On a day where the emphasis was on the Red Sox and their achievements, this remarkable group of guys shifted the focus to something much bigger than themselves.
As the championship parade rolled its way through the city, the duck boats came to a stop just before reaching the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street. With all eyes on the blue and yellow paint marking the significant spot on the road, Jonny Gomes and Jarrod Saltalamacchia got off their boats and took part in the most moving tribute of the day.
Gomes placed the World Series championship trophy on the finish line and positioned the iconic 617 “Boston Strong” Red Sox jersey inside their hardware. The touching moment by the Red Sox outfielder was something that couldn’t be scripted and according to Gomes, it wasn’t at all. After the parade, he divulged that placing the trophy on that spot wasn’t something he had planned.
“That was something kind of unexpected on my end, but I was glad to be a part of it. It was somewhat of a tear-jerker there for a minute but it’s something that had to be done,” Gomes said.
After a season in which things simply went right for the Red Sox, their celebration certainly followed suit. The team further endeared themselves to this city by doing what they had done for 162-plus games — being a passionate and caring group who took pride in one another, as well as in Boston. Their love for their home was displayed once again, as Gomes revealed that his tribute along with David Ortiz‘s, weren’t mandated, but something they simply wanted to do themselves.
“They didn’t tell us what to do. I don’t think there’s a right way or a wrong way to do it, I think it’s just something that had to be done and it just shows how classy this organization is and this city to allow that to happen,” Gomes continued.
There may not have been a right way or a wrong way, but the Jonny Gomes way worked just fine for the city of Boston — all season long, and even after.
