Did the Blues exact World Series revenge for the Cardinals by beating Boston in the Stanley Cup Final?
On Wednesday night, the St. Louis Blues took down the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, securing the Blues’ first-ever Cup victory – and doing so on the Bruins’ home ice, no less.
With this context, I posit this: Did the Blues just get some revenge, all these years later, for the World Series defeats the Cardinals suffered at the hands of the Red Sox in 2004 and 2013?
The moment many have waited a lifetime to see happen!!! Celebrate, St. Louis!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/xTzDHsiO8Z
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) June 13, 2019
At Busch Stadium, Blues fans went nuts at the official viewing party:
Baseball heaven is hockey heaven tonight. #WeAllBleedBlue pic.twitter.com/HVtzdh9si5
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) June 13, 2019
Fifteen years ago, Terry Francona’s Boston Red Sox ended their prolonged World Series drought by winning the Fall Classic in four games over Tony La Russa’s Cardinals.
It was a scratch-and-claw effort by the Sox throughout October, as they overcame a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS to take down the rival Yankees and put themselves on the precipice of something their then-suffering fans never thought they’d see.
On the other hand, the Cardinals’ loss was the unfortunate consequence of Boston’s triumph, as they were swept in the series, bringing an abrupt end to a season that saw them win 105 games.
In 2013, the same two teams met up for an October rematch ... and the Red Sox won again.
As sports fans, we tend to hold grudges. And were I a Cardinals fan, I’d definitely consider this Stanley Cup victory by the Blues a bit of revenge for the ’04 and '13 World Series. Sure, it wouldn’t feel exactly the same as my baseball team winning the World Series on its own, but the emotional investment we put in our favorite sports teams has value that applies in this scenario, at least how I see it.
Growing up an A’s fan, I watched them make the postseason often and come up short every time. I’ve taken deep personal appreciation in the Golden State Warriors’ incredible run over the past five years or so, almost in a sense that has “made up for” the fact that the A’s have yet to push through since I adopted baseball as my top sport as a kid.
Plus, a fun similarity between the Blues’ triumph this season and the ’04 Sox: Both teams won the clinching game on the road, relegating a rabid hometown crowd full of excitement to an awkwardly silent atmosphere.
So, with the Blues having locked down their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history in a dramatic Game 7 road victory, it seems to me that partial vengeance, at least, for 2004 and 2013 has been realized.
To really drive this revenge narrative home, of course, the Blues need to beat the Bruins in another Stanley Cup Final. Who knows what might happen in the future ...
Then again, i could be way off with all of this. What do you think?
Adrian Garro joined MLB.com in 2016. Throughout his travels, both Bartolo Colon and Vin Scully have placed their hands on his shoulders. Not at the same time, though. That'd be amazing.
