Sox, fans relive Series glory at film premiere
BOSTON -- A portion of Red Sox Nation formed a long line on Boylston Street on Monday night, dressed in team hoodies, jerseys and T-shirts, and eager to watch their World Series champions in cinematic form.
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Not long after, they entered the Emerson Colonial Theater for the premiere of the 2018 World Series film, aptly titled "Damage Done."
There were some special guests in the audience. Red Sox owner John Henry, team president Sam Kennedy, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, manager Alex Cora and super-utility player Brock Holt all were in attendance, and even walked the red carpet before the show.
Henry joked that the event was a lot more enjoyable than the first movie premiere/red carpet he attended as owner of the Red Sox, which was for "Still We Believe," a film based on the 2003 season.
"We got to relive Aaron Boone's home run over and over," quipped Henry.
But these are far more joyous times for the Red Sox, the only team to win four World Series championships in the 21st century.
"This is fun tonight to watch this and relive it a little bit," said Holt. "I'm glad I was on the field to live it, but all of us are excited to see what MLB put together and see it from a behind-the-scenes [vantage point]."
The audience got to feel a part of the action on Monday, seeing the top moments from the World Series from the dugout and from the field.
Ace Chris Sale's tirade in the dugout while the Red Sox were being shut down by Rich Hill in Game 4 was captured in all its glory. So, too, was the subsequent comeback, which started just after Sale was done shouting.
But Cora, if you can believe it, enjoyed his team's one loss in the World Series -- in Game 3 -- as much as anything.
That was the night Nathan Eovaldi become a legend in the minds of his teammates and his manager, as he pitched six innings out of the bullpen the day before he was supposed to start Game 4, only to lose on a Player Page for Max Muncy walk-off homer in the 18th inning.
"Like I told the guys after Game 3, nobody is going to remember who won that game. Everybody is going to remember Nate Eovaldi," said Cora. "To see the emotions and to see the guys giving him hugs and all that stuff, that's cool to see. That's the moment. That was the moment. For him to go out there and pitch the way he did, it was unreal."
When Cora mentioned Eovaldi on stage prior to the film, fans shrieked for the Red Sox to re-sign the free agent. Dombrowski is remaining engaged with Eovaldi's representation and hoping that will happen.
But for a couple of hours, the Red Sox took a 90-minute break from the Hot Stove to gain even more appreciation for what they accomplished from April through October.
"I was telling somebody ... October 28, that morning, we were in the hotel, and I told my girlfriend, Angelica, I said, 'We've got to finish this tonight. We have to do it,' " said Cora. "It's not because I didn't think we would [lose] Game 6 or 7, but for a whole season, our team was locked in from Day 1 all the way to the last day for the season emotionally. It was amazing to see."
One scene from the film that will keep fans warm throughout the winter shows the standing ovation Sale received from all of the relievers in the bullpen when he trotted out to finish off the Dodgers in the ninth inning of Game 5.
Remember how Mookie Betts struggled with his power swing before going deep in that clinching Game 5? The MLB crew captured J.D. Martinez coaching Betts in the indoor cage prior to that game so that he could get his swing back in gear.
The World Series film will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday.