Newz Forum: BASEBALL: Fans welcome victorious Red Sox back to Boston

BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox returned to Fenway Park on Thursday to meet throngs of cheering fans who have waited generations for a World Series victory.

After too many disappointing Octobers, the Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 Wednesday night to sweep the World Series in four games, bringing the city its first title since 1918.

Several hundred fans welcomed players home to Fenway on a clear, chilly morning, watching as designated hitter Ellis Burks carried the championship trophy off the team bus.

"They've waited their entire lives, every year saying this is the year and meaning it, and this IS the year," team owner John Henry said.

Center fielder Johnny Damon said players had a feeling they were going to make history. "We knew we were going to get the job done," he said.

Across New England, joyous fans popped champagne corks, hugged strangers and flooded streets and college campuses in celebrations that lasted into Thursday morning.
Pedro Martinez reacts with the fans outside Fenway Park early Thursday morning. (AP)
Pedro Martinez reacts with the fans outside Fenway Park early Thursday morning. (AP)
Tens of thousands of giddy fans gathered near Fenway to be near the historic stadium where so many of the team's previous tragedies have played out.

"It doesn't get better than this," said Eric Imhof, 23, of Boston. "And to be alive during this is one of the greatest things to happen to us, because you never know when it's going to happen again."

In Kenmore Square, one man got on his knees and, with tears welling in his eyes, shouted "Thank you, God!" over and over above the din of the crowd.

Amid the jubilation, the city's two largest newspapers rolled out special editions, carrying single-word headlines to capture the historic moment.

The Boston Globe doubled its press run to more than 850,000 for Thursday. The third edition -- dubbed a "victory edition" -- was rolling shortly before 2 a.m. with the headline "YES!!!"

The Boston Herald doubled its press run to about 600,000 copies, adding an extra with the headline "AMEN!"

City officials said a victory parade most likely would be held Friday.

Police were out in full force, intent on avoiding the ugliness after the Game 7 win over the Yankees in the playoffs, when a college student was killed after police fired pepper-spray pellets. Some officers were in riot gear and gas masks, using percussion grenades and smoke canisters to clear the streets.

Police said 35 arrests were made, 14 revelers were taken to hospitals and 30 were treated at the scene. One officer was at Boston Medical Center with a shoulder injury.

University of Massachusetts Police made about 25 arrests during a celebration on the Amherst campus. There were no injuries reported there.

The heavy police presence didn't dampen the mood among fans.

Keith Lyons, 36, a Myrtle Beach, S.C., bar manager originally from Beverly, took the week off from work and drove north with his wife, Jessica, 29, just so he could be on Sox home turf to witness it all.

Lyons recalled getting out of school early to watch the one-game division playoff between the Red Sox and Yankees in 1978.

"When Bucky Dent hit that home run, I wanted to leave the room. But my mother said, 'You can't be a fair-weather fan.' From that point on, I knew what it was like to be a Red Sox fan," he said.

In 1986, the last time the Red Sox were in a World Series, he made sure to have a bottle of champagne chilling for what he thought would be a victory over the New York Mets. He still has the same bottle.

"The champagne is sitting in my hotel room cooling for the first time since 1986," he said. "I really don't care how it tastes."

BOSTON -- Rapturous Red Sox fans wouldn't have blinked if their beloved team had announced they would walk on water during the team's victory parade in Boston. As it turns out, the World Series champions won't need to.

Saturday's parade route was lengthened late Friday, taking the team, riding on amphibious Duck Tour boats, onto the Charles River for a victory lap on the water after rolling through the city.

“ Let's face it, you get a crowd that size and it's very unpredictable. One of the reasons we're not having one particular rally location is that we're concerned that it could be a dangerous situation. ”
— Kathleen O'Toole
Boston Police Commissioner

Officials decided to extended the 3-mile parade route into the river because of overwhelming interest and projections of as many as 5 million people coming to the city to celebrate the team's first championship since 1918.

The Duck Boat vehicles will take a lap of the Charles, allowing onlookers to see the team from the Boston and Cambridge banks of the river.

"We will need to rely on the care, courtesy and caution of our citizens," Gov. Mitt Romney said.

Because so many members of Red Sox Nation are expected in Boston to celebrate the team's World Series triumph, the victory parade won't be making any stops and won't culminate with a staged rally.

"I understand the problem -- where do you stick 5 million people?" fan Dave Henry said, adding that he's "bummed" there will be no central rally.

Whether it's 5 million or half that, authorities won't let fans stuff themselves into City Hall Plaza, where the New England Patriots held rallies after they won the Super Bowl twice in the past three years.

Police commissioner Kathleen O'Toole said the sheer number of expected fans could lead to a disastrous situation.

"Let's face it, you get a crowd that size and it's very unpredictable," O'Toole told The Associated Press in an interview Friday. "One of the reasons we're not having one particular rally location is that we're concerned that it could be a dangerous situation."

The rolling rally featuring Red Sox players and their families in the tour boats begins at 10 a.m. near Fenway Park. Loudspeakers will be attached to the vehicles to allow players to communicate with fans.

"It's going to be a great parade," O'Toole said. "If they're along a long parade route they're going to have a better vantage point than being at a rally that's potentially dangerous where they can't see a thing. I think it's a great thing and I hope tomorrow is an exciting and safe day for everyone."

Police on Friday posted "no stopping -- special event" signs on parking meters along the route. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority expects Saturday to be its busiest day ever. Logan International Airport on Friday warned travelers to leave early.

A theme of the parade is "We kept the faith, now let's keep the peace," in hopes of preventing rowdiness or violence, like the deadly frenzy that erupted after Boston's Game 7 win over the New York Yankees in the ALCS. Victoria Snelgrove, a 21-year-old Emerson College student, was killed last week by a pepper-spray pellet fired by police trying to control a crowd of 80,000 rowdy Red Sox revelers.

O'Toole acknowledged there are some unknowns going into the event, which will be staffed with extra police officers from around the region.

"I don't want to discourage people from celebrating, but there are risks associated with being in the vicinity of any crowd," she said. "We're having difficulty gauging the potential size of the crowd."

I saw a few picture in the New Paper and everyone was sooo happy! People were jumping into the water to be closer to them!

I heard Pedro got beaned in the forehead by a baseball thrown from the crowd.

Originally posted by ProudAmerican
I heard Pedro got beaned in the forehead by a baseball thrown from the crowd.

That'll be his excuse to head to the Yankees in the of-season...

He did say the Yankees were his "daddy", was that a hint?

Yeah, i think it was code for "George, show me the money!!!"

I think it's quite possible that Pedro ends up on the Yanks. George needs starting pitching and has said he has plenty of money to spend. I think Pedro will follow the money.

exactly, they need a darn salary cap...

do the sox's know what to do now? they based all there ways of acquiring players and advertising and way of working on beating the yanks, now that they did it, whats are they going to do, the fans and players are going to be lost