This year winter in New England has been just short of unbearable. Here in Western Mass, somewhere between Stockbridge and Boston, there is still snow in the woods and ice covering some ponds. As I write I can see piles of snow where my hockey rink stood this winter. At One O'clock this afternoon the World Champion Boston Red Sox will take the field for the first time since last October and usher in Spring with a pop of the mitt and a crack of the bat.
The Red Sox left their spring training home in Fort Myers Florida 19 days ago in a roundabout way back to Boston and their home, Fenway Park. They flew to Japan for two exhibition games against Japanese league teams and two real games against the Oakland A's. These games were like having a dream about being on a tropical island with a gorgeous woman for two days and then waking up cold in Siberia next to a polar bear in the dead of winter. The Sox then flew to L.A. for two meaningless exhibition games against the Dodgers to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers moving to New York. They then flew to Oakland to finish out their four game series which started in Asia. Next it was on to Toronto, Canada for a three game series against the Blue Jays. From Toronto they were finally homeward bound to Boston. Two continents, three countries, multiple time zones, 11 games and 20,000 frequent flyer miles later the Red Sox will bring Spring back to us New Englander's. That is what the rest of the country doesn't get about New England's passion for the Red Sox. The Sox rescue us from the cold,dark and despair of winter. They are with us practically every day from April to October, always in the background while we are doing yard work, at the beach, attending wedding receptions or cooking in the backyard. We associate them with all of the things that are good about summer in New England. Radio, TV or Internet they are there for us, everyday, faithfully. Win or lose the sound of the Sox on the radio is as calming as listening to the waves crashing on the shore in Wellfleet or the sound of a mothers heartbeat.
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This year the green of the grass and the home whites will be accompanied by another vivid color...gold, the color of the Red Sox World Series rings. If you are reading this you made it through the winter safe and sound. Now its time to start living again.
6 comments:
The rewarding of the rings will make the disappointment of the Super Bowl fade, for sure. Go Sox!
Baseball comes home.
In spite of the start, it's still a good time to be a Boston fan. While I would have liked to see the Pats seal the deal, I'll take 18-1. As hard as it was to witness that Super Bowl, we saw something special this past football season. We're witnessing something special on the hardwood.
It would be nice to see the Sox get it back together and pick-up where the Celtics leave off.
It is so true how you hear the games on everyones radios. My neighbor is half deaf and he takes out his hearing aide and you can hear the games around the whole neighborhood!
Very cool!
I are visiting New York in June and have tickets to see one of the last season's games in Yankee Stadium. I have no connection to the Yankees, but thought it would be cool to see the place before it's history!
Billy Buck throwing out the first pitch was perfect!
Sully,
The Rangers had their opening day Tuesday. Of course they got their asses handed to them. What was it....8 to 2, or 3, something like that. Traffic was unbearable, they are building Jerry Jones new Billion Dollar fantasy ranch about 2.5 blocks from the ball-park and you damn near have to have Jesus on speed dial to get through there. On top of that 6 Flags and a major water park is about 1.5 miles away. The damn game did not really get started unti about an hour away from rush hour, so my commute home was terrible. But I love me some baseball, so F--k It.
Good Post.
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