Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Some Nice '81 Fenway Shots/This Rabbit's Gone To Heaven
This dude, "zen2bop," has some great old Boston pictures up, including ones from a game at Fenway in 1981. I used this for the last kwiz--the game was an exhibition between the Red Sox and Expos, days before the season resumed after the strike. It took place on Friday night, August 7th, 1981, the first of a home-and-home series with Montreal. Here's the linescore, from the Deseret News:
The Red Sox pulled away late for a 13-3 win, with Joe Rudi and Jim Rice homering, and Bill Lee starting and taking the loss for the Expos.
There had been a bunch of other games played right before the season started up again: That same night, the Reds played the Angels in Anaheim, the Pirates went to Cleveland, and the Blue Jays and Mets played before 4,000 people at Shea. At the Philly-Baltimore game, 15,000 fans paid to get in, while another 8,000 season ticket holders were allowed into Memorial Stadium for free. There was also a an all-Chicago matchup, an all-Missouri game and an all-Texas game, as well as the Atlanta Braves taking on the team that played in their old city, the Milwaukee Brewers. I like how they took the opportunity to play interleague games. That's what interleague play should be: a wacky exhibition.
One guy wanted no part of it, though--the Mets offered a home-and-home series with the Yanks, but, as Mike Lupica told us in a great, scathing article, Steinbrenner wanted no part of it. He'd rather cheat the fans of New York out of a fun little series, because he wouldn't want to "help" the Mets in any way. So Yankee fans got to see their Bradenton farm team come to The Bronx...and beat the Yanks, 2-0. 10,000 people showed up. (Admission was free.)
******
John Updike has died. Chan desperately tried to get me into the Rabbit books--maybe someday, Chan. But of course I am familiar with this piece he wrote about Ted Williams and Fenway Park, which is where "lyric little bandbox" and "Gods do not answer letters" come from. Please read it if you get the chance. I got to see Updike speak at the 92nd Street Y once....
The Red Sox pulled away late for a 13-3 win, with Joe Rudi and Jim Rice homering, and Bill Lee starting and taking the loss for the Expos.
There had been a bunch of other games played right before the season started up again: That same night, the Reds played the Angels in Anaheim, the Pirates went to Cleveland, and the Blue Jays and Mets played before 4,000 people at Shea. At the Philly-Baltimore game, 15,000 fans paid to get in, while another 8,000 season ticket holders were allowed into Memorial Stadium for free. There was also a an all-Chicago matchup, an all-Missouri game and an all-Texas game, as well as the Atlanta Braves taking on the team that played in their old city, the Milwaukee Brewers. I like how they took the opportunity to play interleague games. That's what interleague play should be: a wacky exhibition.
One guy wanted no part of it, though--the Mets offered a home-and-home series with the Yanks, but, as Mike Lupica told us in a great, scathing article, Steinbrenner wanted no part of it. He'd rather cheat the fans of New York out of a fun little series, because he wouldn't want to "help" the Mets in any way. So Yankee fans got to see their Bradenton farm team come to The Bronx...and beat the Yanks, 2-0. 10,000 people showed up. (Admission was free.)
******
John Updike has died. Chan desperately tried to get me into the Rabbit books--maybe someday, Chan. But of course I am familiar with this piece he wrote about Ted Williams and Fenway Park, which is where "lyric little bandbox" and "Gods do not answer letters" come from. Please read it if you get the chance. I got to see Updike speak at the 92nd Street Y once....
Comments:
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He wrote a funny little poem about neutrinos that is obligatory for any book that discusses them as well. A weird thing to know him for, but memorable anyway.
It's always about neutrinos with you...
So I told Chan about my post, and he says, "When did you see Updike at the 92 St Y?" And I said, "With you!" And he said, "I thought I went by myself."
So I told Chan about my post, and he says, "When did you see Updike at the 92 St Y?" And I said, "With you!" And he said, "I thought I went by myself."
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