My grandmother passed away this past winter. Aside from her garden (which gave her hours of joy mixed with frustration) she was also a huge Boston Red Sox fan (who gave her hours of joy mixed with frustration). She started following the Sox back in the 1940s - for most fans of my generation we remember the heartbreak of losing the World Series in '75 or '86, but my grandmother would often talk about the pain of losing to St. Louis in 1946. Yessiree, Red Sox Nation was an intense, but gloomy place most of her life, but she continued to follow the team and cheer, berate, and love them for over 60 years. So, when they finally won the Big One in 2004, we were all very happy for her. For her last Christmas (although we hoped it wouldn't have been) we had a replica of the World Series Championship banner made up for her (like the one in the picture above), and we hung it in her room. She told us that it brought her so much happiness, and I cannot think of any gift that so perfectly encapsulated all of our love and shared emotion. When I asked her what was the best part of of the 2004 season she immediately said " Beating the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS in Yankee Stadium!". So, this Spring I am watching and cheering for the Sox (and looking forward to their first meeting with the Yanks!). And if something big should happen again this October I'll have my grandmother's banner ready to wave.
2 comments:
Let's toss aside the fact that I am totally and utterly ignorant of any matters relating to baseball. Perhaps for example, you could explain where the name Red Sox originates from.
It's a sweet thing that she was able to relish the moment of victory after so many years of heartbreak and frustration. Whenever I think of our mutual outspoken friend who passed away prematurely, I cannot help but be annoyed that he died one year before his beloved Chelsea finally became league champions. I suppose to some people it must sound like such a trivial thing, but when you follow something with such passion I believe it can become a defining moment in your life. Keep on waving that banner.
Alex! Baseball is just like cricket... except different. The Red Sox got their name from (drumroll please!) the fact that they wear red socks. And Chicago has a team called the White Sox. I guess back in the late 1800s folks liked literalism in their team names (The Red Sox have been around that long!)
I'm sure that if there is an afterlife, our mutual outspoken friend saw Chelsea win.
Maybe he is arguing with my grandmother right now (they were both rather opinionated...) about what is a "real" sport... and the terms "soccor" vs. "football".
I predict a close tie on that one.
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