Red Sox Propose to Immortalize Yaz with a Statue

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

That is awesome man. You had pretty good seats too.

[a700hitter]

That is awesome man. You had pretty good seats too.

The telephoto lens helped. LOL!!

[a700hitter]

As I was purchasing my tickets from a scalper about an hour before the ceremony someone came up from behind me and grabbed me around the neck while screaming my last name. The thought that went through my mind immediately was that I was getting mugged by someone that knew me. LOL!! I turned around and it was a group of guys that went to high school with me. They were rabid Yankee fans and we were playing the Guardians. I argued baseball with these guys every day for 4 years. I asked them if they came up to heckle Yaz on his final weekend. They told me that they came up to pay tribute to him. They too had grown up with Yaz, but he was their honorable enemy while he was our hero. I thought that was nice of them.

[Northern Star]

Long overdue.

[mvp 78]

That is awesome man. You had pretty good seats too.

 

Before 2003, it was easy (and cheap) to get good seats.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Before 2003, it was easy (and cheap) to get good seats.

 

I bet haha, although I don't think the seats I got were too bad. When I purchased tickets to the whole Yankees series, I was expecting to spend over 200 dollars. The fact that I was able to get them for less than that was awesome.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

Will be revealed September 22 and Yaz will throw the ceremonial first pitch.

[VA Sox Fan]

Above are some of the photos that I found from Yaz Day in 1983. The camera that I used was a good camera, but not state of the art for 1983. I had the aperture readings wrong and it was an overcast day. Add that to the fact that I am not a very talented photographer and this is what you get. I tried to put them in chronological order. He came out of the dugout took a few waves and bows. He gave a speech and then he ran around the ballpark. I also was careful to get a picture of a budding star playing 3B that day --# 26 Wade Boggs. All in all, it was a very cool day. I will try my best to be there when they unveil the statue.

 

Just saw the pix you posted. Awesome! Had to be great to be there!

[VA Sox Fan]

Yaz statue unveiled at Fenway

 

 

Posted by Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff September 22, 2013 01:55 PM

 

There's a new statue in town.

 

The Red Sox today honored Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski by unveiling a statue showing Yaz tipping his cap after his final at-bat in 1983.

 

"I'm deeply honored to stand before you today, seeing this statue in front of the place that I called home for 23 years," Yastrzemski said during the 30-minute ceremony outside the right field entrance of Fenway Park. "This statue means as much to me as being inducted into the Hall of Fame and having my number retired."

 

Yaz said the 2013 playoff-bound Red Sox compare favorably to his 1967 pennant-winning club, except he believes this year's team has better pitching.

 

"Oh, what a difference this year compared to last year," Yastrzemski said from the outdoor podium on Van Ness Street. "Ben [Cherington] puts a team together, and John [Farrell] pushed all the right buttons. I was talking to [Jonny] Gomes, [Daniel] Nava, and [Dustin] Pedroia a little bit before, and what a difference playing on a winner. I was telling them my first six years with the Red Sox, they were tough years, 25-30 games out by All-Star break. You lose the incentive. And then '67 came along and baseball was fun again. You guys made it fun here for the fans of Boston."

 

Former teammates celebrating the great No. 8 Sunday included Hall of Famer Jim Rice, outfielder Dwight Evans, Bill Lee and Luis Tiant. Current Red Sox players Dustin Pedroia, Jonny Gomes, Daniel Nava, and manager John Farrell were also on hand.

 

An emotional Yastrzemski said after the ceremony that Evans and Tiant should be in the baseball Hall of Fame along with him. Yaz was inducted in 1989.

 

Mayor Tom Menino attended the event and proclaimed it "Carl Yastrzemski Day for the city of Boston."

 

The statue is the third outside Fenway Park, and is located between the statue of Ted Williams and “The Teammates” statue near the Gate B entrance. It was sculpted by Toby Mendez, who also created “The Teammates.”

 

Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year major-league career with the Red Sox. He had a career .285 batting average with 452 home runs and 1,844 RBIs.

 

Mobile users can watch video of the ceremony here.

[a700hitter]

Just saw the pix you posted. Awesome! Had to be great to be there!

Yes, it really was a great day. I had watched him for so many years that I had to be there. While watching the ceremony, I decided that I had to go to see his induction in Cooperstown 5 years later. That was also a great day. He got inducted with Johnny Bench. The town was at overflow capacity. I went with my Dad and my oldest nephew who had never been to Cooperstown before. We had a blast-- saw so many of the greats of the game. Back then the inductions were done behind the Hall Library. The crowd overflowed into the streets. Now, they do the inductions off-site at a big field. It's not as close and intimate.

[VA Sox Fan]

Yes, it really was a great day. I had watched him for so many years that I had to be there. While watching the ceremony, I decided that I had to go to see his induction in Cooperstown 5 years later. That was also a great day. He got inducted with Johnny Bench. The town was at overflow capacity. I went with my Dad and my oldest nephew who had never been to Cooperstown before. We had a blast-- saw so many of the greats of the game. Back then the inductions were done behind the Hall Library. The crowd overflowed into the streets. Now, they do the inductions off-site at a big field. It's not as close and intimate.

 

Wow! That's so cool!

[a700hitter]

Wow! That's so cool!

They used to do a rope-lined red carpet thing for the Hall of Famers as they arrived in limousines. My nephew and I hopped few fences and found our way to the front of the rope line. We saw all of the greats, including Stan the Man and Teddy Ballgame up close. The greatest two guys were Ernie Banks and Pee Wee Reese. They signed for everyone along the rope line. The event organizers didn't like it,because they wanted to keep things moving, but they did it anyway. I have to look for my photos of that.

[seabeachfred]

They used to do a rope-lined red carpet thing for the Hall of Famers as they arrived in limousines. My nephew and I hopped few fences and found our way to the front of the rope line. We saw all of the greats, including Stan the Man and Teddy Ballgame up close. The greatest two guys were Ernie Banks and Pee Wee Reese. They signed for everyone along the rope line. The event organizers didn't like it,because they wanted to keep things moving, but they did it anyway. I have to look for my photos of that.

 

This is a good opportunity for me to listen to you two wax poetic about Yaz and learn a few things about the guy. Remember, I was not a Red Sox fan until late 2000 so I missed enjoying his career with the Red Sox. I do know, however, that he was a favorite of my wife Linda. Every time she saw him on TV against her Angels she rooted for her team except when Yaz came up, hoping he would get a hit but not one that would beat her team. I still remember her rooting like the devil for the Red Sox in the '75 World Series against the Reds. Ashamed to say it now but I was an NL fan back then and rooted for the Reds. Hopefully, I can get a "get out of jail card" for that indiscretion.

[a700hitter]

This is a good opportunity for me to listen to you two wax poetic about Yaz and learn a few things about the guy. Remember, I was not a Red Sox fan until late 2000 so I missed enjoying his career with the Red Sox. I do know, however, that he was a favorite of my wife Linda. Every time she saw him on TV against her Angels she rooted for her team except when Yaz came up, hoping he would get a hit but not one that would beat her team. I still remember her rooting like the devil for the Red Sox in the '75 World Series against the Reds. Ashamed to say it now but I was an NL fan back then and rooted for the Reds. Hopefully, I can get a "get out of jail card" for that indiscretion.

Fred, millions of Brooklyn Dodger fans never found another home. My dad and I found the Red Sox together in 1967. The first time we went to Fenway (before they built on top of the roof along the baselines and behind home plate) he kept saying how much it felt like Ebbets Field. He loved the closeness of the place and he overlooked the funny accents of the fans. LOL! It took you a little bit longer, but you found the right team.

[seabeachfred]

Fred, millions of Brooklyn Dodger fans never found another home. My dad and I found the Red Sox together in 1967. The first time we went to Fenway (before they built on top of the roof along the baselines and behind home plate) he kept saying how much it felt like Ebbets Field. He loved the closeness of the place and he overlooked the funny accents of the fans. LOL! It took you a little bit longer, but you found the right team.

 

Makes one wonder Ted why you and your Dad were 33 years ahead of me in finding my team. I would have thought it was there for me all the time and I just didn't pick up on it. You Dad was absolutely right though. When I saw Fenway it reminded me so much of Ebbets Field. The closeness of the fans, the intimacy of the park, the walk from the subway station over the bridge and seeing the ballpark just as I walked a couple of blocks and saw EF in my youth, but you said it all......I FOUND THE RIGHT TEAM. I know I come across sometimes as a nasty son of a bitch but you can take it to the bank....I LOVE THE RED SOX LIKE YOU CAN'T BELIEVE.

[a700hitter]

Makes one wonder Ted why you and your Dad were 33 years ahead of me in finding my team. I would have thought it was there for me all the time and I just didn't pick up on it. You Dad was absolutely right though. When I saw Fenway it reminded me so much of Ebbets Field. The closeness of the fans, the intimacy of the park, the walk from the subway station over the bridge and seeing the ballpark just as I walked a couple of blocks and saw EF in my youth, but you said it all......I FOUND THE RIGHT TEAM. I know I come across sometimes as a nasty son of a bitch but you can take it to the bank....I LOVE THE RED SOX LIKE YOU CAN'T BELIEVE.

We share the same disease.