The Sox make a habit of success
This four-game sweep proceeded with delightful inexorability to its 4-3 conclusion last night. As is to be expected in any World Series, there were bumps along the way as the Colorado Rockies strived valiantly to avoid defeat, but the Red Sox countered every threat to their preeminence. What a difference from the surprise and relief three years ago when the Sox won their first championship of Major League Baseball in 86 years.
In 2004, the Sox had been chasing the Yankees since the end of May, and until they won the two extra-innings games from New York in the playoffs, it appeared the Sox would fall short for the 86th year. The team then methodically swept the Cardinals in the World Series, but those victories passed in a daze to many fans giddy from the unprecedented four-game comeback over the Yankees.
But in October 2007, with their three final victories over the Cleveland Indians and their sweep over the Rockies, the Red Sox showed the same skill and confidence that propelled them to a 12-game lead over the Yankees by July 4. The Boston team sagged after that, but skillful managing by Terry Francona kept them in the lead while tired or injured players recovered their health. Never in modern Red Sox history (that is, 1967 and later) have lineups been juggled so adroitly.
As Denver baseball writers have noted, the Sox had a powerful ally: money. With a payroll of $146 million versus the Rockies' $54 million, the Sox could afford the veteran hitters and pitchers who, combined with a few younger players, produced an unbeatable team in the series. Sox fans, with few complaints, paid the high ticket prices that allowed the team to assemble this payroll, but there is a hidden cost to this extravagance.
With the lowest-priced ticket at $20 and almost all sold out in advance, youngsters and people of modest means find it difficult to attend a game at Fenway Park. At Coors Field in Denver, a seat in the Rockpile, the distinctive name for the bleachers, goes for $4, and fans can buy affordable tickets on a whim, as was once the case at Fenway.
Once this victory has been savored, let's hope neither the Sox nor their fans indulge in the hubris of a team with an even bigger payroll, the New York Yankees. There's no need for any airs of superiority or for attempts by Sox management to assemble a lineup of superstars. Humility is good for the soul and could stabilize Fenway ticket prices.
But enough with the admonitions. This team provided enjoyment, and very few occasions for agita, every time they took the field. Winning is better than what-might-have-been's and made-up curses. It's time for celebration and applause for the players and coaches who endured the baseball grind, fought through adversity, and brought another World Series banner back to Boston. Let's have a parade.
