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Red Sox Forever
Ron Coderre and his son Chris, standing at the famous “red seat” commemorating the spot at Fenway Park where Ted Williams’ 502-foot home run landed.
By Ron P. Coderre
Everything baseball in New England this year is all about Fenway Park. Like the proverbial cat, Fenway Park seems to have nine lives, having survived a variety of possible venture to tear “the old gal” down in favor of a newer model. On her 100th birthday, she is the star of baseball in 2012.
Built in 1912, Fenway Park, it seems, is celebrating its 100th birthday every day. The ownership insists on having a special event, commemorating great feats and not so great feats that have taken place in the century-old edifice. They do, however, deserve kudos for the program they put together on Opening Day prior to the game against the New York Yankees, nee New York Highlanders.
One of the promotional gigs conjured up by the ownership was the sale of commemorative bricks at the “fire sale” price of $250 per. Thanks to the generosity of my lovely bride and all my sons, there is a brick (in the David Ortiz section if you care to go look for it) that reads, “Ronald P. Coderre – Fan Since 1946 – Love Your Family.”
On a drizzly April 22, we entered through Gate B, climbing over grown men lying on wet bricks and having their photos taken surrounding their particular brick, “the brick” was located. Following a walk inside Fenway to the “Red Seat,” Ted Williams shrine 502 feet from home plate, memories of former greats and not so greats who graced the sacred Fenway turf rushed through my mind faster than the speed of the A-10 jets that performed the flyover on Opening Day.
Growing up as a kid in Putnam’s North End, familiarly referred to as Rhodesville, there was always a game on the Smith Street School playground. Kids were everywhere in the neighborhood, living in apartments close to the mills where most of their parents worked. Most of us were Red Sox fans. There were a few rebel Yankee fans. And because Boston also had a second team, the Braves, there were some who were loyal to those who played at The Wigwam, which is Boston University’s Nickerson field today.
Ted Williams was everyone’s idol and favorite, especially those of us who batted from the left side. The argument, even for those of us under 10 years of age was, The Splendid Splinter versus The Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio. In this corner, Williams was the greatest and more than 65 years later still is.
Looking around Fenway on the drizzly Sunday, thoughts wandered also to Dominic DiMaggio, The Little Professor who patrolled center field with errorless grace, along side of Teddie Ballgame. And of course there was the double play combination of Bobby Doerr and Johnny Pesky, constantly being compared to the Yankee combo of “Scooter” Rizzuto and either Joe Gordon or Gerry Coleman. No doubt in this kid’s mind the BoSox “Keystone Combo” was better.
The Sox had a great leftie in “Marvelous” Mel Parnell, who teamed with the eternal Ellis Kinder, who it was rumored didn’t spit in his post-game libations. And who can forget another noted left-hander Maury “Mickey” McDermott, who is best remembered for his tenor voice in the shower. New Hampshire native “Birdie” Tebbetts, the catcher known around Putnam for playing at Providence College with our own Leo “Skunk” Marion.
In 1950 a young man from Moosup, Walter “Moose” Dropo, caught everyone’s attention with a rookie season like none before. There are still photos in the family album somewhere of Dropo at the Fenway plate, taken with my dad’s then state-of-the-art camera. Boston always seemed to feature big first basemen e.g. Dick Gernert, Norm Zauchin all the way to “Stone Fingers” Dick Stuart and Mo Vaughn.
Down through the seasons there were different combinations or individuals who were ticketed to lead the Bosox to the “Promised Land” of the World Series. One year it was the double play combination of second baseman Ted Lepcio and a high strung shortstop from Waterbury, Jimmy Piersall. There was also the one-two pitching duo of 6-foot, 7-inch Frank Sullivan and Tommy Brewer. Over the years the pitching staff featured such immortals as Dick Brodowski, Ike Delock, Bill Monbouquette and Joe Dobson.
Of course, left field after Williams is best remembered for two players in particular, Carl “Yaz” Yastrzemski and Jim Rice. But do you remember the heir(s) apparent, Faye Throneberry and Gene Stephens?
The personal memories go back to Putnam Little League banquets graced by Johnny Pesky, Bill Lee, John Kennedy (not JFK), Rick Miller (brother-in-law of Carlton Fisk) and Bob Montgomery. Today getting a Red Sox player to speak to Putnam Little Leaguers would be equivalent to returning Ted Williams to life from his state of suspension.
The memories of the good guys include, good friends, Rico Petrocelli, Robbie Woodward, Danny Schaeffer, Steve Lyons, Rollie Sheldon, Gary Waslewski and our own personal favorite Roger LaFrancois.
The Pesky Pole was not only the place Pesky curled them around the “big yellow” foul pole but the same area where Tom Brunansky made his famous sliding catch, where Dwight “Dewey” Evans patrolled the front of the bullpen, but it was also the place where Al “Zeke” Zarilla once starred. Bet that one brought back memories, much as Fisk’s famous four bagger, around what is now known as the “Fisk Pole” on the famous “Green Monster.”
The names, Hall of Famers to little-known performers, have embedded their foot prints and spike marks on the base paths and the perfectly manicured outfield lawn for 100 years. Whether a player stepped inside Fenway Park once or spent a career there, they all made an impact and provided memories.
Memories that we all have. Each with our own special meaning, down our own “Memory Lane.”
Happy 100th birthday, Fenway Park.