Chris Sale sealed the Boston Red Sox’s 2018 World Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers by fanning Manny Machado for the final out of Game 5. The strikeout kicked off a huge celebration in which Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez sprinted toward the mound and jumped into Sale’s arms.
It was a moment of pure joy for both Sale and Vazquez, and the two since have exchanged gifts commemorating the occasion.
Vazquez revealed to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith over the weekend he gave Sale a special cell phone cover back in January when they attended teammate Matt Barnes’ wedding in Bonita Springs, Fla. The cover is made of wood and has the image of Vazquez jumping into Sale’s arms engraved.
“I got one and I gave one to him,” Vazquez told Smith at JetBlue Park, adding he got them designed at a mall in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where the catcher lives during the offseason.
Sale, clearly very appreciative of the gesture, responded by giving Vazquez a large photo of their World Series-clinching celebration at the beginning of spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. Both players signed the photo, one of several that Sale’s agent, B.B. Abbott, had made for the Red Sox ace, according to Smith.
The real prize for Sale, Vazquez and the rest of the 2018 Red Sox obviously is the championship ring they’ll receive in several weeks, as well as the lasting memories of having accomplished something very special. The offseason gift exchange sure makes for a cool story, though.
Maybe they can update their phone covers with another celebration this season?
