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If you're old enough (as we are), it's very hard to believe that
Carl Michael Yastrzemski is
turning 79 years old today. In our memory, he is still making that tumbling, over-the-head catch in Yankee Stadium or powering out three home runs in the 1967 World Series. It occurs to us that some younger fans may know him only as 'the number 8 guy' on the right field façade. So, here's some further background on
The Man They Call Yaz: MLB Hall of Famer, 18-time All-Star, 1967 AL MVP, 1967 Triple Crown Winner, .285 lifetime hitter, 452 HRs, 3,419 hits and 1,844 RBIs. Other than that, a pretty average MLB career. Think about the pressure on a 21-year-old Yastrzemski (the same age that
Rafael Devers is now)
taking over in left-field at Fenway for the legend that was
Ted Williams.
Crazy. Of course, most importantly of all, Yaz was the catalyst of the 1967 pennant-winning
Impossible Dream season that turned Red Sox Nation around forever. Today, he turns 79 years old—and he's
still a Boston icon.
Happy birthday, Yaz!
