Which Red Sox Jersey Should I Buy?

The Boston Globe has had an interactive quiz running the past few days to tell you which jersey/shirt you should buy. I thought it would be interesting to go through the quiz, give my answers with explanations, and then find out who I should be rooting for. So, since it’s an off day and I need a little pick-me-up after a 1-5 start, here’s the results:

1. Where’s your favorite place to watch a game?
A) Bleachers
B) Box seats
C) Grandstand
D) Monster seats

Answer: A) Bleachers. I’ve been to three games at Fenway Park, and I’ve always sat in the Bleachers. I’d love to sit in the Monster seats or Box seats at some point though. The Grandstand is nice, but you’d have to make sure you weren’t behind a pole.

2. “Sweet Caroline” is…
A) A song by Neil Diamond
B) A cue to get another hot dog
C) A great Fenway Park tradition
D) My worst nightmare

Answer: A) A song by Neil Diamond. I’m aware of the tradition of singing “Sweet Caroline,” but after finding out the inspiration for the song, I’m a bit creeped out by it. Plus, I’m not a big fan of singing in public.

3. What color is your Red Sox cap?
A) Blue
B) Pink or green
C) Red
D) Don’t own one

Answer: C) Red. I own a red Red Sox cap, but I rarely wear it. I think I look ridiculous in it, but I do put it on every now and then. Instead, it’s on my glass mannequin head in my room.

4. Stereotypes about Red Sox fans are:
A) Offensive
B) Over the top
C) Mostly accurate
D) Yankees fans are worse

Answer: B) Over the top. Living in the Midwest, you get to see fans of another great, baseball rivalry: Cubs and Cardinals. I think each club has their own set of passionate fans, and Cubs and Cardinals fans can be just as intense as Red Sox fans. Plus, if we learned anything last year, Phillies fans are the worse (I’m just kidding, of course).

5. Your idea of a great game is:
A) A pitcher’s duel
B) A nail-biter won by the Red Sox
C) A blowout with lots of home runs
D) Any Sox win

Answer: B) A nail-biter won by the Red Sox. I always think the best games are the ones that are close, the ones you can’t turn away from. I almost answered Pitcher’s duel for this one too because a Nail-biter can be a Pitcher’s duel as well. But, a close game won by the Red Sox is my favorite.

6. What’s your favorite Red Sox team ever:
A) 1967
B) 2004
C) 1975
D) 2007

Answer: B) 2004. I hadn’t been born in 1967 or 1975, so I can’t honestly say either of those teams. 2007’s team was a great team because they were the best team in baseball and won the World Series. But, my heart lies with the 2004 team. I still wear my Varitek, Arroyo, Trot, and even Damon shirts (though to sleep in now) proudly.

7. When you’re at a game, you:
A) Keep score with paper/pencil
B) Watch but take food/beverage breaks
C) Watch intently
D) Make postgame plans with friends

Answer: C) Watch intently. Even when I watch the game at home, I actually WATCH the game; I don’t like to be interrupted. In 2010 when my family and I went to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park on August 3rd, I missed probably one of the greatest moments I would ever get the chance to witness live (baseball wise). My mom and I had gone down to the concessions to get some food; and when we were making our way back to our seats, the crowd erupted in cheers. In his first game back, Mike Lowell had crushed a ball over the Monster, and I had missed it. NESN viewers named that game the #1 game of the 2010 season. I may never get over missing that home run.

8. You favorite Fenway area bar is:
A) The Cask
B) Copperfields
C) Game On!
D) Jerry Remy’s

Answer: D) Jerry Remy’s. Out of those four bars, I have only been to Jerry Remy’s. It’s a really nice, pub-style bar. If you get the chance, I would definitely check it out.

9. What’s the most recent jersey you own?
A) Jonathan Papelbon
B) Manny Ramirez
C) Jason Varitek
D) Johnny Pesky

Answer: C) Jason Varitek. I actually do not own a jersey (again, I would look ridiculous in it), but I do own quite a few player t-shirts. I own two Varitek shirts (a St. Patrick’s Day one that I did wear again this past year and a blue shirt with the “C” on the front). I have never owned a Papelbon or Ramizrez shirt and never had plans to. While I may not own a Pesky shirt, I do have a Yastrzemski one (though my brother seems to think it’s his).

10. How do you get to the game?
A) The T
B) The Pike
C) The Expressway
D) I got a system, but I can’t share it.

Answer: D) I got a system, but I can’t share it. I won’t get into how I get to Boston, but every time I’ve gone to a game, I have walked to Fenway. I stayed in the Back Bay last time, and it was a great, beautiful half-hour walk to the park.

So, who’s jersey/shirt should I buy?

DUSTIN PEDROIA
because I “appreciate hard work and root for the underdog. You can’t go wrong with this guy.” I agree; he’s already my favorite. Plus, I already have his shirt, so I saved myself some money.