Happy birthday, Captain Carl!

[Maxbialystock]

Happy birthday, Yaz, even though I rarely you saw you play because I was out of range of Boston TV, to say nothing of Boston itself.

[illinoisredsox]

Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski the man we call Yaz (We love him)

Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski what power he has!

 

Ah, our Boston team is always on the bean, cause we got Yaz

We Fenway fans we stop and clap our hands at Yaz's Jazz

Those rival pitchers on the mound all shake

They dread each windup that they have to make

When number eight is at the plate,

and then he swings, and wow there it goes again

 

and wow there it goes again, and wow there it goes again

 

A rival batter hits one off the wall

And there's Yastrzemski going for the ball

They try for two, the runner knows he's through

Look at Yaz, wow he threw him out again

 

Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski the man we call Yaz (We love him)

Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski he's the idol of Boston, Mass

 

On Beacon hill, he gives 'em quite a thrill

In Southie too there's lots of 'whooptee-doo'

In the North End they call Carl friend, and they hope the season will never end

 

From Wellsey way they come to watch him play

And on Cape Cod they take a holiday

From all above they come to shout,

"You know for Yaz, the hit was out!'

 

The state of Maine is going quite insane

And in Vermont it's only Yaz they want

From every state, they come to wait

To Yastrzemski at home plate

 

Our Boston team, it's always on the bean, cause we got Yaz

We Fenway fans we stop and clap our hands at Yaz's jazz

Although Yastrzemski is a lengthy name, it fits quite nicely in the Hall of Fame

We love him so, in Boston we all know that when he swings, (Yeah!) here we go again!

[Spudboy]

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

 

I never saw Williams.

 

You would have loved watching Yaz. He was a game changer that often made spectacular and "clutch" plays.

[cp176]

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.

 

Great post!

[cp176]

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.

 

This I absolutely agree with. In all honesty, the best player I ever saw play was Willie Mays but Yaz had without one doubt in my mind the greatest single season that I ever saw. Pretty good career as well. lol

[cp176]

Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski the man we call Yaz (We love him)

Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski what power he has!

 

Ah, our Boston team is always on the bean, cause we got Yaz

We Fenway fans we stop and clap our hands at Yaz's Jazz

Those rival pitchers on the mound all shake

They dread each windup that they have to make

When number eight is at the plate,

and then he swings, and wow there it goes again

 

and wow there it goes again, and wow there it goes again

 

A rival batter hits one off the wall

And there's Yastrzemski going for the ball

They try for two, the runner knows he's through

Look at Yaz, wow he threw him out again

 

Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski the man we call Yaz (We love him)

Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski, Carl Yastrzemski he's the idol of Boston, Mass

 

On Beacon hill, he gives 'em quite a thrill

In Southie too there's lots of 'whooptee-doo'

In the North End they call Carl friend, and they hope the season will never end

 

From Wellsey way they come to watch him play

And on Cape Cod they take a holiday

From all above they come to shout,

"You know for Yaz, the hit was out!'

 

The state of Maine is going quite insane

And in Vermont it's only Yaz they want

From every state, they come to wait

To Yastrzemski at home plate

 

Our Boston team, it's always on the bean, cause we got Yaz

We Fenway fans we stop and clap our hands at Yaz's jazz

Although Yastrzemski is a lengthy name, it fits quite nicely in the Hall of Fame

We love him so, in Boston we all know that when he swings, (Yeah!) here we go again!

 

I have this album! Holds a special place right along beside Havlicek stole the ball.

[bowman]

One my favorites of all time. Got my ass chewed out in LL holding by bat high like Yaz. lol

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

You only really have one boyhood hero and he was mine. That stays with you forever, Happy Birthday Yaz.

[Bellhorn04]

He certainly had a lot to do with me becoming a Sox fan.

[Behindenemylines]

He is the reason I became a Sox fan. Have a good one Yaz!

[a700hitter]

One my favorites of all time. Got my ass chewed out in LL holding by bat high like Yaz. lol

Growing up I imitated Yaz when I batted and Seaver when I pitched. I can't understand how I didn't make it. My mom would get furious about the holes in my pants from imitating Seaver.