Why the Red Sox rock my socks

I remember when I was just a little tyke. A night at my dad's house meant loud and thunderous rants, cries, and cheers exploding from the living room. A quick glance at the TV exposed why; the Red Sox were playing. All I could do was roll my eyes and wonder why a baseball game could drive a man so mad.

Now I understand it exactly.

Sure I'm a New England native, but these memories of my dad made it almost impossible to avoid becoming absorbed into the Red Sox nation. And I love every second of it.

86 long years of waiting tested our loyalty as a fanbase. Generations of passionate fans banded together praying to see the day when the great "curse" would end. And end it did, in arguably one of the most exciting playoff and world series ever. A wave of relief fell upon the dedicated Fenway Park faithful when the Red Sox were once again declared the champions. And after 2007, the voice of the Red Sox Nation only grew more strong.

Baseball is unlike any other sport for many obvious reasons, but people still can't seem to understand why I enjoy it so much. Baseball definitely takes a level of patience that I don't expect a lot of people to have. However, it's enduring these long and sometimes uninteresting innings that always pays off in the end. Baseball has the ability to drastically change in a split second, and I can't tell you how many of these moments I've witnessed that have litterally possessed me and launched me out of my chair in excitment. It's kind of like watching a bomb you know is active, but the timer isn't existing. Staring at it isn't exactly exciting, but when that thing blows it's going to take you by complete surprise.

The 2009 season has shaped up to be an interesting one... I remain optimistic that we can remain a contender for a spot in the World Series. It's definitely going to take a bit more work and some more consistancy. However, a pluthra of injuries and shortcoming performances from some players leave me worried. Nonetheless, nights like tonight prove that the Red Sox have a bag of magic in their pockets that can rear it's head at any time. In an astonishing 9th inning rally, new member Victor Martinez was able to come up huge in delivering a clutch run. Combined with the acts of Ortiz's 6th inning blast and Pedroia's double off the wall, it was a reminder of just how much the Red Sox can deliver in moments of seemingly obvious defeat.

I can't wait to see how the playoffs unfold, and what jaw dropping moments will ensue. It's great to see the Yankees and Red Sox so competitive this year, as just about every game has been a fight to the very last pitch. As the regular season gets closer and closer to concluding I only expect this rivalry to get dirtier. I know it always give me a good oppurtunity to brush up on my photoshopping skills! *evil laugh*

LETS GO RED SOX!