RED SOX

RED SOX

I love sports. In fact some have called me a sport nut. In my bachelor days I had season tickets to the Boston Patriots (that is what they called themselves before they moved to Foxboro), and for the Boston Bruins. I also got free tickets to the Boston Celtics. Why you may ask, because my friend’s father was an Executive with the B & M Railroad whose offices were conveniently located next to the Celtics Headquarters at 150 Causeway St.

During the summer when I was real young I attended both the Boston Braves and Boston Red sox baseball games. I attended more Braves games because tickets were easier to get. When the Yankees came to town I went hours early to get tickets to Fenway Park. I thrilled at seeing the 2 best players in baseball. Imagine Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio being in the same ballpark at the same time..unbelievable.

Eventually my allegiance shifted from the Braves to the Boston Red Sox. Let me explain why. My downstairs neighbor Frank Odenweller was a dyed in the wool true Red Sox fan. Unfortunately he had a plumbing business to run so he couldn’t attend as many games as he liked.

When Night baseball was introduced to Fenway Park in 1947, this all changed. His daughter Gerry would get him season tickets for all the night games as a gift every Christmas. Only she didn’t buy one ticket she bought two. Her reasoning being that he could invite a customer along as a perk to his business.

Many times either a customer would beg out or he couldn’t get anyone to go with him. The call came at the last minute. “Interested in a game tonight” Are you kidding, “Of course I am.” Here is the best part. Gerry insisted on driving her father right to the gate and then meeting him after the game at the Howard Johnson hotel on Boylston St. Naturally I was included in the transportation.

What a lineup. Johnny Pesky at short ,Dom DiMaggio in center ,Bobby Doerr at second ,Rudy York at first and the great Ted Williams in left. I was hooked a Red Sox fan for life.