When John Farrell was introduced as the new Red Sox manager in the fall of 2012, he took over a last-place team lacking talent and cohesion. A franchise that once made Boston proud had become an embarrassment. Just one year later, the Red Sox have won the World Series, their third title in a decade. There were many keys to the team’s success: General manager Ben Cherington remade the roster with a series of mid-range free-agent signings. The returning players recommitted themselves, bonds were formed, and beards were grown. The Red Sox never had more than a three-game losing streak and led the majors in runs scored. They regained the respect of Red Sox Nation and lifted a city still reeling from the senseless violence that marred its beloved marathon just as the baseball season was getting underway. With emotions running high and “B Strong” signs cheering them on at Fenway, the Red Sox wrote their own worst-to-first story that brought them to a World Series meeting with who else but the St. Louis Cardinals, the longtime foe who had denied Williams, Pesky, and Doerr in 1946, as well as the Impossible Dream team of 1967, while providing the foil for the lovable “idiots” of 2004. The 2013 season was destined to be just as drama-filled and unforgettable. As in 2004, it would end in victory for the Red Sox. No more curses; in just one season, this was fortune reversed. It’s a journey that transcends sports—a tale of resolve, resilience, and, finally, redemption. And it’s all chronicled in the new, must-have keepsake book by Triumph Books and the Boston Globe , For Boston: From Worst to First, the Improbable Dream Season of the 2013 Red Sox . Relive each dazzling moment of the team’s latest eventful season and incredible playoff run with this special commemorative book—128 pages of award-winning reporting, vivid storytelling, dramatic photography, complete game summaries, and statistics. Plus, look back at the historic importance of this World Series match-up with a special Sox–Cardinals retrospective section that makes this the perfect souvenir or gift for any fan. This has been a season to remember for Red Sox fans, a journey of deep lows and great highs that both underline and transcend the sport of baseball. For Boston offers the perfect way to replay those moments and revel in the triumph of a team and a city that refused to be counted out. The Boston Globe was founded in 1872 and is the recipient of 21 Pulitzer Prizes. It is located in Boston. Larry Lucchino is the president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox. Lucchino joined the Red Sox in 2002 and has presided over three World Series championships. He lives in Brookline, Massachusetts. For Boston We didn't just win it. We won it at Home. By Janice Page Triumph Books Copyright © 2013 The Boston Globe All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-60078-892-5 Contents Introduction by Larry Lucchino, World Series, American League Championship Series, American League Division Series, 2013 Season, 2013 Red Sox Roster, Sox vs Cards Retrospective, CHAPTER 1 World Series In a matchup of 97-game winners, the Red Sox consistently produced the big pitch and the big hit. SERIES VS ST. LOUIS by Dan Shaughnessy • Globe Staff It was a Back Bay Bacchanal, a party unlike anything since 1918. >> Six months after Shelter in Place, the city of Boston invites the world to celebrate a victory of team over self. Boston Strong, at least a variation of the theme, hit a crescendo on Oct. 30 on the Fenway lawn, the town common of 2013. >> The 2013 Red Sox, the motley crew that left Fort Myers begging, "Please don't hate us," completed the ultimate redemption song, thrashing the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-1, in the sixth and final game of the World Series. The Brotherhood of the Beard are World Champions for the third time this century, worthy progeny of the 20th century Sox, who won five of the first 15 Series back in the days when Babe Ruth was a fuzzy-faced lefthanded orphan from Baltimore. >> Nobody saw this coming. Nobody. After the worst season in 47 years — the Bobby Valentine clown show of 2012 — Sox general manager Ben Cherington and new field manager John Farrell made the Red Sox relevant and good again. The 2013 Sox dusted the field in the American League East, then blew past the Tampa Bays Rays, the Detroit Tigers, and the estimable Cardinals in an 11-5 postseason onslaught. The Sox were dominant. In the 2013 playoffs they bested aces Matt Moore, David Price, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, Adam Wainwright, and Michael Wacha. >> And so Boston has its eighth championship parade since 2002, and outgoing mayor Thomas Menino will be on a duck boat, which is scheduled to roll down Boylston Street, past the places where the bombs exploded on Marathon Monday, April 15. It is the ultimate civic comeback story. >> These are the 2013 Red Sox. They finished in the basement of the American League East in 2012, winning a mere 69 games i