I can confidently say that Saturday, June 18th was one of the greatest days of my life. Having been a diehard Red Sox fan for 16 years (and counting… obviously), I’ve experienced many notable accomplishments, failures, overpays, low balls, and everything else that goes on in a professional baseball club like the Boston Red Sox. I’ve witnessed countless playoff victories, heartbreaking losses, and devastating trades as a fan, albeit almost all of them from the comfort of my own home. And while watching pivotal games, events, and everything else that shapes the Red Sox, at home, in front of a TV, surrounded by friends and family is fun, there is nothing more exciting than experiencing a ballgame at Fenway Park.
Saturday’s game really brought out the best of the Fenway experience, starting from the second I stepped foot in America’s most beloved ballpark. We -my direct family, along with cousins, aunts, and uncles from both sides of the family- arrived in Boston at around 3:45 PM, over three hours before game time. Before we even made it inside of the ballpark, the streets were filled with Red Sox fans, three hours before the first pitch. Where else can you find that?? (Certainly not St. Petersburg) Before we even made it to Fenway, the atmosphere felt entirely Red Sox…y. That’s just one of the many experiences that I cherish about Saturday’s game, and Red Sox nation in general.
After about an hour or so since we had arrived in Boston, me and my family made our way to the “Ford Clubhouse”, where we were greeted by a special Red Sox tour guide, whose name I can’t quite remember. It was either John, or James. Regardless, he was great. We made our way into the ballpark via a “special” entrance, and our guide escorted us onto the field, where we all watched batting practice for a while. Even though I met a few players and executives at BP, I think the highlight of those 30ish minutes was my mom calling Tanner Houck “cute” in front of Houck’s wife (true story). After snapping photos with Jarren Durran, Tanner Houck, and even Ken Rosenthal, my group and I made our way to the next stop in our tour… the Green Monster!
We made our way up to the “monstah” at a pretty convenient time; Albert Pujols was taking BP. I mean, isn’t that just the perfect place to catch a Pujols home run!? That’s exactly what happened. Pujols sent a rocket up to the Green Monster, which my cousin William snagged. I don’t know if you could even call it luck… the ball was literally just sitting near the aisle, left practically unattended until William picked it up. But how ‘bout that! If there was ever the perfect time to snag a Pujols homerun, now is the time.
After enjoying the Green Monster for 20 minutes give or take, it was time to make our way up to our seats. And these weren’t just any seats, it was the press box suite! P.S., if you ever want to sit in a suite at Fenway, but don’t know which of the various choices to choose from, you can’t go wrong with the Press Box. Sure, it’s a little small, but the experience definitely makes up for it. Our suite was right next to the Cardinal’s radio broadcast booth! (One of the broadcasters even waved to us) I ate two sausages (YUM!), a crap ton of pretzel bites, and a fair share of popcorn. All of which was excellent, and all of which was already in the suite!
The game started at around 7:15; Rookie Kutter Crawford on the mound for the Sox. It didn’t take long for the Cardinals to do what they do best… hit. By the 7th or 8th inning, the ballgame was practically over. That being said, the Sox did do a little bit of hitting towards the middle innings, which I think may have been sparked by one former World Series champion: Keith Foulke. Yes, we sat with Keith Foulke for an hour. He’s a great guy, and I even had the opportunity to interview him. One of the things from the interview that really stuck with me was Foulke’s relationship with the Red Sox organization.
“The Red Sox presents former players like myself lots of opportunities to come see you guys, and we have a lot of appearances, and we get to go out and meet a lot of charities and hospitals, and kids, and the full spectrum of fans, and so its like, yes we were on the field, but the Red Sox being the Red Sox, and New England having such a huge fascination with the Red Sox, it's kind of one hand watches the other”.
This quote really speaks to the tight knit relationship that Red Sox nation has with current and former Red Sox players. And it makes so much sense; take 04’ for example, which is one of many highlights that both the Red Sox players and fans cherish, including Keith Foulke:
“It’s almost immeasurable, it was the greatest moment of my life, and like all the other things we just talked about, it’s incredible”. Perhaps my favorite moment from this interview was something that my uncle said in response to this quote, that 04’ was not only the greatest moment from Foulke’s life, but also his life. That’s what makes the Red Sox organization so special -the shared experiences between both players and fans-, and that’s one of the many reasons why the Red Sox organization and Red Sox nation are one big family.
Even though the night ended in a 11 to 2 defeat for the Red Sox, the Fenway Park experience overshadowed anything that happened in the game. I can’t even pick a favorite moment from Saturday; there were so many incredible moments! Thank you to the Red Sox organization, Red Sox nation, and most important, my uncle Bob for creating such an unforgettable night.
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