Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Another World Series title for the Boston Red Sox! You all know what that means. We can finally get some sleep again. I tell my kids over and over again how lucky they are to be living in this this era when Boston sports teams have been so successful (Bruins, Celtics, and of course The Pats). Boston Teams have won 11 championships since 2000.

The Red Sox were in the World Series in 1967 (first time in 31 years). I still have the front page of The Herald announcing it) I remember the frenzy that Boston and all of New England was surrounded by. The Impossible Dream season started with clinching the American League pennant but sadly it turned out to be just that, an impossible dream.

I was 14 In 1967 when everyone in Somerville and surrounding areas were wearing Red Sox hats and shirts and getting psyched to win it all. A lot of people who didn’t care at all about baseball suddenly became baseball fans when the Red Sox started their historic run for the World Series in ‘67.

Announcers Curt Gowdy, Ken Coleman, Ned Martin and Mel Parnell narrated the excitement. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be. When Bob Gibson struck out George Scott for the final out in game 7 against The St. Louis Cardinals, the impossible dream became the possible nightmare, and I cried. That was when my Dad got frustrated and became a hat wearing Yankees fan. I remember how strange I felt because he was wearing a Kiss 108 jacket that I gave him, with a Yankees hat! I learned to live with it (I still have his hat). And I know I wasn’t the only one in Boston who cried in ‘67.

And then 2003 happened when we got really close until the Damn Yankees snatched victory from Red Sox nations grasp. I swore at the TV and cried a little once more. Then 2004 came around and it was sweet vindication! Disappointments in 1986 and 1995 faded (‘86 ended ugly). There was nothing like it when the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years.

Everybody remembers where they were when the Sox won it all in 2004. One of the warmest memories of that ‘04 win was when family members decorated their deceased Sox fan loved ones’ graves with Sox memorabilia. After the final game in ‘04, Davis Square was packed with loud and rambunctious party people.

After Sunday night’s final game, Davis Square was quiet as a mouse. Spoiled or tuckered out? I was so sure that The Red Sox would win the 2018 World Series, I wrote most of this story Sunday morning. Spoiled!

Over the past few weeks Red Sox fever again gripped the region big time. Folks proudly wore their Red Sox hats and shirts at Y-Not variety, McKinnon’s Meat Market, Ball Square Cafe, 968 The Shop, and Victor’s Deli. We bought Sox gear at Modell’s and BJ’s. I dragged out my official Red Sox spring jacket I got in ‘04 and wore it proudly, and will wear it until it gets too cold. We can all be proud of the Red Sox. Hopefully some of us will be at the parade.

Red Sox World Series fever sort of overshadowed some of the excitement of Halloween. I was going to dress up as an elected official but the costume company wouldn’t sell me just the back half of the horse!