Now, like it did in 2004, it comes back to 1918. While the stakes are a little bit different, the Red Sox can do something Wednesday (or Thursday) that they have not done since 1918.
While 1918 doesn’t haunt Red Sox fans like it used to after the club won its first World Series in 86 years back in 2004, the club is now set up to win a World Series on the Fenway Park grass for the first time since 1918. The club’s two titles since then — ’04 and 2007 — both came on the opposing team’s field. By virtue of a Game 5 win over St. Louis, the Red Sox now return home needing to win one of two games at Fenway to win it all in front of the home crowd.
That’s obviously something that excites the Red Sox as they head home. David Ortiz, who helped the Sox to those two titles in ’04 and ’07, is relishing the potential to win the title in Boston.
“I’m telling you, it’s going to get loud out there,” Ortiz said after Boston’s Game 5 win. “Our fans are baseball fans. They love the game and they love how we’ve been going at it every day. And I’m pretty sure it’s going to be very loud out there.”
“I can’t image what Fenway is going to be like for that game,” Shane Victorino added, according to Boston.com. “The fans are going to be amazing.”
Of course, the Red Sox aren’t getting ahead of themselves. No one is taking the opportunity in front of them for granted, and they know that they have to win one of two games before they can even think about celebrating.
“Well, provided we win one more,” manager John Farrell said when asked about the opportunity to win at home. “The fact is, we’re going home. Going back to a place that our guys love to play in, in front of our fans. The atmosphere here, these three games have been phenomenal. We know it’s going to be equal to that, if not better. And we’re excited about going home in the position we are.”
