This year, Boston has finally defined itself as the greatest baseball city. The greatest fans have always called Boston their home, but this year the players and executives were able to mesh, as well. At the beginning of the year, the media was heavily criticized because of its near baneful style in dealing with the team. Manny Ramirez refused to talk to the media at the very beginning of spring training and Pedro Martinez soon followed suit. The media ripped the two players and then turned its attention to larger targets. Grady Little, the Red Sox manager, was criticized for his closer-by-committee approach, and the general manager, Theo Epstien, was brought down for not acquiring another starter.

The fans, perhaps the main ingredient in making Boston the greatest baseball city, need no explanation. Simply enough, they have more of one thing then any other fans in baseball: hope. The Red Sox have not won a World Series since 1918. World War I was just ending, historic Fenway Park was just six years old, a 555-foot fly earned you a homerun to center field straight into the Fens, the cost of a first-class stamp was three cents, daylight savings time was implemented and the Red Sox defeat the Chicago Cubs four games to two. Eighty-five years and there’s still hope.

The story that most exemplifies the overall togetherness that has clearly made Boston the greatest baseball city, occurred on September 26. National sports news criticized Boston’s celebration when they won the wild card. Obviously, these reports do not know the pure joy and agony of Autumn’s Finest Drama in Beantown. This celebration was utterly symbolic of why Boston is the best.

When Ramiro Mendoza struck out the Orioles’ Brian Roberts to top off a 14-3 rout, the Red Sox won the American League Wildcard. The players rushed the field. The celebrations proceeded to the locker room where the customary champagne and beer showers took place. Shortly after arriving, the rumor reached the locker room that there were an estimated 10,000 people gathered around the stadium. Kevin Millar, Derek Lowe, Todd Walker, Lou Merloni and Gabe Kapler, with their cleats, baseball pants and undershirts still on ran out to meet the fans on Yawkey Way.

The plan among the five Red Sox was originally to make a victory lap around the stadium, but it was changed about a third of the way through when they reached the Cask ‘n’ Flagon Tavern on Boylston Street. They entered the establishment, jumped behind the bar, and handed out drinks to the Red Sox Nation. Fifteen minutes later, they left the bar, ran to Brookline Avenue, followed behind the Green Monster on Lansdowne Street, around to Ipswitch Street, across to Van Ness, and back to Yawkey Way finishing their lap with more than 500 fans following close behind. Kevin Millar later recounted that it was “like Rocky Balboa.” Truly this is what baseball is all about. Here’s hoping that the phrase “wait ’til next year” will finally be effaced this year.

Ferguson is a freshman journalism major.