The quest to repeat as champions is the most difficult journey in sports, one few have the talent, dedication and luck to complete.
It’s a quest the Boston Red Sox will begin Friday when they open spring training against Northeastern University.
The Red Sox, who stormed through baseball last season en route to 108 regular season wins and a World Series title, bring back the most of last year’s championship squad with closer Craig Kimbrel being the only notable absence from the 2018 club.
No team has repeated as World Series champions since the New York Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000, but Red Sox manager Alex Cora pushed all the right buttons a season ago and he’ll stick to his formula this season.
“I have to let them know that, ‘Yeah, you guys are good,'” Cora told NBC Sports Boston about the talent on his team. “It’s OK to show emotion. It’s OK to have some swag. And I think last year they did an outstanding job. They believe in what we’re preaching, they believe in themselves, and I think that’s why we are in such a good position.”
The 2018 Red Sox certainly had plenty of swag. From American League MVP Mookie Betts to postseason hero David Price, the Red Sox fed off the confidence given to them from Cora and they’ll look to use that same fuel to propel them to yet another title in 2019.
