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Finally; extended spring training ends and the real regular season begins.

By means of introduction: I was born in Franklin, Mass., 9 miles north of Providence, RI and about 20 miles SW of Fenway. My first game at Fenway was about 1963, back when the bleachers were 50 cents and were actual long wooden benches with numbers stenciled every 16 inches. The Red Sox were NOT a good team then and when I yelled at Frank Howard in right field (Washington Senators for you children) he actually heard me because the ball park was almost empty, for which I was rewarded liberally by my father and uncle. I remember the Impossible Dream, when they might have won the World Series if Bernie Carbo and his manager could have gotten along, and then Lonborg decided to go skiing. I remember when Rico Petrocelli fell down rounding 3rd base and the Detroit Tigers beat them for the pennant by a 1/2 game. I remember 1975 and Bucky F**king Dent. I remember 1986, when Bill Buckner let the ball go through his legs (but he didn’t deserve the $shitstorm that followed, maybe someone should have hit a ball or two). I remember all the great-hit no-pitch teams. I remember all the close calls. I have my program from that 1963 game still, with a 6th grade New England kid’s hopeless attempt to spell “Yazstremski” in it.

A true Red Sox fan, when the last ball got hit back to the pitcher at the end of the World Series, I jumped up not to cheer but to yell “DON’T BLOW THIS” as in my mind’s eye I saw the throw to first go over the 1st baseman’s head into the dugout or the stands. But no ... no, 2004 really happened, my 82-year-old father didn’t think he was going to see the day, but he did.

My last games in Fenway was the weekend Schilling came back from his injury and gave up a 2-run home run in relief to the MFY to A-Rod to lose 8-6, and the next game when David Wells beat some AAA victim the Yankees sent out there 17-2, as Trot Nixon hit an inside-the-park HR and Ortiz hit a Grand Slam, the only time the Red Sox have ever done both in the same game in Fenway. My last Red Sox game was at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago (the area I live in now) during the 1995 playoffs, when I almost got assaulted by a drunken White Sox fan after I dared to stand up and cheer when the Red Sox were rallying (and failing, unfortunately). I should add, though, that two other White Sox fans came up to me and apologized later.

Let the games begin! A-Rod slaps balls!