(I started writing this Monday evening)
Today was game one at Fenway Park for my Boston Red Sox.
It was a beautiful day, mid-60's, sun blazing and in the bleachers where I sat, little wind.
I went with my cousin Heidi, her son Jalen and hmm her x sis in law's husband Tim.
Tim picked me up, we drove to their house and and picked up Heidi and J. We drove in, and we were hoping to be the first few in line to get in which I knew we wouldnt as there was people there at 9AM ... I was watching tv before I left when I was eating breakfast. Tim Picked me up at 10:15 and Heidi by half past. We got to the park area by 10:50. I mind you, the game doesnt start till 2pm and gates dont open till 12... All the lotts were filled up in the area. All the gas stations who charged for parking, was filled and if that didnt seem strange enough, they were all charging $50 to park! We had to park about a 20 min walk away! but the good thing is we parked for free with my handicap card.
We got to the stadium about 12: 20 They shut down the street behind fenway park and set up venders and have various things for kids. So we sat out there and had our sausages and hotdogs. We went into the stadium and they sat me down in the first seat when you come up and they went down to try to get autographs. I'm glad I brought my radeo as they didnt come back up till about 1:15. We went to our seats and the pre-game festivities began at 1;30.
We had great seats. It was right of center field, half way up the bleachers so we had the sun on us the entire game. I had worn a t shirt, a heavy sweatshirt and a heavey reprica Red Sox jersey... I ended up just wearing the t shirt for most of the game and covered my arms with the sweatshirt once my arms started getting pink from the sun.
THE JIMMY FUND
The Jimmy Fund is an organization that helps children get treatment for cancer. (I'm tired so cant think of the entire beginning) in the late 40's, a boy who was dubbed "jimmy" had cancer and a bunch of Boston Braves (now the atlanta braves) players came together and raised money for this boy to have a tv in his hospital room so he could watch his favorite team, the Boston Braves. From then on, the Braves, and eventually the red sox in 1953, when the Braves moved to Milwaukkee, took over and expanded the care, research, and fomfort level of the children.
Every summer for the last hmm about 8 years, they have a major fundraiser that is tellivized on both TV and Radeo. Over this short years, this single 2 day event raised over 20 MILLION dollars. The Red Sox do other fundraiser with the Jimmy Fund including a scoopabowl, a bike riding event and many others through the year. Various times during the year, Red Sox players will go visit the children. As the kids get to see their heros, they become the hero of these adult men who play a boy’s game.
This year is the 60th anniversary of the partnership between the Boston Red Sox and the Jimmy fund.
In selebration of this partnership, the Red Sox invited 200 formar and current passent from over the decades to come and take part in the opening day festivities.
It started with the former and current patients walking out from the center field wall with various Red Sox players representing the decades of partnership.
They sang a song, that was very moving.
They sang the national anthium.
They through out the first pitch
In between the 7th inning, they sang “god bless America”
It was a beautiful tribute to the 60 year partnership of my beloved Boston Red Sox and this great organization who treat the children so they can go on to live a normal life… cancer free.
Most people would say that it was a boring game till the late innings because the score was 0-0. However, being a baseball fanatic, I thought it was a great pitching game with some pretty good defense. The scored stayed scoreless till the Red Sox came up in the 7th. It was a bit comical though…The Red Sox had men on second and third with one out. Jalen asked Tim how they were going to get the man home from third. Tim said a sacrifise fly. J then asked his mom and Heidi said a single. He asked me I said a homerun. He said no, just the man on third. I said a homerun. He got frustrated with me and told me what Tim and heidi said and said so how are the Red Sox going to bring home (name of player) from third? I said a home run. Wellllll… Daniel Nava hit a home run to put the Red Sox ahead 3-0. Jalen went crazy. He couldn’t believe I had predicted it. It was funny. It got a little edgy in the top of the nineth. Our closer, gave up a home run of his own but good thing there was no one on base. I think he gave up one more hit but no one else scored and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles, 3-1. It was a great day.
This game was a sellout. It was packed as is normal across baseball. Even the bad teams sellout the opening day game. However, for the Boston Red Sox and the fans, it means something a little different. It is the 794th consecutive game at Fenway Park that was sold out. Every game since May 15th, 2003, was sold out. Rain or shine, day or night, playing good teams or bad teams, the fans came out to cheer on their beloved Boston Red Sox. Unfortunately, following the worst season since 1965, where the Red sox won 69 games and lost 93 games, the fans weren’t happy and they would show it. We had a nice run. We had a very nice run but as the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end”
The previous home sellout record was by the Cleveland Indians in the late 90’s into I believe 2001, where they sold out 455 games. Not only is the 794 a baseball record, but it is a north American pro sports record as the previous record was held by the basketball team, the Portland trailblazers. Which, I would argue is a lot easier to sellout since they don’t have to deal with the weather ellaments and they only have 41 home games compared to the 81 home games a year baseball play.
My next game isn’t till May
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