Earlier this week I heard about an event at Makeovers Salon and Spa in Easton, Mass.  People who purchased gift certificates on Saturday evening would have the chance to meet and get an autograph from Jason Varitek, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Jimmy Fund.  Easton’s a bit of a drive for me, but the way I figure it, I was planning on getting a haircut soon anyway, and since I recently moved I was going to have to look for a new place.  Plus, it’s far enough into the off-season that I’m starting to go into withdrawal, so any chance to see a member of the Red Sox (even one who’s technically a free agent) would help me get my fix.

So I made my way to the salon and bought my gift certificate.  We were offered wine, cheese, and hors d’oeuvres while we waited in line, and then we finally got to meet the two-time World Champion.  I brought along a picture of me with the 2004 World Series trophy which I took to Spring Training for several years to get autographs of the members of the ‘04 team.  It was cool to add Tek’s to the trophy picture, and I got to have my photo taken with him too.

I got to meet the Red Sox' Captain this weekend.

Finally!

After losing a day of my vacation thanks to a nasty storm, I was able to fly down to southwest Florida this morning.  It was snowing when we took off, but it was nothing compared to the monsoon of the previous day.  By the time I arrived, it was too late to make it to the Red Sox complex, but we did manage to spend some time at a beach in the afternoon.

The beach was nice and sunny, but none of the seagulls signed autographs. I hope to have better luck at the Red Sox complex tomorrow.

Tomorrow it’s off to Edison Ave. for my first look at the 2010 Red Sox.  I can’t wait!

Well, it’s official – my first rainout of the year!  I was supposed to fly to Florida tonight, but due to heavy rain, wind, and fog, my flight was cancelled.  I’ve been re-booked and will try again tomorrow, but that means I won’t be there in time to see tomorrow’s workout.

My view of Spring Training today.

I know it seems like I have tickets to every rainout, but I thought that just applied to games…

It’s been over a month since the last Red Sox game, and baseball withdrawal is really starting to set in for me.  So when a couple of my co-workers wanted to go out for dinner and my boss suggested Big Papi’s Grille in Framingham, I of course piped in with, “We should go on Wednesday.  That’s Papi’s birthday.”  Not that I thought he would show up or anything (if you’re a famous athlete with a house in the tropical Dominican Republic, why would you want to spend your winter in Framingham, Mass.?) but eating a good burger at my favorite player’s restaurant on his birthday seemed like it would help me get my fix.

It's Big Papi, the Loch Ness Monster, a Leprechaun, and the Tooth Fairy sitting down to dinner. Really it is.

We sat down at a booth and ordered, when my boss noticed a “Reserved” sign on the table diagonally across from us.  “Maybe that’s for Papi,” he said.  “Yeah, right,” I answered.  But next thing we knew, in walked the birthday boy himself, with his wife and kids.  They walked right past our booth to sit in the reserved one.  People in the adjacent tables greeted him with “Hi, Big Papi” and the like as he walked past, so I made sure to say “Happy birthday.”  I had the perfect seat to watch them as they ate, while making it look like I was chatting with the co-workers.  (I tried to sneak a couple of pictures discreetly with my cellphone, but given the dim lighting of the restaurant and the low resolution of the phone, it looks like your standard shot of a UFO or a Bigfoot sighting.)  That’s when I remembered I just happened to have an “ORTIZ 34″ baseball cap in my car (for formal occasions, of course) and I carry a Sharpie in my purse at all times, “just in case”.  I certainly wouldn’t bother them by approaching the table while they were eating, but the hat was soon fetched from the car in case the moment did arise later.

When the Papi family finished eating, the waitstaff brought out a cake – not just a slice, but a whole huge cake – and sang “Happy Birthday to You.”  His wife and kids each had a slice (Papi passed on dessert; after all, he’s in training) and then they got the cake wrapped up in a box to take home.  When they stood up to leave, they had to pass my table again.  I normally go silent in the presence of players, but my quick-thinking boss reached out and shook Papi’s hand and asked him to sign my hat, even telling him how to spell my name.  I finally found words and managed to say, “Thank you so much!  And not just for this, but for 2004 and 2007 and everything.”  He flashed one of his patented grins before going on his merry way.

My birthday gift from Big Papi.

I spent the rest of the evening grinning ear-to-ear.  I definitely got my Red Sox fix, which should get me through until the first wave of ticket sales in December.

An epilogue of sorts

The first few days after our season came to its premature and inglorious end, I moped around, alternating between shock and denial.  I wore black to work all week, and my co-workers were sympathetic and equally despondent.

Then on Wednesday, it was time for that other annual rite – booking my flight to spring training.  It took a little effort, but I got a really good deal this time.  As soon as it was confirmed, I told my boss what days I’d be taking off, and started telling all my co-workers, “I’m going to spring training!”  That’s when I realized I was doing something I hadn’t done in what felt like an eternity – smiling.

This is what I’m already envisioning:

Sunset on beautiful Ft. Myers Beach.

Players stretching out on Field 2 before the morning's workout.

By then, I’ll be better able to appreciate the year that just was.  I went to 30 regular-season games, which beat my previous personal best of 29 in 2003.  My record was 18-12, but it was really much better until a poor 1-4 September dragged it down.  Along the way, I got to experience a lot of dramatic moments.  The top two for me were Jacoby Ellsbury’s steal of home against the Yankees in April and the night in May when Big Papi’s first home run of the season was caught by the guy sitting in front of me.  I also saw record-setting performances, like when the Red Sox scored 12 runs before the first out of an inning to set an A.L. record, when Ellsbury recorded 12 putouts to tie the M.L. record, and Jacoby’s 70th stolen base of the season which set the new team record.  I got to see walk-off home runs by Nick Green and David Ortiz, watched as instant replay was invoked, and got a batting practice baseball from Brad Penny.  And in a few short months, I’ll be back in Ft. Myers and ready to go through it all again.