Top 10 Boston Sports Moments in 2013

Earlier today ESPN shared their top ten plays of the year on Sportscenter because apparently the year now ends on December 26th not December 31st, but hey who's keeping track.

ESPN, do better because your list sucks. I'm sorry but DeAndre Jordan's alley-oop is nice but it is not one of the top ten plays of the year.

Three if by Strike will be bringing you a conclusive top 10 plays of the year on December 31st (when the year actually ends) but to tide you over until then we'll present the top 10 Boston sports moments of the year.

These plays and events embody what was a truly amazing year for what remains the greatest sports city in the world. Check them out and let us know what you think.

Honorable Mention- Jose Iglesias' play for the Tigers- I couldn't rightly put this on the list because Iglesias played for the Tigers at the time, but this is arguably the greatest defensive play I've ever seen an infielder make. He's no Jim Edmonds but still.



10. Shane Vereen's AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Texans- Vereen's breakout performance could not have come at a better time for the Patriots. His three touchdowns helped carry the Patriots to a convincing win over the Texans and made Vereen a staple of the organizations offense.

9. Brad Stevens comes to Boston- It's no secret that I'm not a fan of NBA basketball. I can only watch isolation plays, travels and terrible reffing for so long before I lose interest. That's why I'm excited for Stevens to come to Boston. The Butler coach plays an up tempo, team-oriented, collegiate style game which may be able to win me over and help resurrect the franchise.

8. Bruin's Visit Newtown- This could easily be number one on this list, but because it's not so much a moment as a day it will hold down the number eight spot. More evidence that hockey players are the classiest athletes in sports.



7. Tuukka Rask's 2013 playoffs- Rask's 2013 playoff's were unreal. He had a save percentage of almost .950 and a goals allowed average of under 2. Rask brought the Bruins within two games of Lord Stanley's cup and while the B's couldn't seal the deal that was no fault of Rask's. What's more remarkable is that the saves below are from a single series against the Maple Leafs. Rask's performance against the Penguins was even more dominant and worthy of praise.



6. Zdeno Chara's spin move against the Panthers- That is an agile 6'9 man. Not only does Chara make Panther's rookie Jonathan Huberdeau look like a 14 year old girl at her first high school dance, he pots of a nasty backhand afterwards. Also Jack Edwards loses his mind which is always worth watching.



5. Johnny Gomes and Jarrod Saltalamacchia putting the World Series trophy on the Boston Marathon finish line- This was one of the most powerful moments of 2013. The Sox became the team that helped Boston recover after the tragedy of Marathon Monday. There was no more fitting tribute to the victims of that day than Gomes and Saltalamacchia placing the world series trophy at the finish line during the team's victory parade. I was about 5 rows back from the finish line and I still get chills when I listen to the crowd sing "God Bless America".



4. Patriot's last second win against the Saint's- The Patriot's have had several come from behind victories this year, to the extent that it almost seems scripted at this point. Few carried the significance of the win against the Saint's though. This victory took a team who's season could have went in two different directions and helped spring them into the playoffs. Tom Brady's strike to Kenbrell Thompkins was a thing of beauty any way you look at it.



3. Daniel Nava's go ahead homer after the Boston Marathon Bombings- Nava's home run in the bottom of the 8th against the Royals was a defining moment in one of the most improbable Sox seasons ever. To get a win, and in such remarkable fashion, during the first game after the marathon was the first step in helping the city heal and come back even stronger. Also "Danny Baseball" is my favorite player, nuff said.



2. Bruin's comeback against the Maple Leafs- This game was unreal. I remember watching it with my dad and being disgusted to the point of almost turning it off... almost. Then Nathan Horton scored and the rest... well just watch the video. Words can't describe this game, this is Boston sports at their finest.



1. David Ortiz's Grand Slam Against the Tigers- David Ortiz is a future hall of famer if for no other reason than being arguably the greatest post-season hitter of all time. Ortiz added to that legacy during game two of the ALCS against the Detroit Tigers. Joaquin Benoit came in to close the game out for the Tigers who would have went back to Detroit with a 2-0 series lead and likely would have cruised on to a World Series birth against the St. Louis Cardinals. With one swing of the bat David Ortiz tied the game and sparked the Red Sox eventual World Series victory.



So those are the top ten moments in Boston sports for 2013. Comment and let us know what you think. Were we right? Were we wrong? What are your top ten Boston sports moments of 2013?

Red Sox Go 1-2 Against Royals, But Bring Much Needed Normalcy Back to Boston

On Friday night, the Red Sox were set to return home to Fenway Park for the first time since the Boston Marathon bombings. A tribute to the victims and first responders was set for the pre-game ceremonies, but a suspect on the loose and almost all of the Boston-area's law enforcement in Watertown for the manhunt to bring him to justice, the game had to be postponed.

The 19-year-old suspect was captured alive that night, bringing a sense of joy to Boston that had been stolen from the city on Monday.  The Red Sox held their first home game on Saturday afternoon, and with it came the emotional pre-game ceremony.  There were images on the scoreboard showing the marathon when it was like any other Marathon Monday that slowly transitioned to chaos and sadness.  There were images of the first responders and police officers, as well as the victims of this senseless attack.

But what changed between Friday's tribute to Saturday's were the images of the manhunt in Watertown, which brought loud cheers and a sense of pride, knowing that our men and women in uniform had once again, made us safe.  What changed was David Ortiz's return to the lineup, bringing with him a speech to not only the crowd but all of Boston, that got the city back on its feet.

In Saturday's game, Clay Buchholz dazzled again, going eight innings and giving up two runs, finishing with an ERA of 0.90 on the season.  It was a Daniel Nava three-run blast into the Sox bullpen (caught by Koji Uehara) that lifted the Sox to victory over the Kansas City Royals, setting up the perfect ending to an amazing and emotional day at the ballpark.

Sunday was a day-night doubleheader, but did not go the way the hometown crowd wanted.  There was still that different feeling in the air, a sense that this crowd was coming together not only for their team, but for themselves and their city.  Game one ended 4-2 in favor of the Royals, while bonus baseball was played in game two only to see Andrew Miller walk in the game-winning run in the 10th inning.

The highlight of game two was Allen Webster's first start of his major league career.  He gave up three runs, two of them earned, off five hits with five strikeouts in six innings.  Two of those hits were home runs, but he showed, at age 23, he's ready for The Show.  He was not afraid of hitters, as just a couple innings into his night, he was getting hitters down 0-2 with ease.

With the return of baseball, Boston has been restored.  Next, Fenway Park will welcome the Oakland A's, who have lost three in a row to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Don't Forget Your Pop Chips

Majestic Boston Red Sox David Ortiz Tee - Big And Tall

The dance move at 0:18 should be sweeping the nation right now.  This video came out almost a year ago, but doesn't nearly get enough air time.  Why?  Probably because after eating 5 or 6 Pop Chips, they taste absolutely awful.

Either way, David Ortiz's rapping skills are probably better than his glove skills, even if he's spitting rhymes about salty snacks.  And yeah, they're probably better than Moufy's, too.  But A man can't cross the ocean without a boat... Think about it.