If there is any New England team that I have absolute complete faith in whenever they play, it would have to be the Boston Red Sox. Debuting in 1901, this team has a long, successful history. With nine World Series titles and famous players like David Ortiz, Johnny Damon, and Pedro Martinez, the Sox are an unstoppable force to be reckoned with.

My love for this team began when I was in second grade. My teacher, Mrs. Kelly, had a motto she lived by every single day of my second grade year: “Love of God, Love of Country, and Love of the Sox.” To start every day off, we would sing “America the Beautiful,” “My Country Tis of Thee,” or the all-around ballpark favorite “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” I also distinctly remember that I had a pink Red Sox necklace that I would wear when they were playing their most important games. Mrs. Kelly was so superstitious that she made sure that the necklace was always facing forward throughout the day. If it wasn’t, the Sox wouldn’t win. She also enforced “no saying the Y word,” Yankee, in her classroom. If you did, she would send you right out. 

That same year, I was able to attend my first Red Sox game. I vividly remember the view I had of the whole park, the smell of the hotdogs, and of course, the friendly face of the famous mascot who I got to visit with, Wally. It was against the Baltimore Orioles. While I may not remember who got a base hit to first or a grand slam, I do remember that they won. All I could hear throughout the stadium was loud screaming, chants of excitement, and one of the Red Sox’s theme songs “Tessie.”

Now that I have gotten older and have played a season of softball, I know and understand how the game works a little bit more. In my house, these past few weeks have been very stressful. My friends were getting text messages from me saying: “Are you watching the Sox? — You should be,” or “Have you seen how cute that one player is?” One of my friends jokingly remarked: “Kate’s life revolves around the Sox.” All of my homework and extracurricular activities had to be over before 8:00, the start of most games. My parents probably were not happy with the times I went to bed, but hey, I blame it on the Sox. 

With the Red Sox defeating the Yankees in the Atlantic wild card matchup, it meant that our team was heading to the Atlantic division series against one of the top-scoring teams in the MLB, the Tampa Bay Rays. With three wins, including a thirteen-inning, stress-inducing game with the Rays, we advanced to the ALCS. This pennant would either secure us a seat in the World Series or send us home packing. Unfortunately, despite the many amazing catches, pitches, and hits, we lost to the Houston Astros in a 4-2 series. 

Despite the loss and frustration that the Red Sox nation felt with our team, there were some amazing players that made the season extra special. While I have many obsessions with each and every member of this team, my two main ones are with Bobby Dalbec and Kike Hernández. Known as the “new Babe Ruth,” Enrique (Kike) Hernández was traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Red Sox just this year. With five home runs in his postseason and some amazing catches in center field, Kike was on fire. Another player who is easy on the eyes and absolutely phenomenal is Bobby Dalbec. Bobby Dalbec has hit 25 home runs this season and has played very well at first base. I was very mad at the Red Sox’s manager, Alex Cora, because of his reluctance to insert Dalbec into his postseason lineup. Every game, my eyes were glued to the television looking for my favorite player to come onscreen. When Cora finally put him in the lineup in game 6 of the ALCS, I screamed: “Bobby’s in. My Bobby’s in.” Bobby Dalbec and Kike Hernández-themed apparel are officially on my list for Santa this Christmas. 

The final thing that I love about the Sox is the group of people they have supporting them. Nicknamed Red Sox Nation, the group of followers that I belong to is loyal, supportive, and fun to be around. I have been lucky enough to go to two Red Sox games this season. When you are at Fenway, there is never a dull moment. Whether you are trying to get on the jumbotron, dancing on your feet to the hits of the DJ, singing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” or screaming your head off, you leave the park knowing you had fun. During this postseason, I don’t believe I saw one fan sitting down when the pitcher was about to throw a strikeout or the hitter was nearing a homer. I know that these players would not be able to perform as well as they do without us. 

The Boston Red Sox are an awesome team that put so much hard work and effort into this 2021 season. Many would say that because we lost and didn’t make it to the World Series, we didn’t win anything. I say that we won the amazing value of perseverance in the face of adversity. Just like when we power through a hard day or struggle, these players had to battle with difficult teams and play thirteen-inning games. It may sound corny or silly to say, but these players have the spirit of Mavericks. They celebrate the joys, struggle through the lows, and trust that the work they have put in is the best they can produce. As the old song goes: “They’ve got heart. Miles and miles and miles of heart.” 

Kate Novack ‘24, Features Editor

24cnovack@montroseschool.org