A little more of a personal thing than a “Wallingford” thing but I felt like sharing it anyway.
At the beginning of the year I had the chance to buy two sets of three ticket packs to Fenway Park as part of a small package deal.
Little did I know at the time that I would be picking two great games versus two great opposing ball clubs for the 2014 season – The Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees.
I couldn’t have known at the beginning of the season that Baltimore would be in first place and that the Red Sox vs. Yankee game would be the last game that Derek Jeter would play.
So let me set you the stage – I am a die hard Red Sox fan since the early 70s.
While I didn’t go to many games as a kid with my father to Fenway or Yankee Stadium (I think it may have been three games in total over my whole childhood) I did get to see some greats play.
I was able to watch these greats over at Fenway Park (as shown above in 1977 at the ripe old age of eight with my then seven year old sister who would not be caught dead in a Sox hat these days).
Rice
Fisk
Evans
Lynn
Yastrzemski
Eckersley
Stanley
And over at the arch nemesis Yankee Stadium and the House that Ruth built:
Gossage
Guidry
Hunter
Righetti
Munson
Chambliss
Dent
Nettles
Randolph
Stanley
Jackson
Piniella
Rivers
I couldn’t tell you where I was when any of these players played their final game. I only follow baseball casually (as much as I still maintain my claim as a die hard Sox fan).
What I can say is I remember 2004 and 2007 vividly (for obvious reasons – again, as a die hard Sox fan). I also realize that 2018 is coming shortly and from 1918 forward things were tough for Sox fans for that little bit of time.
I don’t know if my kids are able to follow the game as I did; I was really into it then (and I still have some of my baseball cards!) and I wanted to introduce the game to them.
I have taken them a couple of times now to McCoy Stadium to see the Paw Sox play. (Alex even got a game ball!)
A few years ago I bought a package to tour Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park and I took Andrew with me (he was seven at the time in 2011).
I don’t know if the kids will remember the exciting games, or if it will be the hot dogs, or the time in the car, or maybe Dad dancing with them to “Dancing with Myself” or singing along to “Sweet Caroline”, or perhaps the sportsmanship shown on the day Jeter retired or any of the number of other things that went on during the game and the time at the ball parks. The impressions left on each of them will be different.
I selfishly hope that when they look back that the thought that crosses their minds starts with “I remember that day – I was there with my Dad when…”
I am not destined for greatness but that will not stop me from attempting great things and if all I manage to do with my life in totality is to have been able to keep four kids well grounded, excited to learn, grow, and engage, then I have achieved more than I ever thought I was capable of.
