Saturday’s “Rolling Rally” Embodies Relationship Between 2013 Redsox Teams and Fans

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On Saturday, me and 2 million other fans got the privilege to go see the “Rolling Rally.” It was extremely special event—the fans were rowdy, excited, and knew and appreciated the effort each player put in to win the World Series. The players appreciated the fans excitement and knowledge and you could tell they were having the time of their life. It was just a special day in Boston.

I was situated on the Boston Commons and all around me was at least ten rows of fans on each side of the street stretched out for miles. Even before the duck boats barreled down the streets, the crowd would burst out in “lets go Boston” chants. People were excited.

When the boats finally arrived, the people were going crazy. The first boat that went by was John Henry and the front office group. Fans in many markets would not acknowledge the work that is put by this group, but in Boston they certainly did. They received one of the loudest ovations out of anybody. People bowed as they went by, pouring their heart into the ownership group which received a lot of criticism last year for putting too much time into making the Sox “more of a business.” But, fans this year understood the work they put in this off-season to change that image, and they embraced them for it.

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The fans even cheered the players who may have not performed up to expectations in the regular season or playoffs like Ryan Dempster, Stephen Drew, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Will Middlebrooks and Jake Peavy. They understood even though they weren’t playing their best when it counted, they still put the team first. They put in their best effort everyday, were fantastic teammates and did their job. Fans responded with a loud cheer for all these players because they understood even though they did not play up to expectations, they still played a big role in the teams success and were deserving.

Probably the greatest ovations went out to the guys who changed their images and pushed the team to the Championship. Players like John Lackey, David Ortiz, Johnny Gomes, Koji Uehara, and John Lester all received tremendous applause when they went by. Oftentimes, fans would group up and chant their name individually. It was wonderful for them since they worked hard over the off-season and put on some of the best seasons of their careers. All of those players did not have real high expectations coming into the season (Lester and Ortiz were supposed to play a big role, but both of their numbers were on the decline), yet they managed to make some of the biggest impacts and most clutch plays on the team. It was fantastic to see the fans give them their tremendous, well-deserved ovations because of their impact on the team.

The players showed they were enjoying the festivities as much as the fans. A lot of the players brought their video camera and were recording and taking pictures of the fans reactions as the rode by. Many were also dancing around the boat, at the very least laughing, waving, smiling and pointing to all of the fans. Pitcher Jake Peavy enjoyed it so much that he ended up buying a Duck Boat to commemorate the memories.

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The festivities ended with some very nice, symbolic gestures to pay heed to the efforts of the police officers and victims involved in the Boston Marathon bombing. Although it was a day to celebrate the championship, the players still acknowledged there are more important things than baseball by reaching out to those involved.

The Parade was extremely special and was a once and a lifetime opportunity. It was amazing to see how everybody appreciated the efforts of this Redsox team. They enjoyed how close the players got with one another, the fans, and the city. It showed by the way they played. The players never took a game off, never took a lead for granite, never thought they couldn’t come back.  They played hard. Even after their 69 wins season last year, they never lost hope. Despite their low expectations, they knew they could win, which propelled them to victory. The 2,000,000 fans that went to the celebration understood and appreciated their effort, and the players deserved all of the applause they received.

Hunter Morancy

About Hunter Morancy

Hunter is a second year Journalism and Political Science major at the University of Maine. He was a varsity debate champion, a varsity baseball and tennis player, and was captain of my club ultimate frisbee team.