The Boston Red Sox completed one of the best seasons in baseball history Sunday when they dispatched the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5 of the World Series to clinch the title.
Boston won 108 regular-season games and steamrolled its competition in October en route to the franchise’s fourth World Series title since 2004, and it all started with a team meeting in the spring and a message from David Price.
The Red Sox left-hander entered the 2018 season as a pariah, having been lambasted for poor postseason performance in each of his first two seasons in Boston and painted as someone who didn’t want to be with the Sox.
When the team came together for a dinner in spring training, each important member spoke with the overarching theme being the desire to win a title. Price’s remarks were raw, emotional and helped set the tone for what would be an unforgettable season at Fenway Park.
“The one that stood out was David Price, to be honest,” Red Sox third base coach Carlos Febles told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “He said, ‘You are the reason why I’m still in Boston. I’m here for you guys.’ Everybody said something, but that stands out the most. ‘I know I had a tough time with the media, but you guys are what makes this place special. That’s why I’m comfortable coming in, for you guys.'”
Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who hosted the dinner, noted how close Price came to achieving his goal.
“David just said, ‘I just want to go out there, show them who I am, go to the World Series, and try to win an MVP,’” Rodriguez said. “He almost did it. That was special.”
Price silenced all of his doubters during an impressive October run that saw him beat Justin Verlander during Boston’s American League Championship Series-clinching win, and outduel Clayton Kershaw on Sunday to earn the win in the World Series-clincher.
As he told the media after Game 5 at Dodger Stadium, he “holds all the cards now.”
