Menino's Famous Baseball Bat Cane Was Gift From Wellesley Couple

Photo Credit: WHDH TV Channel 7

For the last year or so, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who passed away from cancer on Thursday, needed the use of a cane to get around. Gary and Lynne Smith, a Welleslely couple, gave Menino that notable baseball bat cane he’d been using, according to WHDH Channel 7.

Reportedly the Smiths got the idea in Detroit, when they saw a man with a similar cane at a playoff game. They had the replica of a Louisville Slugger engraved with his name.

Menino first sported the bat cane nearly a year ago to replace his more traditional cane during a ribbon cutting in Jamaica Plain for a playground. The Boston Globe reported on the new cane, describing its curved maple handle on top and the way the kids at the ribbon cutting swarmed the bat.

According to the Globe, the Smiths were devoted Red Sox fans with a bathroom that was even decorated with a mural of Fenway Park.

Many news outlets, including WCVB, reported that Menino’s wife was seen returning home after her husband’s death carrying his favorite cane.