Another Championship Grid Addition!

You've heard me talk about it before. Long before Alex Cora started doing it. Way back when Boston sports teams only had nine championships this century. How cool would it be to create a display on your wall displaying a picture from each of those championships in a tidy grid. Pretty cool, right? But, which pictures to choose? It can't all be “last play” since baseball is the only sport that really has one of those that you'd remember...other than a couple Super Bowls. It shouldn't be “opening” pitch/tip/face off/kick since those would all look pretty much the same. So, that might be a bit dull. So, my idea would be to take the most lasting memory from each championship and add it to the hypothetical wall. For instance, the Malcolm Butler interception, as opposed to the last Brady kneel down.

So, lucky fans that we are, we get to make that decision again. What picture would be the one that you remember most from the 2018 World Series. Or, maybe even the playoff run? What would I pick? Hard to say.

Nothing jumps immediately to mind. Well, that's not entirely true. My first thought was a picture of Sale striking out Machado to win the series. This would be a great choice for several reasons. First, it's Chris Sale and he's awesome. It also illustrates how Cora used his starting pitchers out of the bullpen so effectively during the series, and the playoffs in general. It also shows Machado looking completely foolish...which is always fun. (Unless you're Dustin Pedroia) But, to go along with my reluctance to use the final pitch...how about some other options?

I like the image right after the final out of David Price as third man into the group hug on the mound. Price and Sale pictured celebrating a championship is really pretty well defining the season. But...a celebration shot? Not my favorite idea.

For mid game options? How about a shot of Steve Pearce pointing to the dugout after one of his many series home runs. The complete joy on his face certainly reflected my emotions at the time. Plus, it would be a way to celebrate his unexpected contributions. Along those same lines, how about the image of Joe Kelly screaming as he came off the mound in game five. Not only does it show that same shared emotion, but it would represent the complete turnaround for him and the bullpen from the regular season to the playoffs. In August, how many would have predicted him triumphantly storming off the mound in a World Series clinching game?

What else?

I think a picture of David Price would certainly be worthy. Perhaps him touching his chest as he left the mound in game five? As the person who had the most to lose, who ended up winning the most he was certainly the story of the series.

Or Nathan Eovaldi? I love the idea of celebrating this out of nowhere hero. My only problem is that there isn't really one moment that sticks out in my head. Plus, his biggest contribution to the series came in Boston’s only loss. So that would seem weird.

There's Mookie’s game five home run. A significant moment for the best player in baseball as he added an important insurance run in the clincher. Or, JD Martinez’s, for almost the same reason.

Or is there something else I'm forgetting?

I think if I had to pick, I keep going back to Sale striking out Machado. Price walking off the mound is nagging at me, but the Sale picture just encompasses too many storylines in one shot. It would have to go up in my grid.

What picture would be added to your grid? What would you have chosen for the other ten championships?

Leave a comment and let us all pick your selections apart!