Updated: Who Am I #26

I’m here with my dad Andy

And my cousin Wally Mark.

Tony was my catcher

Right here in .

I’m from a line of players

That continues to this day.

Just tell us there’s a ballgame

And we’ll all come out to play.

Who Am I?

Remembering Fenway

A book titled Remembering Fenway Park was published this spring, and for fans of the Old Town Team it is a must buy.

Unlike earlier histories of the Boston Red Sox (of which there are many), this book is equally devoted to the team and the “lyric little ballpark” it has called home for almost 100 seasons. And this history is told through the personal experiences of fans, writers, players and baseball executives.

Most of us who were fortunate to spend a portion of our youth at the ballpark have rich and unique memories that we will carry forever. A memory of mine, that I am now willing to share, is of the time I was caught, not breaking in, but rather breaking out of Fenway.

I was with Bobby and probably Steven, two friends that I had played baseball with for years. It was August 23, 1974 and the Red Sox were flying high, in first place in the American League’s Eastern Division. They were facing the defending World Champion Oakland Athletics in what was sure to be a precursor of the coming playoff series.

Luis Tiant was scheduled to start against Vida Blue, a hard-throwing lefty for the Athletics. This was a must-see game, but by the time we arrived at Fenway, there were no tickets to be had.

In those days, the games were televised by TV38, which parked its production truck in a far corner of the player’s parking lot adjacent to the stadium. It was dark and one of us noticed that the TV truck would screen us from park security should we want to climb the eight-foot-tall, chain-link fence with barbed wire on the top.

Urgency replacing common sense, we were soon up and over and in the player’s lot. We crouched behind player's cars as we shuffled our way towards a doorway that we were certain would lead us to the promised land, and passing through the doorway, we found ourselves alone.

We went forward and I believe up a few stairs before coming to a hallway. To our right, we presumed, was the Red Sox clubhouse. To our left, were stairs that went only where God or Tom Yawkey
knew. A decision had to be made. And we blinked.

Being at heart, good kids from the country, we chickened out and figured our safest option was to go back outside and retreat over the
fence. We had started to do so, when we were stopped by a kindly security guard, who let us out. The game having started, we roamed to the front of the park where we saw benevolent Boston Police officers offering easy entrance for only $2. We gladly paid, and soon found ourselves, with literally thousands of others, sitting in the aisles with barely enough room for anyone to get up and down the stairs. It was wonderful.

Tiant won 3-0 and the game was the high water mark of the season for the Sox, as they lost 24 of their final 38 games to finish third in the division. Yet for me, with the statute of limitations expired, the night provides a great memory.

This week in Holliston Patch, I will touch on various aspects of baseball and their relationship to our town. In the meantime, I would love to know your favorite Fenway memory, which you can post in our “What Do You Have to Say” box.