海角大神

Boston wins again?

Almost every year over the past two decades, a New England pro baseball, football, basketball, hockey, or soccer team has won 鈥� or contended for 鈥� a championship.

What鈥檚 behind this Beantown run?

ESPN鈥檚 Peter Keating made a compelling case: . As the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics each shifted from being family-owned to investor-owned, data drove more decisions. In 2004, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein used statistical analysis (the 鈥淢oneyball鈥� approach) to break the 86-year World Series 鈥渃urse.鈥� The Celtics and the Patriots (five wins in eight Super Bowl trips since 2002) have also become more reliant on analytics. 聽

But it鈥檚 more than numbers. Rookie Red Sox manager Alex Cora didn鈥檛 just build a team, . The first Puerto Rican coach to win a World Series knows his players like a father, reading every shoulder shrug, and moved players on and off the field with uncanny success.

Finally, there鈥檚 one more ingredient: Success creates its own momentum. You see it elsewhere with Jamaican sprinters, Cuban boxers, and the University of Connecticut women鈥檚 basketball team. 鈥淭his is a place that has winning in their blood...,鈥� Red Sox pitcher David Price said upon signing. 鈥淭his is a place that expects to win. That鈥檚 what I want to be a part of.鈥�

In short, Boston鈥檚 success formula could be summarized as confidence, science, and heart.

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