BOSTON (WHDH) - A 2018 American League East championship banner that was found on the side of a highway by a pair of Malden men earlier this week was returned to the Boston Red Sox Wednesday, a team spokesperson said.
Louie Iacuzzi and James Amaral, were driving along Somerville’s McGrath Highway on Monday when they spotted a brown box on the side of the road and pulled over to investigate.
The men initially believed Red Sox jerseys were inside the box, which had been run over by a car.
“I jumped out of the car. I ran across like two lanes,” Amaral said. “It was kind of little heavy. We didn’t know what it was.”
The fans were stunned when they later pulled out a wrapped up divisional championship banner.
“We brought it back over to a safe place to unravel it and see what he had,” Iacuzzi said. “It was then we realized we got some history here.”
The Red Sox say they were aware that the banner had gone missing from one of their signage vendors.
Iacuzzi and Amaral initially said that they would return the banner to the team in exchange for tickets or money.
“We just want to give it back to them and be a part of history, be a part of Boston,” Iacuzzi said.
The Red Sox say they contacted the men and provided them with a “variety of ways” in which they could return the banner.
Iacuzzi and Amaral ultimately decided to bring the banner to Fenway Park. It’s not clear if they were given anything in return.
Boston can clinch the division championship with a win over the New York Yankees Wednesday night.
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