Game 7 – July 30, 2008

Angels vs. Red Sox
Fenway Park, Boston

Angels 9, Red Sox 2

Home runs: Garrett Anderson, Torii Hunter (Angels), Coco Crisp (Red Sox)

Beer: $7.75

Photos

Day two in Boston began with a city tour. While it was interesting to see the sights, our guide left much to be desired as far as telling us what we were driving past. We did stop on the Northeastern University campus to see where Huntington Avenue Grounds had been. This was where the Red Sox played prior to Fenway, and also the site of the first World Series game between the Sox and the Pirates in 1903. There is a plaque where home plate was, as well as a statue of Cy Young where the pitcher’s mound was located. (My photo of that is of knees. Oops. It was really sunny and, obviously, I couldn’t quite see what I was doing!)

Following that tour, we had time for a quick lunch – pizza from a little stand across the street from the ballpark – before the Fenway Park tour. It was impossible not to compare it to the Yankee Stadium tour, given that it was just the day before. Plus we heard about the Yankees plenty during this tour, since the guide mentioned them 10 or so times throughout the hour – when talking about Babe Ruth, of course, but also in several snide comments. Seems like, even with two World Series victories in the past four years, Boston still has an inferiority complex when it comes to New York! This tour also was different than the Yankee Stadium one, mostly covering a variety of different seating areas throughout the park. It started in the centerfield party area seats – tables of four that are sold for each game and include waitress service. To the direct left of these are so-called premium seats that were added, and which we would be sitting in that night. More on those in a bit. Then it was up to the Pavilion Club, where seats are $160 each. (For one game.) The view is great, right behind home plate on the second level. With those tickets, you also get the chance to go into the bar/restaurant on that level.

Beyond the bar/restaurant is the Red Sox Hall of Fame, which we passed through on our way to the Green Monster. I will resist the temptation (unlike our tour guide) to compare it to anything else I might have seen, oh, 24 hours or so before and just say it was pretty small – a couple of rows of plaques on a wall, other plaques with memorable moments in Sox history (but only the good ones) and then a long wall filled with magazine covers. I had to hurry past some of those, like the ones from 2004 …

Through a doorway and up some steps, we were at the Green Monster (the high left field wall that’s green, in case you don’t know). Seats were added atop it five or so years ago and they are wildly popular. Sitting there for batting practice and a game (there’s a lottery when tickets go on sale to be able to purchase the seats) almost guarantees that you will leave with a ball. And even I have to admit that would be very cool.

The final stop was some grandstand seats down the left field line that have been there forever – very tight, with your knees hitting the row in front of you. It was after 3 p.m. and some of the Angels were meandering out onto the field before doing some exercises with a trainer. Three others came out with a soccer ball and started kicking it around. And that was it for the tour. Apparently, on non-game days, you get to go to the dugout and clubhouse.

So then we had a couple of hours before we could go back in for the game. We decided to eat at the bar/restaurant at Fenway, on the corner of Landsdowne and Brookline right across from Cask & Flagon. It had outdoor seating and we were lucky enough to get a table there. Highly entertaining watching the tons of people walking by, especially as game time got closer. There were several Angels fans amidst the parade of every kind of Red Sox shirt imaginable. And among the Angels fans were two guys carrying brooms, since – with a victory – their team would sweep the series. Somehow I bet they weren’t able to take those into Fenway.

After eating and people-watching, it was time to go back into the ballpark. I walked down around the home plate area, just to check it out. The ushers were very friendly, saying hello and asking if I wanted to come into the section and watch batting practice. I did for a few minutes and saw Mark Texiera in his brand-new Angels uniform. (We’d already watched him play on Saturday, in Philly, as a Brave.) I also noticed a large group of kids next to the Red Sox dugout, hoping for the chance to get autographs. Several of them were over the wall, laying on the rolled-up tarp. I was surprised they were allowed to do that, yet it made a cute scene.

As mentioned, our seats for this game were adjacent to the party area in center field. They were called roof box seats on our tickets, which led me to expect a good view. Not exactly – couldn’t see center field or the scoreboard at all thanks to the wall underneath the party section directly to our right . Oh well. I COULD see Josh Beckett starting his pre-game preparation, though. And I could see him even better through the binoculars! After his stretching was done, he began tossing the ball – make a few throws, step back a few feet and toss a few more. He started maybe pitcher’s-mound distance away from the catcher (honestly, I was so caught up in watching Josh that I don’t know if it was Varitek or not), who was standing at the edge of the warning track in right field. When Josh finally quit backing up, he was standing on the warning track in center field, tossing all the way across the field. Wow.

Even with eight strikeouts, it ended up not being Josh’s night – although he was good until the fourth inning, when the Angels started hitting him well and scored three runs. Coco Crisp homered for the Sox in the fifth to make it 3-2. But then came the highly entertaining top of the sixth. The Angels scored five runs, Josh left the game, the Sox made three errors (one by Josh himself) and I couldn’t help but laugh as a ball dropped in between the shortstop, second baseman, centerfielder and rightfielder in shallow center as they all raced for the ball yet no one caught it. For different reasons than the night before, it was a great game!

It ended up being a monumental game of sorts – the last one on the Sox for Manny Ramirez. He received mixed boos and cheers every at-bat both nights. During a pitching change in the top of the eighth inning, I saw him walk toward the Green Monster and a door open. He went inside, which we learned he does frequently. On the Fenway tour, someone asked what he does in there but the tour guide didn’t really give much of an answer. When the game was ready to resume, out came Manny.

Then it was the middle of the eighth inning, so of course Sweet Caroline time. I will admit it was definitely a highlight of both games. As was seeing the Angels win – hmmm, maybe I’m a curse to the Red Sox when I’m at their stadium. That would be a shame …

However, I will say this about Fenway and Red Sox fans: despite my huge bias, I liked Fenway and enjoyed to a degree seeing the Red Sox fans. Their devotion to the team is definitely genuine. So I can appreciate the whole Sox experience, even if my hatred for the team didn’t change. Because they still beat the Cardinals in 2004.