Tagged: Johnny Pesky

A NEW BEGINNING


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The 2010 Baseball season has officially begun, and is being celebrated, criticized and speculated nation-wide. The president threw out the first pitch for the NL Champion Phillies yesterday when they played the Washington Nationals in Arlington Virginia, and on Easter, the official 2010 baseball season was launched by a Sunday night game between two of the game’s biggest rivals – the World Champion New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.


It was dark when gametime arrived, so the crowd (and tv audience) could not even see the F-16 military jets that flew-in from Vermont for the Opening festivities. All I could see were the flames omitted from the back of the jets after they passed. I did really enjoy the beautiful fireworks display after the Star Spangled Banner was sung. 

A strange speech was had by the dugout area and right field crowd by an intense 5 year old boy that had memorized the speech from Kurt Russell’s movie about the US Olympic Hockey Team. It had Buchholz, Matsuzaka and the other players amused and a bit shocked to have this child spouting “screw-’em” to the Yankees in the unorthodox display of a pep talk to his team.

The front office certainly pulled-out all the stops for this most-watched night. (NESN) Nationally-televised with no other baseball games on to compete with….Fenway paraded-in a surprise of the great Pedro Martinez to throw out the first pitch (to the Captain) and a cameo with Johnny Pesky pregame.  A great Dig to the opposing Yankees because Pedro’s “Who’s Your Daddy” incidents from back in 2004 infuriated the Big Apple fans and media, creating more hatred and an even bigger rivalry than before…and adding to this slap in the face…he pitched to our Captain Varitek (who socked Yankee boy wonder Alex Rodriguez at Fenway in 2004) sparking the fuse that eventually led to the Evil Empire’s downfall that blessed year…and to the Red Sox eventual World Championship.

Rock legend Steve Tyler appeared later on in the game to sing God Bless America with his daughter, and then they pulled-out the big guns!  Brooklyn-born Neil Diamond was introduced to the roaring crowd to sing, in an appropriate RED SOX hat, the beloved Red Sox crowd’s favorite tune SWEET CAROLINE. (It was amazing.)

It was a media circus to say the least, but MLB knew they were asking for it when they asked Boston’s Fenway Park to host Opening Night against the newly crowned World Champions….nuf ced.


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Aside from the sideshow craziness, the game was quite good. The Sox experienced a slow start, and fell behind early. Beckett was not himself confidence-wise on the mound, but luckily had backup – in spades!

Youkils, Pedroia, Cameron, Beltre, Martinez, Drew, and Scutaro all had hits that pushed us up, and eventually past the Champs to win Game One of the 2010 baseball season.  From what I could conclude by only watching the Bombers once this year, they let two heavy bats go – and that was a crucial error, that will cost them in the postseason. Play Ball ! Let the season begin…..

-Fenway Fruitgirl 2010

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(fireworks photo property of mlb)

 

Back Home Where They Belong

Pesky.jpg   from: Mike Adams’ sports blog*

Congrats to 90-year old Boston Red Sox allum Johnny Pesky on receiving an Honorary Degree from Salem State College. (Doctorate In Humane Letters)  And to Terry Francona for his 492nd win in Seattle on Saturday….only 8 more until your 500th career win as a Red Sox Manager !!  Also, star closer Jonathan Papelbon has only 9 saves until he reaches Bob Stanley’s franchise record of 132 saves !!  Excellent job, and congrats to all.

David Ortiz is set to return to the lineup on Tuesday night at Fenway against the 1st place Toronto Blue Jays. Big Papi missed 3 games in Seattle. Sox slugger Kevin Youkilis will be off the 15 day DL on Wednesday and in the lineup against the Jays. Mark Kotsay will be returning to the bench very soon. And “Dice-K” Matsuzaka will return to his team to pitch in Friday’s game against the NY Mets at Fenway Park. Matsuzaka has been absent from the starting lineup since game 3 of the 2009 season. Welcome back boys !!

While in Seattle, 4 team members were visited by family and friends – because they live in the Northwest area in the off season. Jon Lester (Tacoma WA.), Jacoby Ellsbury (Madras OR.), Jason Bay (Kirkland WA.), and Jeff Bailey (Kelso WA.).  Hope you all had fun catching-up, there will be no more visits from the team to Seattle this season (unless the post season mandates).

I think that FENWAY  FRUITGIRL’s ranting and polling and complaining about the horrid BLUE SOCKS that were worn on the 1st West Coast trip with the new uniforms…..made the offensive blue hosiery disappear !!  Good !!  We are the  RED  SOX !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-fenway fruitgirl