Sep 27, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder
(50) and second baseman
(third from left) celebrate a victory against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Imagine how a “Top 5 most satisfying moments of 2014” article would look. Number 1 writes itself with “It’s over” but after that honestly I’m really struggling here. That such a topic can even be discussed with more than 5 moments to choose from in 2015 is such a vast improvement that you may be surprised to know I haven’t put “It’s not 2014” as my top pick. So great were the waters muddied last year, with little Dirty Water to be found, that even being mediocre comes as something of a breath of fresh air.
For a second year running the Red Sox finished last but something felt different about 2015. It was more than unbridled hope and optimism, it was a feeling that this year was laying the groundwork for a return to contention, not a return to the unnerving feeling that success could only be generated through throwing free agents at the wall to see what sticks. We built, through trial and fire, a framework that could make any general manager salivate. And it worked.
The evidence could be seen at the sell-out Fenway to it’s very last game. Compare and contrast to the Wild Card birthed Yankee fans who opted to catch up on sleep from the comfort of their own homes rather than at Yawnkee Stadium. This is a team that was down and out, yet managed to play some incredible baseball along the way and revived interest even as football season got into it’s swing.
So before we look ahead to 2016, let’s look back at the moments that made 2015 an enjoyable year. No spoiling yourselves on the tags!
Next: Opening Day