Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Lords of the Rings

Yesterday's home opener was one for the ages. In today's Globe, Dan Shaughnessy has a great column about what yesterday's pre-game ring ceremony meant to Red Sox Nation. Here are some money excerpts:

"[I]t was the pregame festivities that connected generations of New Englanders, moved grown men to tears (I saw one in the press box), and created a memory guaranteed to be shared whenever two or more Sox fans gather to reminisce about the glory days of 2004.

In a 45-minute ceremony -- lengthy, but not nearly long enough to offset the 86 years and one million-96 tears that advanced the hard-earned World Series win, the Sox paid tribute to Fenway favorites past and present, handed out the rings, and raised the championship banner in center field for the first time since 1919."

"No matter what age you are, there was a former Boston player to remind you of an earlier time when the Sox entertained, but couldn't win a championship. Dom DiMaggio, Bobby Doerr (the 87-year-old Hall of Famer flew overnight to make the ceremony), Frank Malzone, Jim Lonborg, Jim Rice, and Oil Can Boyd touched different generations of fans in different ways. Collectively, they encapsuled 70 years of living Red Sox history."

As I watched, so many memories of growing up loving baseball--Red Sox baseball--went through my mind. Here are a few:

1. I remembered another opening day--about 40 years ago--when I got busted by my 7th grade teacher for listening to the radio broadcast of the game during classtime. I borrowed my Dad's little "transistor radio," stuck it down my pants and ran the little earplug speaker up through my shirt.

2. I remembered writing letters to Pinky Higgins in the early 60s containing advice on starting lineups and other strategy. He never wrote back. But he did give Russ Nixon a few more starts behind the plate.

3. I remembered the time Frank Malzone threw a ball to a little kid (me), back when throwing balls into the stands was against the rules.

4. I remembered Tony C, the teenager every boy in New England wanted to be. And I remembered the day Tony C was beaned, the day the music died.

5. I remembered 1967 and 1975, the seasons that made me a Red Sox fan for life.

6. I remembered Yaz, and the Hawk, and the Monster, and Oil Can, and the Spaceman, and Stonefingers, and Tomato Face, and El Tiante, and El Guapo, and Pudge, and Dauber. [Where was Dauber yesterday? He should have been there to represent the regular guy who plugs away and finally makes it to the show.]

7. I remembered my Dad, and my Uncle Earl, and Araujo, and Mikey Maurer, and so many others who didn't live to see the Sox win it all.

As Dan Shaughnessy said: "Baseball. The best game. The New England game..the thing that brought so many people together in yesterday's celebration for the ages."




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