A Tour That Will Live in Infamy
Saturday, January 28, 2012 – Boston, MA
SABR Day in America
Saturday was “SABR Day in America”, when local chapters of the Society for American Baseball Research planned baseball-related events across the country. Since it was a mild, sunny day and I had my online ticket sale needs wrapped up early, I decided to join the Boston group at their event – a walking tour that provided a light-hearted look at lesser-known and somewhat infamous sites around the Fenway area.
The Teammates statue sits outside of the entrance to the right field stands, on the corner of Ipswich and Van Ness streets.
Our first stop was the Teammates statue outside Gate B. There was nothing infamous about the four players depicted, but rather the spot was chosen because it’s the entrance to the right field stands. Our guide shared a story about 30 men who were ejected from the right field area at a game in July of 1912 for yelling insults at the Boston players. They made an example of those rowdy fans because the following week the Detroit Tigers were coming to town, and they wanted the great Ty Cobb to “get a fair shake”. We also learned that Van Ness Street was named by John I. Taylor, the Red Sox owner who built Fenway Park, after his wife’s maiden name.
From there, we progressed to the steps outside Gate A, where we heard more tales of people ejected from the World Series games in 1912. One group of men sued the Red Sox, since they had made the “great sacrifice” of $3 to purchase tickets to the game, and were further outraged when their bribe of $15 to let them stay was rebuffed. Another story was the scandalous tale of a woman from New York who had been loudly shouting and “raving” for the Giants and was found passed out in the stadium after the game. She was taken to the hospital where she continued to rave all night. The newspaper made sure to report that she was dressed all in silk, “including her undergarments”, and carried a velvet purse.
While outside the park, we also listened to a couple of songs about famous and infamous moments in Red Sox history – like an old-time rendition
"Fenway Special" indeed. Is this what the guys were eating in the clubhouse last September?
Our next stop was the Popeye’s fast food fried chicken restaurant on Brookline Ave., to commemorate the epic collapse of 2011 which included certain members of the starting rotation eating fried chicken and drinking beer in the clubhouse during games.
490 Commonwealth Avenue, site of the former Hotel Kenmore.
Next we walked through Kenmore Square, which was called Governor’s Square back in the early days of Fenway Park, to the site of the old Hotel Kenmore. Later a dorm for Graham Junior College, and now apartments, in the early 20th Century the building was the largest hotel in the area. Its claim to fame is that it served as the visiting teams’ hotel, and is the only hotel to have hosted all major league teams (that existed at the time), including National Leaguers who came to town to play the Braves.
BU's Myles Standish Hall used to be a hotel frequented by Babe Ruth.
Our next stop was Myles Standish Hall at 610 Beacon Street. It’s now a Boston University dorm, but before 1949 it was the Myles Standish Hotel. It was a favorite of Babe Ruth, who always stayed in room 818 when in town to play the Red Sox. We also learned that Red Sox pitcher Ellis Kinder almost burned it down one night when he fell asleep with a lit cigarette.
The Hotel Buckminster, where the Black Sox scandal of 1919 was planned.
From there we walked back up to the Hotel Buckminster at 645 Beacon Street, which is notorious for being the spot where gambler Joseph “Sport” Sullivan met with Chicago first baseman Chick Gandil to propose fixing the 1919 World Series. In the lobby of the hotel where the Black Sox scandal was hatched, we learned about that afternoon’s game against the Red Sox, a contest won by Chicago 3-2 on the strength of pitcher Eddie Cicotte, who was another one of the players in on the fix.
The Dugout Cafe, a frequent haunt of Pinky Higgins.
Our final stop was the Dugout Cafe, a few blocks up the street at 722 Commonwealth Ave. It’s now mostly a B.U. hangout, but it was one of the first bars to open in Boston after the repeal of Prohibition, and a couple of decades later was said to be a favorite post-game spot of Pinky Higgins. Higgins, who served as both manager and general manager of the Red Sox in the late 50’s, is known as one of the people responsible for making the Red Sox the last team to integrate, and it’s said that while at the Dugout he would sometimes drink so much that he’d fall off his barstool. I’m happy to report that no one in our group followed suit.
2012 Red Sox Road Trip
Sunday, January 22, 2012 – Solomon Pond Mall, Marlborough, MA
Red Sox Road Trip
The weekend before the start of ticket sales for the 2012 season, the Red Sox held their annual road trip, taking the World Series trophies and ticket vouchers to locations around New England. This year the schedule worked well for me so that I didn’t have to drive to New Hampshire or Maine, heading instead to the Solomon Pond Mall in Marlborough, MA. In past years, the event gave us the chance to have our picture taken with one of the World Series trophies and get a voucher for a pair of tickets in a pre-sale during the coming week. This year the vouchers allowed up to four tickets, and the event also contained a display of Red Sox memorabilia and appearances by players.
I got to meet Mike Aviles.
I got to the mall early, so I was up near the front of the line. After filling out a form for a raffle of an Opening Day VIP package and picking up my ticket voucher, my first stop was the autograph table where Red Sox infielder Mike Aviles was seated. While he served in a backup role last year, even seeing some time in the outfield, the news had broken the night before that Marco Scutaro had been traded, meaning unless there was another move soon, Aviles would likely be the team’s starting shortstop. I brought along a photo I had taken from behind home plate before a game last year. Before he signed, he paused and said, “This is a really good picture.” I knew that he had joined the team at the trade deadline last year, and that the picture was from a game in August, so I told him, “That was from the game with the triple play.” It cracked me up when he answered excitedly, “Oh, the triple play? I was at that game!” He had posed with several people in front of me, and the line was moving slowly because it took everyone a while to fill out the raffle form, so I asked if he’d take a picture with me, and he obliged. I think I’ve got a new favorite player! (Yes, I know they’re all in my top 25, but he just shot up in the ranks.)
Bill Mueller's Yankee-killing bat.
Next was a table containing Red Sox memorabilia from the Fenway Park Archives display at the ballpark. Among other things, they had some bowling pins from the bowling alley that used to be under Fenway, the bat used by Bill Mueller when he hit the walk-off home run off Mariano Rivera in the game with the Tek/A-Rod brawl in 2004, the jersey worn by Carl Yastrzemski at the Ted Williams memorial tribute in 2002, and a 1999 All-Star Game ball signed by Pedro Martinez.
The 2007 World Series trophy was on display.
The final table held the 2007 World Series trophy. (The ‘04 trophy was on a different leg of the road trip.) The whole time we were going through the line people were singing the National Anthem as an audition for the “Sing your way to Fenway” contest. After I finished, I went up to the second floor to get some pictures from above. I waited around a little while longer, because Rich Gedman, the former catcher who’s now a coach in the minors, was also supposed to be appearing, but he didn’t end up showing while I was there.
Hot Stove on a Cold Night
Friday, January 13, 2012 – McCoy Stadium, Pawtucket
PawSox Hot Stove League Party
On Friday night it was time for an annual tradition, the Pawtucket Red Sox’ Hot Stove League Party. The free event gives fans a chance to meet some of the top prospects in the organization, ask questions, and get autographs. In the past few years it’s been held on a Saturday morning, but this time it was on a Friday night, which I found a lot more inconvenient. My friends weren’t able to bring their kids because of all their after-school activities and sports, and I had to battle Friday evening traffic on Route 95, but I’m glad I was able to make it. With fewer people in attendance it was certainly easier to navigate than the crowded Saturdays of years past.
Alex Wilson is one of the Red Sox' top pitching prospects. He spent most of last season in Double A, with a call-up to Triple A in August. He pitched well at both levels, and the Red Sox named him their minor league pitcher of the year.
It was a cold, blustery night, but baseball season was in full swing at McCoy Stadium. (I joked that usually this event is held on the coldest morning of the year, but now they had somehow managed to find the coldest night of the year.) My first stop was the batting tunnel, where the batting cages and workout equipment were moved out of the way. Catcher Luis Exposito and pitchers Brandon Duckworth and Alex Wilson answered questions from fans in a session hosted by PawSox radio announcer Steve Hyder. One fan asked each player what position he’d like to play if he could pick a different one. Exposito said he’d like to be a pitcher, and Wilson said he’d be a centerfielder (”I’d have to be faster, but I could still throw people out.”) Duckworth laughed and said, “DH.” After the Q & A session, we were able to get autographs from all three players. I had them sign a photo I had taken at a PawSox game a couple of years ago.
Luis Exposito and Brandon Duckworth sign autographs for fans. Exposito spent the whole 2011 season in Triple A after working his way up through the Red Sox organization. Duckworth has seen time in the majors with the Phillies, Astros, and Royals before signing with the Red Sox last spring.
When I was done in the batting tunnel, I went into the home clubhouse, where PawSox manager Arnie Beyeler and outfielder Alex Hassan were autographing. After going through that line, I stuck around for their Q & A session, in which we learned that Hassan’s favorite players growing up in Milton, MA, were Manny Ramirez, Nomar Garciaparra, and Pedro Martinez. (This made me feel old, since they’re players I rooted for as an adult, but I felt a little better later when I realized that I’m only a couple of years older than the journeyman Duckworth.) Beyeler was asked about coaching third, a task performed by minor league managers. He said he definitely hears about it from fans when a runner is thrown out at the plate, but that he also hears about it when he holds a runner at third, and that either way he’s just happy that the fans care enough to holler.
Alex Hassan's .404 OBP while playing in Double A Portland last year led all Red Sox minor leaguers in that category.
When the Q & A finished up, I headed into the visitors’ clubhouse, where the private restroom in the manager’s office had been designated as a ladies’ room, and then grabbed some chips and soda. I stopped for a free hot dog out in the concourse, and then browsed through the many displays of photos and memorabilia that line the walls of the hallway on my way out.
Baseball signed by Dave Stapleton, who was the International League MVP in 1979.
A Sneak Peek at JetBlue Park
Tuesday, January 3, 2012 – JetBlue Park, Ft. Myers
I happened to have one day to spend in Ft. Myers this week, so I made sure to go over to the site of JetBlue Park, the new spring training home of the Red Sox. It’s still 47 days until pitchers and catchers report, and we weren’t allowed through the gates, but I did get a good early peek at the complex. All of the pictures below can be clicked to enlarge.
JetBlue Park as seen on 1/3/12. Click to enlarge.
There’s still a lot of landscaping to be done, but the stadium looks to be complete. Look closely and you’ll see the replica Green Monster (with what looks like a roof over its seats for shade), a tall batter’s eye wall in center field, and green seats in the left field stands. Behind the stadium are six practice fields, at least one of which has the same dimensions as the stadium (which itself has the same dimensions as Fenway) with yet another Green Monster for the players to practice on.
One of the practice fields at JetBlue Park has the same dimensions as Fenway, including its own Green Monster wall. Click to enlarge.
I also got a copy of a map of the complex. With the stadium in the center, there’s a small paved parking lot to the right. More parking is available on both sides of the ballpark on grassy areas that will double as soccer fields during the months when baseball is not taking place. In the back are the practice fields, with the one closest to the paved parking lot shaped just like Fenway Park.
The layout of the Red Sox' new spring training complex, featuring JetBlue Park in the center, practice fields in the back, and parking lots/soccer fields on both sides. Click to enlarge.
I only had one day in the area (and as luck would have it, it was not only the coldest day of this year, but colder than any day all last year too) but it was fun to get a sneak peek at the place where I’ll be spending a lot of time in the coming years. Two months from today the first games will be taking place against Boston College and Northeastern University. I’ll be back for real when the weather is more spring-like, but at least now I have something tangible to look forward to.
One Team’s Trash is Another Person’s Treasure
Saturday, December 10, 2011 – Fenway Park
The Great Fenway Park Yard Sale
This Saturday marked the first wave of ticket sales for the 2012 season. There was a lot going on, with two invitation-only events at the ballpark – Christmas at Fenway and the Great Fenway Park Yard Sale – plus 4-game ticket packages and individual game tickets going on sale online and over the phone. It’s important to me to try to get the Opening Day Sox Pax, because that’s really the only way to make sure I’m at the opener (this year will be my 12th straight) even though this year two of the games in the Opening Day Sox Pax conflict with my 10-game Tenth Man Plan package which renews every year. And the best way to make sure I can get the Opening Day pack would be to win the drawing and get selected to attend Christmas at Fenway in person. Unfortunately I lost that drawing, just like I do every year, which means I’d have to stay home and try to get my tickets online.
Here are the treasures I managed to find at this year's Fenway Park Yard Sale.
I did, thanks to being a Tenth Man Plan holder, get an invitation to the Yard Sale, where we can rummage through boxes of publications, signage, and other trinkets. The invitation was for 11:00, but with ticket sales starting at 10 and an hour’s drive to Boston, I knew it would be later in the day, if at all, before I could get there.
They seem to have improved the online ticket process, because I was able to get the tickets I wanted without the drama or trauma of previous years, and then I headed in to Fenway around noon. The Yard Sale took place in the third base concourse and the Absolut Clubhouse. There was a lot of memorabilia for sale, including framed photos, game-used jerseys and bats, and autographed balls, but even Wily Mo Peña’s jersey and Jeremy Giambi’s broken bat were out of my price range. I was more interested in the big boxes in the concourse with old media guides and other publications, all for $1 apiece. I already have a lot of the ones that were there, but I found a 1995 Media Guide to add to my collection and a “2009 Official Averages” book with the final stats of all players in 2009. I also grabbed two magnetic concession stand signs. Then I picked up a pin with an interesting story. It has the Red Sox logo and says “10th World Series”. A staffer explained that they were commemorative pins given out to the media who covered the World Series games. However, they had been made in 2003, in anticipation of the Red Sox making it that year, which (ahem) didn’t exactly work out. But they were able to use them in 2004, when the team did play in the World Series for the 10th time in franchise history.
My final stop, and the highlight of my trip, was the brick pile to pick out an authentic Fenway Park brick. After I had chosen the perfect one, I turned around and saw Jon Lester signing autographs for the Christmas at Fenway patrons. There were barricades up and workers were checking wristbands, so I couldn’t get in the line. But I was happy just to be at Fenway Park after being away for so long, not to mention with the results of my yearly treasure hunt.
Pedro Day!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to watch Pedro Martinez in action, but he’s still one of my all-time favorite players. (Technically it’s a tie between him and David Ortiz for my top spot, but the way I figure it, since one is a pitcher and the other is a hitter, I shouldn’t have to choose.) When Pedro was in his prime, there was no one more dominant. One of my favorite stats to quote is that his 1.74 ERA in 2000 was less than half of the 3.70 compiled by the 2nd-place finisher. But don’t even ask me to pick my favorite Pedro game. I might eventually settle on Game 5 of the 1999 Division Series, when he came into a slugfest with an ailing back and held the mighty Cleveland offense hitless for the final six innings – but not before considering his 17-strikeout one-hitter in New York in September of 1999, or the Pedro vs. Roger duel on Memorial Day weekend of 2000 when Trot Nixon’s ninth-inning homer won it for the Sox, or the “Where is Roger/In the shower” playoff game in 1999, or the near no-hitter in Tampa Bay in 2000. Or maybe I’d pick Labor Day of 2000, when Carlton Fisk’s #27 was retired before the game and Pedro beat the Mariners. On paper it was a rather methodical 8-inning, 11-K performance, but I had the pleasure of seeing that one in person, and what stays with me most about that day is walking back to the T after the game and watching as gleeful fans ran down Lansdowne Street waving giant Dominican flags and chanting “Pedro, Pedro!” while car horns honked and people cheered.
The Best Pitcher on the Planet, future Hall-of-Famer, 2004 World Champion, and my all-time favorite player at a toy drive in Bedford, MA.
Pedro Games during his heyday were certainly appointment viewing. At work we’d try to predict not the outcome of the game, because that was never in doubt, but how many strikeouts he’d pick up or whether this would finally be the night he threw a no-hitter. In person, it was even more fun. Normally at games people will wait to get up from their seats until the visiting team is at bat, but when Pedro pitched that’s when we were glued to our seats. It was after he’d walk off the mound at the end of the inning that we’d see the mass exodus of people heading to the concession stands and restrooms.
So when I heard that The Best Pitcher on the Planet himself was going to be hosting a toy drive in a nearby town, I knew immediately that I had to go. The event was held at the HomeGoods in Bedford, MA, and benefited children here in Boston and in the Dominican Republic. We just had to bring two new, unwrapped toys to donate, and we could get an autograph from the future Hall-of-Famer. As the day approached, I felt like I had gone back in time to a decade ago and was counting down to Pedro Day again. That anticipation was especially welcome after a horrid end to last season and a beginning of the off-season that saw the team I love further dismantled. But here I was walking around for a week with a grin on my face thinking, “I’m going to see Pedro,” just like in the good old days.
Pedro looked the same as always, right down to that endearing impish grin.
The event was scheduled from 5 to 7 pm, but shortly after noon a friend of mine posted on Facebook that she had driven past the store and people were already in line. So I rushed to get ready and jumped in the car, arriving around 2:00. The line was already over 100 people long, and we would be waiting outside all afternoon. It was a sunny day and relatively mild for December, but by the time the sun set at 4:00, I was wishing I had brought my hat and gloves.
When Pedro arrived at 5:00, we were finally allowed to enter the store, but it was still another hour before I got to the front of the line. I had brought with me a picture of myself with the 2004 World Series trophy which I’ve taken to Spring Training and other events to be signed by members of that historic team. It’s getting pretty full, but he found some space and signed in neat lettering. I made sure to thank him for his part in what was the best season ever as far as I’m concerned: “Pedro, I just want to thank you for 2004. It meant so much to so many people.” If I could personally thank every last one of them, I would! The best part was his response: “No, thank you. It was well-deserved.”
Futures At Fenway
Saturday, August 20, 2011 – Fenway Park, Section 32
Game 1 – Mets 6, Sea Dogs 4, 11 inn.
With the Red Sox on the road in Kansas City, Fenway Park played host to what is now an annual event, the Futures at Fenway minor league doubleheader. It was my first time attending this event, and I was met by a friend and his 9- and 7-year-old sons, who were making their first trip to Fenway. In a strange twist, it was a gorgeous, sunny day, but I’m sure that’s only because it was one of the few games where my seat was under cover.
Infielder Oscar Tejeda slides into second base. I was happy to see him in the game today, because he's a player I knew from Spring Training but he hadn't played in the Sea Dogs game I went to last month.
The first game pitted the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs against the Binghamton Mets. Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger made the start, and despite allowing baserunners in every inning, he held the Mets scoreless through the first six frames. The Sea Dogs were equally silent at the plate, with Alex Hassan’s two singles accounting for half his team’s hits in the first six innings. Hassan, an outfielder, is originally from Milton, MA, and grew up a Red Sox fan. We were sitting in left field, and I remarked to my friend how cool it must be for a kid who grew up outside of Boston to be here playing left field at Fenway. No sooner had I made that comment, than a Binghamton player lined a hit off the Green Monster. Hassan fielded it perfectly and got it back to the infield in time to hold the runner to a single. My friend and I turned and almost in unison said, “And he knows how to play the Monster!”
Alex Hassan is outstanding in his field...
...and at the plate, where he reached base four times.
Haeger started to tire in the seventh when he issued three walks and a wild pitch, and he was further hurt by two errors. That plated two runs for the Mets, and it brought Josh Fields in from the ‘pen. Fields had been acquired at the trade deadline in the three-team deal that brought Erik Bedard to Boston. He got out of the inning without any more damage, and stayed in to throw a scoreless eighth and ninth.
Phantom tag: Jonathan Hee is called "out" at second base, even though the stretching shortstop is about a foot away from the bag.
In the bottom of the eighth, Hassan continued his memorable afternoon by launching a two-run homer high over the wall in straightaway center field. That tied the game at 2, and when the Sea Dogs couldn’t get anything done in the bottom of the ninth, the game headed to extra innings. Neither team scored in the tenth, and I got to point out to the kids that the manual scoreboard on the Green Monster only has enough columns for 10 innings, and when they go beyond that they have to take all the numbers out and put the 11th inning linescore under the “1″. (Both kids are so well-versed in Fenway history that this was the only new fact I was able to impart that day.)
Mitch Dening takes a big swing but comes up empty in his 7th inning at-bat.
With reliever Chris Martin into his second inning of work, the Mets ended up putting together three singles and a homer to score four runs in the top of the eleventh. The Sea Dogs did finally get a rally going in the bottom of the eleventh, when Jonathan Hee’s single knocked in two runs, but it was too little, too late.
Game 2 – Chiefs 3, PawSox 1
Between innings we walked around the concourse to show the kids some of the historical displays, and then got something to eat. Game 2 featured the Triple-A PawSox and the Washington Nationals’ affiliate, the Syracuse Chiefs. Much to the 9-year-old’s chagrin, the Pawtucket starter was Kyle Weiland. He’s been to several PawSox games this year, and almost all of them started with Weiland and all but one had ended in a loss. This one started off on a much better note, with Daniel Nava lining a solo homer into the bullpen in the first inning.
Daniel Nava is congratulated by manager Arnie Beyeler after his first inning home run.
Besides Nava and Weiland, there were several other PawSox players whom I had seen play at Fenway before. Lars Anderson and Ryan Kalish had seen time last year, with Jose Iglesias making his debut earlier this year. Relievers Tommy Hottovy and Michael Bowden had also pitched in Boston before.
Weiland wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t exactly sharp either. He had a lot of baserunners, and the Chiefs pushed across solo runs in the second, fifth, and sixth innings, before Jason Rice came on in relief. At the plate, the PawSox couldn’t get anything going – or rather, every time they got something going, they got in their own way. Three runners were caught stealing, and one was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double. They also hit into three double plays.
Jose Iglesias takes a lead off first base after his sixth-inning single. Careful, Jose...
Oops, he's picked off!
As the evening wore on, we stayed in our seats in left field, until eventually we were the only people left in that section. The usher even came over and made a joke that we must have fogotten to shower this morning since no one was sitting near us. But we stuck it out, enjoying 20 innings of baseball on a warm day at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark. The 9-year-old kept score for both games, just like me (and I only had to cheat off his scorecard a couple of times). The 7-year-old spent the whole second game with his father’s camera, and wound up with over 300 pictures, also just like me. Despite the fact that the PawSox never did come up with any additional offense, ending the day with two losses, a good time was had by all.
Double (Or Should I Say Triple) Your Pleasure
Tuesday, August 16, 2011 – Fenway Park, Section 43
Game 1 – Red Sox 3, Rays 1
The Red Sox went 3-3 on a road trip to Minnesota and Seattle, but they were home for a very strange two-day, three-game homestand before heading out on the road again. There was a doubleheader on Tuesday with an afternoon “getaway day” game on Wednesday. Tuesday’s night game was one that I’d had tickets to all along, but the day game was the makeup of a rainout in April, so I got to go to both games. Of course, it wouldn’t be official if there wasn’t any rain in the forecast, and today was no exception. I brought all my rain gear, because the last thing I wanted was to get soaked in the first game and then be uncomfortable for the whole second game.
Jon Lester had a strong outing in Game 1.
My full day of baseball began at noon. For the first game we sat in our Tenth Man Plan seats behind the visitors’ dugout. The matchup pitted the two teams’ aces – Jon Lester and James Shields – against each other, and both pitchers proved to be up to the task. Lester ran into a little trouble in the first when the opening batter doubled and stole third, but he was able to minimize the damage and the Rays came away with just one run. Shields set the Sox down in order in the first, and again in the second, though not without a little confusion. I write down the lineups in my scorecard when they’re announced, and I had Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, and Carl Crawford due up in the second. But when Youk lined to short to open the inning, Crawford came up next. I know it can sometimes be distracting in the bleachers, but there was no way I had missed an entire at-bat, plus the scoreboard confirmed that there was one out and no one on. Big Papi had apparently been scratched from the lineup, and it wasn’t until the next inning that I saw that Jed Lowrie had replaced him as DH and was hitting eighth, with everyone else moving up a spot. My scorecard was now a mess from moving all the players’ names around, and it got even messier when the rain started in the bottom of the second.
Lester had given up two hits in the first, and a walk and hit-by-pitch in the second, but after that he went on cruise control, blowing through the 2-3-4 hitters in the third. The Red Sox finally broke through against Shields in the third, when Josh Reddick and Mike Aviles singled. Jacoby Ellsbury followed with his 21st home run of the year, a 3-run blast that landed in the narrow ramp area between the last section of bleachers and the first section of grandstand. That’s right near where I was sitting, and my parents called to say they had seen me briefly on TV. (They also said nothing had been announced about Papi’s apparent injury yet.)
With the Red Sox now on top 3-1, the game switched into pitchers’ duel mode. Lester struck out the side in the fourth and pitched through the seventh, allowing only one more baserunner on a harmless single by Evan Longoria in the sixth. Shields ended up pitching all eight innings for his team, and the three hits the Sox strung together in the third accounted for their only baserunners of the game. Daniel Bard continued the trend with a 1-2-3 eighth, and Jonathan Papelbon breezed through the ninth. The game ended in a brisk 2 hours and 23 minutes, leaving plenty of time to get everyone out and get the park cleaned up for the nightcap.
My friend and I decided to eat at Jerry Remy’s restaurant, just across the street from the park, between games. It was still overcast when we left the park, but we started to see some breaks in the clouds. We ended up getting a table outside, and while we ate the sun came out. I looked on my phone and saw that Papi’s injury was bursitis in his heel, and that he’d be available in the second game if necessary. After eating we had time to browse through a couple of nearby stores before heading back in when the gates opened for Game 2.
Fenway Park was very quiet in between games of the doubleheader.
Game 2 – Rays 6, Red Sox 2
Normally there’s a bustle of activity in front of the dugout before a game, but with everyone resting up for the nightcap, Fenway was quiet and still when we re-entered, with nary a player, coach, or grounds crew member to be spotted. Our seats for the second game were in the same section of the bleachers as before, but all the way up in the very last row. We waited until just before the start of the game to make the long trek up, because this was my first chance to see Erik Bedard since he had been acquired at the trading deadline last month, and I wanted to get some close-up pictures as he warmed in the bullpen.
Erik Bedard warms up before Game 2.
The Red Sox lineup was much the same as it had been for the first game, except that with Papi still out, Crawford was the DH. Darnell McDonald took over in left, Jason Varitek was catching instead of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Jed Lowrie spelled Kevin Youkilis at third. This was Bedard’s third start since joining the Red Sox. He had pitched decently enough in the first two, but hadn’t received much run support and had no wins to show for it yet. He started off with a 1-2-3 first, but then the first two batters of the second inning reached base. I did what I almost always do when there are two on and no outs – I turned to my friend and said, “We need a triple play right now.” But of course, I’m never actually right, and after Lowrie made an error, both runners ended up scoring. Tek got the Sox on the board with a solo homer in the third.
The Captain came through with a homer in the nightcap.
With the score still 2-1 in favor of the Rays, B.J. Upton started the fourth inning with a single into shallow center, and Casey Kotchman lined a base hit into left. Sean Rodriguez took ball one and then hit a grounder toward third. Lowrie fielded the ball, took one step to his right to step on third base, and threw to Dustin Pedroia, who made the out at second, spun, and threw on to a stretching Adrian Gonzalez at first. It took a second to sink in because it had happened so fast, but as the players all walked off the field, we realized that it was true – we had just seen a triple play! The cheers started as typical “nice play” applause and then grew to a roar as everyone realized what they had just witnessed. I quoted all the requisite trivia to my friend – how the last triple play turned by the Red Sox was John Valentin’s unassisted one in 1994, and how Scott Hatteberg had grounded into one in 2001 on the same night in which he had a grand slam. A triple play has long been on my baseball “bucket list” and I was excited to be able to check that rare feat off. (The triple play was thrilling, but my whole baseball life has been building up to predicting it and I whiffed. Every time the leadoff guy gets on in an inning I’ll say, “They’re just setting up the double play.” And then if the second guy also reaches I’ll say, “It’s OK, they’re just setting up the triple play.” I even made the same comment in earlier in this game. But then, the one time I didn’t say it, it happened!)
A beautiful sunset was the backdrop for a rare and exciting play.
The fun play energized the crowd, but it didn’t help the offense get going. Jeff Niemann continued to shut down the Red Sox. After the Rays had increased their lead to 3-1, Jacoby Ellsbury hit his second homer of the day (and his team-leading 22nd of the year) to pull the Sox to within a run. Bedard pitched six innings and gave up three runs (only two of which were earned). It was again a decent enough outing, but once again there wasn’t enough run support. Jacoby’s homer was just the third Sox hit of the night (they had only picked up three hits in the afternoon game, too), and Niemann ended up retiring 12 straight to finish off the complete game. Even though I was disappointed by the outcome of the night game, I was still excited by having seen the triple play, and, as I explained at work the next day, any time you can spend the whole day at Fenway it’s a beautiful thing!
Row 50 is a long way back!
Rain – What a Surprise!
Sunday, August 7, 2011 – McCoy Stadium, Pawtucket
After attending Saturday afternoon’s exciting win over the Yankees, I got home around 9:30. But at 10:30, I was on my way out again, this time headed to work for a midnight implementation. (I work in IT, so many of our projects have to go in overnight, when computer usage is lowest.) We finished up a little after 4 am, and I finally got home and went to sleep around 5. But at 7:30, my alarm was going off and it was up and at ‘em, because I had to get to Pawtucket for my annual trip to McCoy Stadium.
I had gotten my tickets for this game from a friend who couldn’t use them when she moved out-of-state, and I invited a (different) friend’s nine-year-old, who’s a total diehard Red Sox fan. It was pouring when we left his house, but he had packed his scorecard and a rain poncho (just like me!) and we headed out. In the car, we chatted about the other PawSox games he’s been to this season, how it’s almost always been Kyle Weiland starting the game, and how they’ve almost always lost. As luck would have it, Weiland was scheduled to start again today.
The grounds crew uses rollers to try to push a giant lake out of the outfield.
It had rained hard all night, and was still pouring as we found our seats and got our lunch. Luckily the seats were far back enough under cover that we weren’t getting rained on, and we waited out the delay. While we waited, he showed me his scorecards from his previous games, including the one win he had seen, which had come courtesy of a walk-off walk. I showed him my scorecards from all the rain delayed games I’ve been to this year.
The game was originally supposed to be at 1:00, and even though the forecast didn’t look good, this was the last trip that Buffalo made into town, so with the PawSox in contention for a playoff spot they really wanted to try to get the game in. At 1:30, the grounds crew started to take the tarp off, which at Fenway would have meant a 2:00 start. But the PawSox have a smaller grounds crew, and there really was a lot of water on the field, so an hour later they were still at it. Taking the tarp off the infield had resulted in a giant puddle/mini-lake in right field, and they had two guys with rollers trying to push the water into foul territory. The warning track and the dirt paths leading from the dugout to the plate were reduced to mud puddles, and they emptied a whole truckload of bags of drying agent in front of each dugout. And every time someone walked across the grass, we could see water splashing up with each step.
Shortly after 2:30, Weiland and his teammates came out and started stretching, which was a good sign that the game was finally getting underway. (And with only 2½ hours of sleep, the sooner the better for me.) But at 3:00, the announcement was made that the game was rained out. Since there was no make-up game scheduled, we could trade the tickets in for any remaining game. I tried to console the nine-year-old by saying that at least we had gotten to spend the afternoon at the ballpark, and that maybe when we went back we’d see someone other than Kyle Weiland.
Leadoff Leadership
Saturday, August 6, 2011 – Fenway Park, Section 33
Red Sox 10, Yankees 4
After two exciting walkoff wins, the Red Sox dropped their final game against the Indians and the first game of the Yankees series. Saturday’s matchup of John Lackey against C.C. Sabathia may have looked daunting on paper, but I was encouraged by the fact that the Red Sox had already beaten Sabathia three times this season. I had gotten this ticket when the Red Sox had their lottery at the beginning of the year. (While I lost out on the original drawing for Yankees and Cubs tickets, I did eventually get an invite to a “last chance” ticket sale a week later. By then there were no Cubs tickets available, so I grabbed a single seat to this game against the Yankees, since I didn’t have a ticket for this series yet.) It was actually a nice change to go to an afternoon game against the Yankees. Usually I end up with the Sunday night games, which have the potential to go later than the subway runs. But with a 4:00 game on Saturday, a four-hour game – even one with rain delays or extra innings – would still have me home at a reasonable hour.
My seat was perfect - in a row by itself in the corner, with space for my bag and even a ledge where I could keep my beverage from getting spilled.
Considering the fact that the “last chance” sale had only a small number of seats scattered around, I was impressed when I saw where I had ended up. It was a single seat in the back row of section 33, the last section over up against the Green Monster. While I was sitting there before the game, three different people walked past and commented that it was a cool seat, plus, as one guy said, “At least you know you’re not going to be sitting next to any jerks.”
I was even more impressed when Lackey shut down the Yankees over the first three innings, allowing only a walk in the second and a harmless single in the third. In the bottom of the third, Carl Crawford got the fun started for the Red Sox when he led off with a double. After Jarrod Saltalamacchia worked a walk, Marco Scutaro laid down a bunt to advance the runners. Crawford was able to score easily when Jacoby Ellsbury hit a sac fly to right.
I don't care if it's out of focus, I love this picture of Crawford sliding in safely with the Red Sox' first run.
Salty was also able to tag up on the fly ball and advance to third, and when Dustin Pedroia banged a double off the Monster he scored the second run. The play at second base was closer than I would have liked, because Pedey’s hand came off the bag at the same time as the ball arrived, but he managed to avoid the tag and get his other hand in safely. It’s not often I attempt action shots at games, because normally I’m back in the bleachers, but today I was able to capture Pedroia’s slide into second.
Pedroia slides safely into second and avoids Robinson Cano's tag.
One of my pet peeves in baseball is when the Red Sox take a lead and then the pitcher gives it right back the next inning. Sure enough, before we could feel too good about the 2-0 lead, the Yankees started the next inning by loading the bases with no outs. A well-timed double play let one run in the proverbial back door – an exchange no one on the Red Sox could have minded – but Eric Chavez singled in the tying run before Lackey finally got out of the inning. I wasn’t necessarily worried, because I figured they’d be able to get more off Sabathia, but it still did annoy me that the game had been tied up so quickly.
Looking straight across the face of the Green Monster, I watched the scorekeeper come out every inning and update the manual scoreboard. Above, he returns to his post, carrying an "8".
Luckily for me, Sabathia did to the Yankees what Lackey had just done to me, and let the Red Sox right back in it. Kevin Youkilis led the next inning off with a double, and one out later Mike Aviles singled. Crawford followed with his second hit of the day to give the Sox the lead, and Scutaro drove in another with a single of his own. That brought it back to the top of the order, and Ellsbury put an exclamation point on the inning with a huge three-run homer into the bullpen.
I enjoyed the view from my seat in Section 33.
With the five-spot on the board, the game got much more enjoyable. The Yankees did get one more run off Lackey in the fifth, but he ended up completing six innings and left with a 7-3 lead. A solo homer off Daniel Bard in the eighth made it 7-4. But in the bottom of the eighth the Red Sox were back at it again. They loaded the bases with no outs, thanks to two walks and Crawford’s fourth hit of the day. Then it was time for some more heroics by Jacoby Ellsbury – this time a two-run single that earned him his fifth and sixth RBI of the day. After the tenth run came in on Pedroia’s sacrifice fly, Dan Wheeler nailed down the win, ending it with a fly ball to – who else – Ellsbury.
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