That torch is the eyes, ears, hearts and minds of the region, which was so caught up in Black and Gold fever throughout the majority of the Red Sox' young season.
The Stanley Cup run had the city and B's fans everywhere following along every step (stride) of the way, and rightfully so. After all, this team last hoisted the Cup in 1972, well before the majority of Saturday's parade population and members of the Sox were even born.
While the Sox will forever be the top banana in Beantown, the Bruins have finally given the diehard hockey fans reason to celebrate. But while New England was caught up in Cup fever, the Red Sox were quietly dismantling opponents and overcoming a dreadful April slump.
The Bruins kicked off their Stanley Cup run at a perfect time for local sports fans. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Canadiens was on April 14. The Red Sox, after losing their April 15 matchup with the Blue Jays, were 2-10. Sox Nation needed a pick-me-up and the B's offered just that.
For those who have tuned out the local nine since that bumpy start, there's a lot you need to be caught up on. First of all, the offense is very, very good. In the last three weeks, a Red Sox batsman has been named American League Player of the Week, in Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford and Ortiz. Secondly, there are currently some injury problems as both Clay Buchholz and Crawford have recently joined Daisuke Matsuzaka, Rich Hill and Bobby Jenks on the disabled list. Save for Dice-K, they appear to be minor injuries, unlike last year's team that looked more like an infirmary than a locker room.
But besides big bats and boo-boos, there's plenty more to catch you up on.
