Happy birthday, Captain Carl!

[Spitball]

Carl Yastrzemski turns 73 today.

[cbbosox]

Carl Yastrzemski turns 73 today.

 

 

Wow- i feel old

[kapsis21]

I have a B&W photo of Carl and Ted. I have to post it here. will do that today once i get home.

[jung]

I don't care what people say about ball players being different, the differences don't amount to better baseball than we had in past baseball eras. We see somewhat more athletic baseball but much like pro basketball is more athletic, it is not necessarily a better brand of play nor is it more interesting. I would trade the modern day pampered idiot and his more athletic game for the players and the way the players played the game in a minute.

[a700hitter]

Carl Yastrzemski turns 73 today.

I made a mental note to add this thread today, but I got busy and you beat me to it. Happy Birthday,Yaz!!! If any of Boston's fine sportswriters or media members are lurking here, or if members of the Front Office stop by to read our kind words, it's about time that a statue honoring Yaz is placed at Fenway Park. It was on his shoulders that excitement returned to Boston baseball. It was the generations of fans that watched him play for 23 years that gave birth to the modern day Red Sox Nation. He played over 3300 games in a Red Sox uniform. No one will come within a thousand games of that record. He is Mr. Red Sox. He should be honored with a statue.

[Behindenemylines]

Yaz is the reason I became a Sox fan. He still is the best I have seen at playing the Monster. He had it down to a science. Happy b-day Yaz!

[Spitball]

I made a mental note to add this thread today, but I got busy and you beat me to it. Happy Birthday,Yaz!!! If any of Boston's fine sportswriters or media members are lurking here, or if members of the Front Office stop by to read our kind words, it's about time that a statue honoring Yaz is placed at Fenway Park. It was on his shoulders that excitement returned to Boston baseball. It was the generations of fans that watched him play for 23 years that gave birth to the modern day Red Sox Nation. He played over 3300 games in a Red Sox uniform. No one will come within a thousand games of that record. He is Mr. Red Sox. He should be honored with a statue.

 

:clap:

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

I made a mental note to add this thread today, but I got busy and you beat me to it. Happy Birthday,Yaz!!! If any of Boston's fine sportswriters or media members are lurking here, or if members of the Front Office stop by to read our kind words, it's about time that a statue honoring Yaz is placed at Fenway Park. It was on his shoulders that excitement returned to Boston baseball. It was the generations of fans that watched him play for 23 years that gave birth to the modern day Red Sox Nation. He played over 3300 games in a Red Sox uniform. No one will come within a thousand games of that record. He is Mr. Red Sox. He should be honored with a statue.

 

Ted Williams? Even with the time off due to war, he played a significant amount of games with the Red Sox right?

[Behindenemylines]

I second the motion on the statue honoring Yaz. Good call Spitball. When you think of the storied history of the Red Sox the first two names that come to mind are Williams and Yaz.

[a700hitter]

Ted Williams? Even with the time off due to war, he played a significant amount of games with the Red Sox right?

I said that no one "will" come within a thousand games of his mark, meaning in the future. Williams did not come within a thousand games of the mark due to his war service. Had he not missed the time due to war service, he would have fallen short by 4-500 games.

[kapsis21]

I vote for Yaz and Ted both cant fathom one without the other! they both are in my eyes the best of the best that ever wore a Redsox uniform.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

I said that no one "will" come within a thousand games of his mark, meaning in the future. Williams did not come within a thousand games of the mark due to his war service. Had he not missed the time due to war service, he would have fallen short by 4-500 games.

 

Oh ok my bad I misread that. Man some of you guys are really lucky to be able to see these guys play.

[a700hitter]

Oh ok my bad I misread that. Man some of you guys are really lucky to be able to see these guys play.

Yes, that's true. These guys were long standing stars who were so closely identified with their teams. It was very strange for the Yankees to play the Sox without Mantle or the Tigers without Kaline. The Red Sox without Yaz was very weird. When you saw those guys play you knew you were seeing all time greats even though they were still playing. I'd pick games on the schedule (at Yankee Stadium and shea Stadium) just to see certain guys like Mays, Aaron Clemente, McCovey,Bench, Mantle, Kaline, Killebrew, Oliva, Dick Allen, Reggie, Brooks and Frnk Robinson and on and on. The tickets were affordable and you could buy them on game day and get good seats. Those guys played damn near everyday. They didn't sit out with some soreness. When you bought a ticket to see one of those guys, they were in the lineup. Other than the NBC game of the week, you didn't get to see a lot of the visiting stars on TV, so if you went to a game to see them it would be very disappointing if they did not play. I don't like that today's stars don't feel enough obligation to the ticket buying fans and they sit out for minor aches and pains. That will never sit well with me. Sixty percent of David Ortiz is a bigger offensive threat than 100% of Daniel Nava. People come to the stadium to see David Ortiz. Daniel Nava couldn't fill a phone boot with fans. People who never went to a lot of games do not take the resting of players that seriously, because it doesn't take any money or effort to watch a game on TV. When you go to a game you are investing time, making a commitment. You are there to see the best players on either team. It's disappointing when they don't play.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Yeah my dad always tells me how much different it is now, I believe his favorite player was Jim Rice. Those players back in the days were something else. It must feel great to be able to witness some of the greatest players not only in Sox history but MLB history.

[a700hitter]

Yeah my dad always tells me how much different it is now, I believe his favorite player was Jim Rice. Those players back in the days were something else. It must feel great to be able to witness some of the greatest players not only in Sox history but MLB history.

Great memories, plus a lot of quality time with my Dad and friends. Makes me feel old sometimes. LOL!

[Behindenemylines]

Williams - Yaz - Rice were the great hall of fame starting left fielder for the Sox from 1939 to the late 1980s. When you saw the Sox you knew who was going to be in left (Minus the war years).

[iortiz]

I made a mental note to add this thread today, but I got busy and you beat me to it. Happy Birthday,Yaz!!! If any of Boston's fine sportswriters or media members are lurking here, or if members of the Front Office stop by to read our kind words, it's about time that a statue honoring Yaz is placed at Fenway Park. It was on his shoulders that excitement returned to Boston baseball. It was the generations of fans that watched him play for 23 years that gave birth to the modern day Red Sox Nation. He played over 3300 games in a Red Sox uniform. No one will come within a thousand games of that record. He is Mr. Red Sox. He should be honored with a statue.

 

Everything is said. :thumbsup:

[YAZMAN]

Yaz was my idol as a kid, the day he retired was a tough one for me.

 

In '04, I carried his '67 triple crown card around with me during the playoffs from the morning after we went down 0-3 to the day we swept in St. Louis.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Good luck charm? Bring out the card Yaz the Sox are in danger!

[SoxSport]

That '67 triple crown season was about the greatest season I've seen a player have. Dick Williams always said that. In the mid 50s , Mantle would have these awesome seasons, too. Hitting about .360 with 40-50 HRs. But Yaz did it in a pennant run, and he was dominant down the stretch.

[a700hitter]

That '67 triple crown season was about the greatest season I've seen a player have. Dick Williams always said that. In the mid 50s , Mantle would have these awesome seasons, too. Hitting about .360 with 40-50 HRs. But Yaz did it in a pennant run, and he was dominant down the stretch.

And Dick Williams saw all the great players of the 50's and 60's. He came up with the Brooklyn Dodgers, so he saw a lot of Mays. Then he came to the AL to see Mantle etc. The truly impressive part of Williams assessment of Yaz in 67 is that he said that consistently throughout his career and life long after they had their falling out and Williams got fired by the Sox. These were not two guys that were best friends after 67.

 

I am no HOF manager or evaluator of talent, but in 45 years of watching baseball, I have never seen a player put a team on his back like Yaz did in 67. He was remarkable during the stretch drive. Remarkable doesn't do justice to his performance.

[Youk Of The Nation]

What I would like to know is how many players attended his birthday party.

[a700hitter]

What I would like to know is how many players attended his birthday party.

Yaz is a very private guy. He wouldn't go to his own party.

[YAZMAN]

Yaz is a very private guy. He wouldn't go to his own party.

 

He'd let you go if you had a cold Bud and a Marlboro for him.

[a700hitter]

He'd let you go if you had a cold Bud and a Marlboro for him.

:lol: After the Heart Bypass operation, he finally gave up the cigarettes. He was a 4-5 pack a day smoker, and on off days he always ran 5 miles. I wonder if he smoked while he ran. He was in great cardiovascular shape in his playing days.

[a700hitter]

Happy 77th birthday, Yaz!

 

http://www.talksox.com/forum/webkit-fake-url://8adb9c08-160a-4495-aae9-553361b318d0/imagejpeg

[mvp 78]

At 77, he could still play a better LF than Hanley.

[Spudboy]

He could probably still plant one in the RF grandstands.

 

People who did not see him play in his prime don't know what they missed.

 

Happy Birthday to the best ever!

[Thunder]

He could probably still plant one in the RF grandstands.

 

People who did not see him play in his prime don't know what they missed.

 

Happy Birthday to the best ever!

 

 

I completely agree. He and Ted are the two baseball players I would have loved to have been able to watch.

[Maxbialystock]

At 77, he could still play a better LF than Hanley.

 

That's like that story about a reporter interviewing Ty Cobb in his 60's and asking him what he thought of the great AL pitching. Not bad, said Ty. Not bad, questioned the reporter, what would you hit? About .300. Well, that's not so great for a guy with a lifetime BA of .367. Yeah, said Cobb, but I'm in my 60's. No further questions.