As thousands of Boston Red Sox fans poured out of Fenway Park celebrating their team's 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 to wrap up the 2013 World Series, many made their way to the finish line of the Boston Marathon, ABC News/Good Morning America reported.
The Red Sox celebrated their third championship in the decade, but this marked the first time since 1918 they won the title in Boston.
"This is for you Boston. You guys deserve it. We've been through a lot this year and this is for all of you and all those families who struggled," said David Ortiz as he addressed the crowd at the stadium while being awarded the Most Valuable Player award for the series. Ortiz channeled Babe Ruth in the series, batting .688 (11 for 16) with two home runs, six RBIs and eight walks.
The Red Sox wore "Boston Strong" logos on their left sleeves during the 2013 season as a reminder of the twin terrorist bombing attacks, which hit the the heart of the city on April 15. Three people were killed and 260 were injured by pressure-cooker bombs set by the Tsarnaev brothers. The Boston Marathon terror attacks marked the first on U.S. soil since 9/11.
The Red Sox finished last year in last place, and because of the terrorism, which hit the city, just as the season began, they soon became "America's Team."
"There's I think a civil responsibility that we have wearing this uniform, particularly here in Boston. And it became a connection initially, the way our guys reached out to individuals or to hospital visits," said Manager John Farrell,
"It continued to build throughout the course of the season. I think our fans, they got to a point where they appreciated the way we played the game, how they cared for one another. And in return they gave these guys an incredible amount of energy to thrive on in this ballpark," he added.
After scoring in the fourth inning, Jacoby Ellsbury was greeted by a high five from long-time fan U.St. Secretary of State John Kerry, a former Massachusetts senator who had a seat adjacent to the team's dugout.
"The Red Sox went on to a remarkable record of 97 wins and 65 losses. Meanwhile, Boston residents reacted to terror attacks not with despair but resilience, optimism even. Rather than stay away from public events, they flocked to them, their actions saying they would not be intimidated," reflected The Boston Globe's Tom Keane.
A duck boat parade on Saturday was announced by Thomas Menino, the city's long-time mayor
"Saturday we'll celebrate a very special championship in the City of Boston," Menino tweeted.
