Sunday, November 08, 2020
A Kid at the Red Sox Game
I have sometimes indicated that proximity has a lot to do with one's favourite sports' choices. There are many Toronto Maple Leaf fans in the Quinte area. But there are also several Hab fans, and some holdover Black Hawk fans from the days of Bobby Hull.
Most Maritime baseball fans support the Boston Red Sox. Their hearts swell when they hear Neil Diamond belting out “Sweet Caroline”. New Brunswickers are particularly steadfast Boston fans: Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, and Sox. Most of their radio and television transmissions are from Boston, promoting their teams.
When the Expos and the Blue Jays entered the baseball fray, Canadians from coast to coast gradually began to support those teams. Naturally, fans on the left coast continue to support the Mariners, or the other West Coast American teams.
Let's roll back the clock to 1957. Michael Hatfield had not reached his ninnth birthday. As a native New Brunswicker, he was a devoted Red Sox fan. He comes from the town of Hartland, NB, home of the Hartland Bridge. The bridge is reknown as the longest covered bridge in the world. He followed the game carefully, and collected baseball cards. He was thrilled when he dad told him that they would be going to a Red Sox game, his first at Fenway Park.
It was the last game of the season, yet another disappointing one for the Red Sox and their fans. They were staying at the fabulous Parker House Hotel in the heart of Boston. The Sox were playing the Yankees that day, a meaningless game for the Bronx Bombers. They were gearing up for a World Series date with the Milwaukee Braves, and would simply go “through the motions” that day. It was a Sunday, September 29th, and the Yankees lost to the Red Sox 3-2. A worthy note: Ted Williams went two for two, and ended the season with a .388 batting average. He was 39 years of age.
As it happened, the Yankees were also staying at the same hotel. Michael slipped away from his father, and wndered the hotel, as kids do. He noticed a group of reporters huddled in the lobby. When he approached the throng, he discovered that they were interviewing the Yankee Manager, Casey Stengel. The conversation centered around potential pitching assignments for the World Series.
I recently chatted with Michael about his experience. “Casey had probably announced earlier that (Whitey) Ford would start the first game. Reporters then asked him who would start game two. When he said (Bobby) Shantz, I asked him why he was going to start Shantz.”
It was at that point that his Dad discovered his whereabouts. Reflecting on the situation today, Michael believes that his Dad was most surprised at his behaviour. Most of the time, Michael was shy, and reserved. Trust Casey Stengel, the “Old Professor” to bring out the best in a Red Sox fan!
The 1957 World Series MVP was Milwaukee pitcher Lou Burdette. He won three games for the Braves, blanking the Yankees 5-0 in the 7th game. Warren Spahn won the other game for the Braves. Whitey Ford, Don Larsen, and Bob Turley won Yankee games.
That was also the year of the “incident” at the Copacabana, in New York. Whitey Ford's drinking buddy, Billy Martin, was involved that evening. Casey traded him the next day. Yet another tale worth telling, some other time, involving the “Bronx Bombers”.
James Hurst
August 30, 2020
