Last Night's Closer - The Man in Blue

[YAZMAN]

I went to Fenway last night with family. Great game, great company, great seats, and it was the best game ever. My brother's father-in-law got the tickets in a silent auction at a benefit fundraiser my sister held for Habitat for Humanity. God bless the donor of those seats. We had six tickets, 4 excellent left field grandstand seats and two field box, first row on the home plate side of the third base line.

 

The plan was for my brother and his son, my Godson, to sit in the field box for the first three innings. His brother-in-law and nephew were taking the box for the middle three, and his father-in-law and I were taking the last three innings.

 

For those of you who watched, it was an excellent game. My brother gets to the seats and immediately phones us. The seats were so good he practically had to ask the batboy to slide over so he could see. After three, my brother comes back with my nephew grinning ear to ear. Of course I razzed him about returning without a game ball.

 

Six go by, and it's my turn to sit in the seats you dream your whole life about. Big Frank looks at me, and says "let's go". I looked at my nephew, and my instincts took over. So I said to Frankie, "kid, take Poppi down and show him where the seats are." He looked at me funny, like he couldn't believe his ears, and I told him he needed to go with his Poppi because he should be sitting with his grandson down there. I also told him "this time don't come back unless it's with a baseball", gave him a wink, and sent them off. What's right is right, and Big Frank sprung for the tickets.

 

So he's down there loving life when Bard comes in and Boesch wraps that laser beam around the pole. I look at my brother and said "here we go, watch this double dinger." I said I know I shouldn't say things like that, but you know my baseball insticts and I know Miggy's bat. So after four pitches, the score is now tied. I had a good feeling after Bard settled down and retired the next three.

 

After an uneventful bottom, I hear the Dropkick cranking. I'm Shipping Up To Boston, baby, and here comes Paps. In perfect form with his legendary flair for the theatrical, he loads the bases before putting down the Tigers and bringing the Sox in to hit. Now a great night for the kid starts to get better. The Sox load the bases. Then they blow the walkoff and a phenomenal at bat by Lowrie on a bad read. It was a perfect strike to home with Dirks coming up throwing for the most unlikely fielder's choice I've seen at a MLB game. I turned to my brother and said "this game ends right here." Crawford delivered.

 

After all this action, in the best seats you could hope for, my nephew is watching the walkoff celebration from literally feet away. The kid turned 11 last week and I don't think he'll ever forget this birthday. I can see him and his entire face was just one big grin. It can't get any better than this.

 

Well, I guess it could. I'm watching my nephew and here comes the plate ump leaving the field. He looks at Frankie in all his Sox gear celebrating, reaches into his ballbag, and tosses him a gameball on his way through the gate. I couldn't have scripted it any better.

 

We leave our seats to meet up and get to the car. We hung out for a few minutes just to take it all in. So I told the kid he was smart to take my advice about getting the ball, and asked him why it took six innings to get it. He smiled, got really quiet, and then started talking softly to my brother. My brother is shaking his head and saying "no way, you're crazy". But Frankie looks at him, looks at me, and says "I'm doing it".

 

Now this is what blows me away just thinking about it. He takes two steps towards me, reaches into the glove, and says "Uncle Mark, I want you to have this. I know you don't have a ball from Fenway, and it was your seat, so it's your ball." I'm floored, but I managed to ask "kid, why did I send you down to the field seat?"

 

He looks at me and answers, "because you love me, Uncle Mark." Now I have to work quick because I don't want to lose it in front of the kid and I managed to tell him that of course I did, and don't ever forget that, but I sent him down there to come back with a ball so mission accomplished. I told him to put the ball in his glove, and put it in a safe place when he got home where his little brother won't find it and color on it or throw it through a window or the TV.

 

So, to make a long story short, great game, great company, great seats. And the call of the game, possibly the greatest call of his career, was made by the Man in Blue - home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom. He put more than an exclamation mark on the greatest experience I've ever had on a ballfield, including 27 years as a player. At the end of the game last night, in a game so full of magic baseball moments, he took the ball. And he closed the game in perfect fashion.

 

Thanks, Gary. I'll never forget it. More importantly, neither will the kid.

[a700hitter]

I went to Fenway last night with family. Great game, great company, great seats, and it was the best game ever. My brother's father-in-law got the tickets in a silent auction at a benefit fundraiser my sister held for Habitat for Humanity. God bless the donor of those seats. We had six tickets, 4 excellent left field grandstand seats and two field box, first row on the home plate side of the third base line.

 

The plan was for my brother and his son, my Godson, to sit in the field box for the first three innings. His brother-in-law and nephew were taking the box for the middle three, and his father-in-law and I were taking the last three innings.

 

For those of you who watched, it was an excellent game. My brother gets to the seats and immediately phones us. The seats were so good he practically had to ask the batboy to slide over so he could see. After three, my brother comes back with my nephew grinning ear to ear. Of course I razzed him about returning without a game ball.

 

Six go by, and it's my turn to sit in the seats you dream your whole life about. Big Frank looks at me, and says "let's go". I looked at my nephew, and my instincts took over. So I said to Frankie, "kid, take Poppi down and show him where the seats are." He looked at me funny, like he couldn't believe his ears, and I told him he needed to go with his Poppi because he should be sitting with his grandson down there. I also told him "this time don't come back unless it's with a baseball", gave him a wink, and sent them off. What's right is right, and Big Frank sprung for the tickets.

 

So he's down there loving life when Bard comes in and Boesch wraps that laser beam around the pole. I look at my brother and said "here we go, watch this double dinger." I said I know I shouldn't say things like that, but you know my baseball insticts and I know Miggy's bat. So after four pitches, the score is now tied. I had a good feeling after Bard settled down and retired the next three.

 

After an uneventful bottom, I hear the Dropkick cranking. I'm Shipping Up To Boston, baby, and here comes Paps. In perfect form with his legendary flair for the theatrical, he loads the bases before putting down the Tigers and bringing the Sox in to hit. Now a great night for the kid starts to get better. The Sox load the bases. Then they blow the walkoff and a phenomenal at bat by Lowrie on a bad read. It was a perfect strike to home with Dirks coming up throwing for the most unlikely fielder's choice I've seen at a MLB game. I turned to my brother and said "this game ends right here." Crawford delivered.

 

After all this action, in the best seats you could hope for, my nephew is watching the walkoff celebration from literally feet away. The kid turned 11 last week and I don't think he'll ever forget this birthday. I can see him and his entire face was just one big grin. It can't get any better than this.

 

Well, I guess it could. I'm watching my nephew and here comes the plate ump leaving the field. He looks at my him in all his Sox gear celebrating, reaches into his ballbag, and tosses him a gameball on the way through the gate. I couldn't have scripted it any better.

 

We leave our seats to meet up and get to the car. We hung out for a few minutes just to take it all in. So I told the kid he was smart to take my advice about getting the ball, and asked him why it took six innings to get it. He smiled, got really quiet, and then started talking softly to my brother. My brother is shaking his head and saying "no way, you're crazy". But Frankie looks at him, looks at me, and says "I'm doing it".

 

Now this is what blows me away just thinking about it. He takes two steps towards me, reaches into the glove, and says "Uncle Mark, I want you to have this. I know you don't have a ball from Fenway, and it was your seat, so it's your ball." I'm floored, but I managed to ask "kid, why did I send you down to the field seat?"

 

He looks at me and answers, "because you love me, Uncle Mark." Now I have to work quick because I don't want to lose it in front of the kid and I managed to tell him that of course I did, and don't ever forget that, but I sent him down there to come back with a ball so mission accomplished. I told him to put the ball in his glove, and put it in a safe place when he got home where his little brother won't find it and color on it or throw it through a window or the TV.

 

So, to make a long story short, great game, great company, great seats. And the call of the game, possibly the greatest call of his career, was made by the Man in Blue - home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom. He put more than an exclamation mark on the greatest experience I've ever had on a ballfield, including 27 years as a player. At the end of the game last night, in a game so full of magic baseball moments, he took the ball. And he closed the game in perfect fashion.

 

Thanks, Gary. I'll never forget it. More importantly, neither will the kid.

For Chrissakes, you had to take an exciting game and turn it into an Oprah moment.

 

Just kidding. Great game. Great story.

[Palodios]

Glad you had a good time. My first timer had a last second obligation, so I ended up taking an old friend. When Drew came up to bat, I had a feeling, and I simply said "Drew is going to hit a home run here" (for anyone who knows how I feel about Drew, I'd never say that) and just like that, he puts one right in front of us. We were also right in the mess where the Tufts kids fired off a hundred beachballs--I was actually surprised they didn't stop the game, because there were so many I figured atleast a few would end up in the field.

 

Good times at Fenway!

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Glad you had fun Yaz.

[boston22407]

Nice to hear you had a good time

[VA Sox Fan]

Damn YAZ I got all teary-eyed reading that. Completely awesome and thank you for sharing your experience. Love ya bro! :thumbsup:

[a700hitter]

Damn YAZ I got all teary-eyed reading that. Completely awesome and thank you for sharing your experience. Love ya bro! :thumbsup:

Just curious ... do you like Oprah.

[VA Sox Fan]

Just curious ... do you like Oprah.

 

Actually NO!!

 

Happy for her success and all, just not into her show.

[a700hitter]

Actually NO!!

 

Happy for her success and all, just not into her show.

Did you cry watching Field of Dreams?

[Flynnatic10]

Awesome story! Looks like you had fun!

[boston22407]

How much does the kid want for the ball lol?

[Cocos Disciples]

Great story Yaz.

[VA Sox Fan]

Did you cry watching Field of Dreams?

 

Definitely! Everytime I see it.

[a700hitter]

Definitely! Everytime I see it.

Me too.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Real men cry :thumbsup:

[Taz]

That was some story. Great read!

[Taliesin]

Was riding around The Fens in my Huffy smoking butts...and some guy came up and kicked me in the shins...and I was like 'WOAH" what are you doing? Then, my dad yelled at me...he said..'HEY...GET OVER HERE!" Then I just took off and there was that guy who was a midget who was always angry and I didn't know why, but we went by 7-11 that time and that was cool. Then he started throwing rocks, but we never knew why he was throwing rocks. But then that chick was all jumping up and down and waving and stuff so we hid behind the dumpster. And we were all woo hoo.

 

Hey Yaz.

[Taliesin]

What I wouldn't give for one last bump.

[YAZMAN]

Talie, I have to admit, while walking along Lansdowne past the House of Blues I heard some VH and started reminiscing. I reached into my pocket to get the lighter I stole from my mom, lit a cool, refreshing Mustang Menthol, and randomly punched this dude in the throat who looked at me funny after I waylaid his little kid with a spinning drop kick.

 

My Huffy was fast that night!

 

WOOOOOO!!! WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!