Fifty-eight years ago today (July 8, 1956), my Dad took me to my first Red Sox game at Fenway Park. On that Sunday so many years ago,
The Carmine Hose swept the Baltimore Orioles in a natural double-header—9-0 in Game One and 8-4 in Game Two. Honestly, I was far too young to remember anything specific about the day, except for the bright sunshine playing on the emerald green grass. My Dad convinced the ticket-taker to keep my ducat intact—and it sits framed today in my office (see pic and $1.90 price of admission). In the first game,
Ted Williams went 3-3 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBIs (one of which was the 1,500th of his career). The enigmatic
Jimmy Piersall went 3-5 and
Jackie Jensen had two hits. In the nightcap,
Teddy Ballgame 'only' went 1-5 with an RBI, but the oft-maligned shortstop
Don Buddin had a big 3-4 day. In reality, the details don't matter. All I know is that my Dad set me on a journey that lasts to this very day. Thanks, Dad.
