Cut4 Postseason Primer: Boston Red Sox

From 30 World Series hopefuls, only a few remain. In case you haven't been following every contender, here's a catch-up on what you missed and what to expect next. In this edition: The Boston Red Sox.

Also: ATL | CIN | CLE | DET | LAD | OAK | PIT | STL | TB

The Red Sox got key contributions from newcomers like Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli and strong campaigns from standbys like Jon Lester and Dustin Pedroia en route to a bounce-back campaign and their first postseason appearance since 2009.

A few highlights from the year that was: 

5. The beards. If there's one thing that separates the Red Sox from their hated rival Yankees, it's facial hair. So, the Sox embraced their beards and made them a defining part of the 2013 club:

They had Dollar Beard Night:

And they even kept each other's beards clean:

4. The fans at Fenway know how to catch a baseball. First up, we had this guy who snared one while talking on a cell phone:

And this one, who owned his friend immediately after:

And these two, who had diametrically opposing reactions:

3. Big Papi lived up to his nickname all season. There was that time he took a moment out of a game to wish his son a happy birthday:

Of course, there was also this moment:

He does not, however, like phones:

2. Red Sox-Rays may not have the historic significance of Red Sox-Yankees, but there's little love lost between the AL East rivals. First, there was the 2008 ALCS, when Tampa Bay knocked off the defending World Series champs, and then the historic Game 162 comeback by Tampa Bay in 2011.

This year, that rivalry stretched onto Twitter:

BP is cancelled at Fenway due to rain. Instead, Sox fans get to stare at this for a couple hours. #ObjectsInMirror pic.twitter.com/FMCPJpnlhi

- Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 23, 2013

Don't worry @raysbaseball we look forward to seeing you in Tampa in September for our home games at the Trop.

- Boston Red Sox (@RedSox) July 30, 2013

Well, then.

1. The tragedy of the Boston Marathon was felt not only in New England, but across the country. "Boston Strong" became a rallying cry for the city, and the Red Sox were happy to play even a small part in the return to normalcy.

The players honored victims and brought that Boston Strong jersey everywhere they went, but the support didn't just come from the Red Sox. It came from Cleveland and New York and anywhere there was a baseball team and people gathered to watch them.    

So, what can we expect from the Red Sox in October? A few predictions:

With the Yankees watching from home this October, Red Sox pitchers don't need to lock up their footwear.

Bill de Blasio, democratic candidate for New York City Mayor, will fall 5 percent in the polls when he announces plans to name David Ortiz his Chief of Staff.

Either Jonny Gomes or Mike Napoli will hit a game-winning home run. We're not trying to be vague -- we literally can't tell them apart.

Should the Rays advance to the ALDS, the Red Sox will win Game 3 at the Trop on a late-game Hail Mary.

Thor, god of thunder, angered by the Red Sox beards and bravado, will remind Boston who's boss.