Just before leaving her son in his new Boston digs, Joycelyn Victorino took her 2-year-old grandson on a walk through the city.
As workers prepared for the annual Boston Marathon, scheduled to take place the next day, Victorino and her grandchild strolled down Boylston Street, enjoying a final moment in Boston together.
That same night, new Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino had a cup of coffee with his wife at the Starbucks located right there on Boylston next to his place.
Emotions were already high because it was time for the family to leave Shane to his business. The 32-year-old began the season-long grind in which he sought to disprove the doubters of his new three-year, $39-million contract.
Less than 24 hours later, that same street near that same Starbucks, less than a block from Victorino’s new place, was torn apart by two pressure-cooker bombs that killed three people and injured more than 200 others.
The Red Sox had just finished a walk-off win over Tampa Bay at Fenway Park and Victorino was boarding a bus for the airport when news broke of the situation.
Later, he got a phone call from his mother.
"She left me a voice mail," Victorino told the Downtown Athletic Club at Wednesday’s luncheon at the Hukilau restaurant. "She said, ‘Son, understand how lucky you are,’ and started to cry."
Nearly seven months later, Victorino rode through downtown Boston with the World Series trophy. The team reached the spot where the finish line to the Boston Marathon was and placed the trophy down on the ground before observing a moment of silence.
In those seven months, Victorino came to believe in something higher up.
"If there’s something called destiny, and I don’t know if you guys believe in destiny, but after this season, I believe in destiny," Victorino said. "We were a team that was destined to win it all."
Destiny isn’t quite the way to describe Victorino’s career.
The St. Anthony alum is able to put it more appropriately.
"For me it wasn’t hard, it was hard work," he said.
This season was arguably the toughest of them al. Victorino struggled with injuries that left the switch hitter only able to hit from the right side by season’s end.
Injuries to his back, hip, quad and right thumb nagged at him at various times during the season. A hamstring injury eventually forced him to the disabled list for a quick stint.
The big blow came in the World Series, just a week after his memorable grand slam in Game 6 of the ALCS helped close out the Detroit Tigers.
After going 0-for-2 with a walk, a hit by pitch and two runs scored in Game 3 against the Cardinals, Victorino had to do something as tough as anything he’s ever faced.
He had to face his teammates — his brothers as he calls them — and his coach and say he couldn’t play.
"It was one of the toughest decisions as an athlete I’ve ever had to face," Victorino said.
He came back for Game 6 and delivered a bases-clearing double to spur the Red Sox to their eighth World Series title.
Victorino has driven in more runs with the bases loaded in the World Series than any other player in history.
It’s just one of many accomplishments — two World Series titles, four Gold Gloves, two All-Star appearances — that make Victorino the most decorated professional baseball player ever from Hawaii.
HE’S ONE OF SIX professional baseball players with local ties and five born in Hawaii to play in the big leagues this season.
The newest member to join the fraternity of professional baseball players from Hawaii was St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong.
Barely two months after making his major-league debut, Wong was on the sport’s biggest stage when he was picked off at first, ending Boston’s 4-2 win in Game 4.
Victorino was a benefactor of the play, getting one win closer to his second World Series.
He was also one of the first to text Wong after the game.
"I said moments like this will help you become better," Victorino said. "They are experiences he’s going to learn. It’s not always going to be positive. You can’t let this get to you and it’s going to make him better."
With the trade of David Freese to the Los Angeles Angels last week, it’s likely Wong will be the Cardinals full-time starting second baseman next season.
At some point, "Hopefully later rather than sooner," Victorino said, Wong will be the poster child for kids from Hawaii to idolize.
"I’ve told him, sooner or later I’m going to pass the torch," Victorino said. "I’ve told him I want (him) to take the torch and show the rest of the kids that are going to follow in our footsteps. He’s going to be the next guy to catapult the state of Hawaii, which he already kind of has."
Victorino will turn 33 on Saturday and his body has already shown the wear and tear of a decade-long career in the big leagues.
He’s got two more years on his current contract with the Red Sox, but has no plans to call it quits when that contract runs out.
"They’re going to have to tear my jersey off of my back," he said.
But he also admits his view on life has changed.
He has a 6-year-old daughter, a 3-year-old son and a wife with whom he just celebrated their fourth anniversary.
He’s grown wiser as he’s grown more successful, comfortable in the life he’s put forth for his family.
But it’s also due to that fateful day last April, where he found himself so close to something so horrific.
It was an event that put everything, from baseball to family to life as a whole, in better perspective.
"Being a part of a city to go through that whole ordeal and come together, ‘Boston Strong,’ as we called it, it’s something that I will never forget for the rest of my life," Victorino said.
"Being so close to where it happened … you call it blessed and you call it lucky."
