It’s been 10 years since the Boston Red Sox captured the 2013 World Series with a postseason run that included an American League division round win over the Tampa Bay Rays, a pennant-clinching victory against the Detroit Tigers and a six-game championship series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Memories from that campaign are some Boston sports fans will never forget, especially given how the city’s teams played such a pivotal part in the healing after the Boston Marathon bombing.
In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of that 2013 World Series season, NESN and NESN.com will highlight that Red Sox team at various points during the 2023 campaign. The team was honored in mid-April during Boston’s weekend series which coincided with Patriots’ Day.
Here are some of the moments that will always stick with members of NESN.com’s digital content team:
Sean McGuire: David Ortiz’s ‘This is our (expletive) city’
Like so many Boston sports fans, the moment still gives me chills. It can only be compared to the most emotional moments in all of sports, like President George W. Bush throwing a strike before Game 3 of the World Series after the Sept. 11 attacks or Boston Bruins fans singing the national anthem at TD Garden after the marathon bombings. Wearing “Boston” across his chest, Ortiz galvanized a city looking for hope after the tragedy and ensuing manhunt. It not only sparked one of the most memorable regular-season wins for the organization, but one of the most meaningful championship runs in the city’s storied sports history.
Adam London: Shane Victorino’s three-run double in Game 6 of World Series
Red Sox fans were starving for a championship, and Victorino’s bases-clearing two-bagger sent the Fenway Faithful into an absolute frenzy. With a locked-in John Lackey on the hill, it immediately felt like a three-run lead was going to be more than enough for Boston to win its first World Series at home in nearly a century.
Ricky Doyle: Ortiz’s grand slam in Game 2 of ALCS
Ortiz’s grand slam in Game 2 of the 2013 ALCS was peak sports — a legend doing something legendary at a legendary venue. We all knew well before the series-altering home run that Ortiz was built for the biggest moments on the biggest stage, but that was next-level clutch. Add in all of the other ingredients — the crowd reaction, Joe Buck’s call, Torii Hunter flipping over the wall, the bullpen cop throwing up his hands — and you have an iconic recipe. I couldn’t help but shake my head in amazement. And I’m sure I wasn’t alone.
Gayle Troiani: Ortiz’s grand slam in Game 2 of ALCS
What can I say? It was Ortiz showing once again why he is the best clutch hitter of my lifetime.. Not only did we see Hunter flip over into the Red Sox bullpen, but Mani Martinez made the catch while warming up Koji Uehara.
Ben Watanabe: Walk-off interference in Game 3 of World Series
Supposedly, nobody in the 21st century cares about baseball. But even though the Red Sox lost this game, I have fond memories of how Twitter went bananas during the wild ninth inning. Smartphone-wielding rules experts were EVERYWHERE and it was a reminder that even in the digital age, fans could still get worked up over a good, old-fashioned World Series controversy. Yes, Allen Craig and the Cardinals won this round, but Will Middlebrooks and the Red Sox came out on top.
Zack Cox: Koji Uehara pick off to end Game 4 of World Series
I’m sure other folks will mention the heavy hitters (Ortiz’s speech, Ortiz’s grand slam, etc.), so I’ll go with an under-the-radar moment that still sticks in my mind: Uehara picking off Kolten Wong to end Game 4 of the World Series. The Red Sox closer was so thoroughly dominant throughout the 2013 season and especially in those playoffs. His line over his final 11 appearances: 12 innings pitched, no runs, six hits, no walks, 14 strikeouts. Ruthless. I also respected how Uehara was fully capable of growing a beard but chose to be the only clean-shaven guy on that team.
Keagan Stiefel: Daniel Nava’s go-ahead home run vs. Kansas City Royals
“Boston, this one’s for you!” is a call that will ring in my ears forever. Don Orsillo captured the moment perfectly, as Nava launched a go-ahead home run in the team’s return to Fenway Park after the marathon bombings. It sparked perhaps the most improbable and needed championship in the history of the city. Most will remember Ortiz’s speech, but I’ll never forget what Nava did later that mid-April afternoon.
Greg Dudek: Ortiz’s speech in dugout in Game 4 of World Series
It’s fascinating to see a leader at work, especially when it was Ortiz. Big Papi rallying and encouraging his teammates in the dugout before the sixth inning of Game 4 showed the impact the slugger could have even when he wasn’t in the batter’s box. He pushed his teammates to be better and they responded as Johnny Gomes hit a three-run home run later in the inning with Ortiz on base.
Gio Rivera: Clinching the AL East at Fenway Park
Many recall Ortiz’s iconic, ‘This is our (expletive) city’ speech as the turning point of the season, and rightfully so. However, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays to clinch the division was Boston’s first step to officially putting aside its miserable 93-loss campaign in 2012, and the infamous September collapse of 2011. And who better to cap off the regular season than Jon Lester? He went seven strong, won his 100th career game and sent Fenway into a frenzy. It also prompted Ortiz to go into a wild champagne-spraying craze, making for an unforgettable night.
