Baseball is a sport that cannot be scripted. For a sport that is so closely analyzed and scrutinized, it seems like with each new season brings a new aspect of the game that has never been seen before. It is a sport that has withstood the test of time and has grown alongside each new generation of player that has come up to the plate. This year’s World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals has continually shown this to be true. Whether it is the bearded bandits that compose the Red Sox roster, or the young guns on the Cardinals that have soared high above other’s expectations to dominate the league, this World Series has brought a unique look at why baseball is such a remarkable sport.
The two storied franchises participating in this year’s Fall Classic have been in this position before. Prior to this season, Boston had won seven championship, the most recent coming in 2007. St. Louis had won a National League record 11 championships since their establishment in 1900. The Cardinals also were only two years removed from their last World Series crown. While these were two teams that had succeeded on a consistent basis, this year’s meeting between the two powers was all but ordinary.
Prior to this season, the organizations seemed to be moving in different directions. Last year, the Red Sox recorded their first losing season since 1997. The organization decided to trade away three players pivotal to their success including Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett for a slew of prospects that weren’t ready for the major league level.
On the other hand, St. Louis was a team that had shown promise in the previous season. Like Boston, the Cardinals had just hired a new manager after future Hall of Famer Tony La Russa retired after a storied career that included over 1,400 wins and two World Championships. Replacing the legendary skipper was former player and first-time manger Mike Matheny. Even with a relatively inexperienced manager and a team that lost debatably their best player, Albert Pujols, to free agency, the Red Birds still managed to win 88 games and make it to the National League Championship Series. While they lost to the eventual champion San Fransisco Giants, St. Louis had hope for the future.
This brings us to the 2013 season. A fresh start for one franchise and the opportunity to build on the past for another. The Red Sox had brought in a slew of fresh faces, including aging veterans Shane Victorino and Johnny Gomes, in hopes of bringing new life to a team that was in desperate need of a new image. With the help of new manager John Farrell, the Sox did just that. The infusing of new and old brought a new presence to a club house that was lacking enthusiasm the seasons’ past. This camaraderie began early on during spring training when the team decided to begin growing out beards for the entire season. This connectedness through facial hair caught fire and helped lead the Red Sox to an American League best 97 wins.
The Cardinals continued their dominance in the National league, matching the Red Sox with 97 wins and winning the NL Central by three games over the surging Pittsburgh Pirates. St. Louis had a few new faces as well that helped them during the season. But unlike Boston, the Cards promoted from within, bringing up a large group of minor leaguers to the Big Show to help St. Louis get to the next level. The grouping of young talent with veterans Yadier Molina and Carlos Beltran did wonders for sides of the ball. On the arms of former Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter and rookie Michael Wacha the Cardinals made to back to the Championship Series.
While the Red Sox ended up winning the series three games to two, both teams will go down in history as being apart of an unforgettable Fall Classic.