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By Shaun McAvoy
Contributing Sports Writer
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One of the Boston Red Sox's former fan-favorite players returned to take the field at Fenway Park for the first time since 2022 on Friday.
San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who was on the injured list when the Padres played the Red Sox in Boston in 2024, spent a decade with the Red Sox, winning two World Series titles. The four-time All-Star received a massive standing ovation from fans when he stepped to the plate in the first inning.
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Ahead of his return to Fenway, Bogaerts compared Red Sox fans to Padres fans, emphasizing how they are "more intense."
"In Boston, it’s like they’re just used to playoffs all the time. ... You’ve won four times -- 2004, '07, '13, '18. And here, they have never won," Bogaerts told Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune on Thursday. "So you can see how much they want it. It’s just a lot of frustration for the fans. It’s different. Boston fans are more intense. But they still understand.
"I’m not bashing either fan base. It’s just a difference. And why is there a difference? Because in Boston, they have won, and here they have never won. You can feel here more like -- desperate is a hard word to say -- but just like a lot of years of frustration coming out. They want it bad. In Boston, they might want it, yeah. But here they want it bad, because they never had it."
Boston sports fans are known for their intense passion and deep loyalty. Clearly, the Red Sox's fan base has left a lasting impact on Bogaerts, even after spending four seasons with the Padres.
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