse was broken in Massachusetts not by magic but by good play.
Now because we love these sporting curses and check out ‘the Curse of Billy Penn’s peak’ we bring you a Bostonian contribution.
When a “reverse curve” road sign over the Storrow Drive was graffitied to read “Reverse The Curse.
Officials left it in place until the Sox won in 2004 World Series.
And it was edited to read ‘Reversed Curse’ in celebration.
Fenway for fans
The best way to immerse yourself in Boston Red Sox culture (other baseball teams are available) is a tour of Fenway Park.
Where, of course, you can see them show off their nine World Series triumphs.
Their most recent in 2018.
This year, alas, the Red Sox will not be making it ten.
As the winners will come from..
The holders, Houston Astros, the Texas Rangers, the Arizona Diamondbacks or the Philadelphia Phillies.
We don’t know of the Sox having brought down any curses on themselves through trading a hero.
Although Roger Clemens who we cheered on at Fenway in our summer in Boston in the Eighties only won his two World Series at those damned Yankees.
He had been at the Toronto Blue Jays but just saying.
Now even though our Red Sox won’t be there this year we’ll expect it to be referenced over this year’s games.
120 years of the Boston Team Party.
And, of course, our friends at Ireland’s national airline carrier Aer Lingus fly to Irish Boston with pre-clearance from €199.69.
