This past weekend I completed one of my bucket list items – I made to Boston and Fenway Park to watch a baseball game and my thirtieth MLB franchise. I have been looking forward to this game since last season. It was a great weekend, and I watched all three games between the Hoston Astros and the Boston Red Sox before flying home Sunday night. It was a full weekend.
Boston Logan peaks at me through the clouds
Fenway Park is the oldest ballpark in the major leagues and has been used by the Boston Red Sox since 1912. The Chicago Cubs home Wrigley Field is the second oldest having been in use since 1914.
Every ballpark is different. Each ballpark has its own traditions and routines, but in the end it’s that brings us all together. All the fans I interacted with over the weekend were friendly and fun to talk with during the game. They knew the game and enjoyed baseball and were passionate about their team.
Singing “Sweet Caroline” is one of the traditions at Fenway. It is sung in the eighth inning, and it is sung with gusto. I remember learning to play “Sweet Caroline” in seventh grade band. I was so excited to play something fun and upbeat, and my trombone part included playing the tune, rather than in the playing in the background which many of the scores we played had for the trombone.
Where it began I can’t begin to knowin’ But then I know it’s growin’ strong
I didn’t last long in band and quit when high school started. Like many of my peers, I was drifting and wouldn’t really find myself or my place until my junior year.
Sweet Caroline Good times never seemed so good I’ve been inclined To believe they never would
I took an early flight to Boston and landed before noon. I had hoped to use public transit to get to the hotel but was confused and chose a ride share to get to my hotel. It wasn’t until I left Sunday that I realized my mistake! Next time I’ll get it right.
Boston is one of the oldest cities in America, but its history pales in comparison to the cities I had visited in Europe – London, Paris, and Amsterdam. I spent Friday afternoon walking the historical areas in downtown Boston before the game Friday. It was a lovely afternoon, perfect for walking and exploring.
the Boston massacre Memorial on the Boston Common
‘The Embrace’ a memorial the Martin Luther King, Jr and his wife Coretta Scott King
The 54th Massachusetts Memorial – an all black regiment with fought in the Civil War, led by Bostonite Robert Gould Shaw
Benjamin Frankin was born in Boston
the Old City Hall
the memorial to visitors of the Irish Famine 1948-49
the old South Meeting House where the ‘Good Trouble’ began the original ‘resist’ movement
the site of the Boston Massacre, memorialized
I had great seats for Friday’s game – 7 rows behind home plate and on the aisle! There was a family behind me; the grandpa and I talked baseball throughout the game. Sadly, the Astros lost the game in extras 2-1, but it was the best game of the weekend.
the view from the ‘Green Monster’ the 37 foot high left field wall
pre-game view from my seat
the classic peanut photo….
And before I knew it, Friday melted into Saturday morning. Saturday’s game was a 4:10 start and I wanted to arrive early enough to walk the ballpark and take it all in, so I decided to go visit the Boston Museum of Fine Arts which has a special exhibit I wanted to see.
Yes, you guessed it Van Gogh. The exhibit highlighted the artist’s work in the south of France in the last few years of his life. He painted a postal worker and his family while living in the yellow house. I enjoyed the exhibit very much.
yep, it’s me
the postal worker – Joseph Moulin
the famous bedroom
another Van Gogh selfie..
and another selfie with a selfie
Joseph Moulin’s wife, Augustine
another Van Gogh selfie.. they are all very different
Joseph Roulin, the postman
Augustine and her newborn daughter, Marcelle
Saturday’s original plan was to go to the game directly from the museum, but I needed to return to the hotel before the game, and it worked out as I befriended a couple at the tram stop near the hotel. We ended up having a beer before the game.
I tried to connect with my favorite player, but was too late and batting practice was over when I arrived, but I did run into the Friday’s evening’s usher who recognized me and he exclaimed,
“You’re back!”
to which I replied, “You’re back, too!
And we laughed. The grandpa from Friday night had mentioned that he and the usher had gone to high school together and I mentioned it to the usher, and he said,
“Yes, but he went to Harvard.”
I asked where he went, and he replied,
“Williams.”
I smiled and I replied,
“Which is better?”
and he replied,
“Williams!”
And both we laughed.
Then I was off to Saturday afternoon’s seat. I decided to sit in the right field bleachers for Saturday’s game. I found my seat and talked with the usher, Ed, about Fenway and baseball. It is always fun to engage with folks at the ballpark.
Saturday’s game was fun, but like Friday my team ended up on the short side of the score 7-3.
Fenway is on the national Register of Historic Places and there are plaques and markers throughout the park
pre-game photo from my seat
scouting Sunday’s seat on Saturday
a great sign and good advice, and I love the colors of the wall it makes the sign standout, much like to colors in an art museum…
The game ended around 7 PM and I decided it was a nice evening for a walk back to the hotel.
Sunday’s game was an 11:35 AM start and I needed to cleanup, pack up, and checkout of the hotel before going to the game.
I was able to write a few postcards before checking out and taking the tram to the game.
I chose to sit along the first base side in the right field stands for Sunday’s game. I had scouted the seat Saturday and decided where I was going to sit the day before. There were two seats available – seats 12 and 13. I am funny about the number 13, so I chose seat 12. I also, thought (secretly hoped) no one would purchase seat 13. I was wrong, but the person who bought the ticket never showed up; nor did my team and they lost a third game in a row, 7-1.
another sign, filled with great advice
Sunday’s game view
another peanut photo for the collection
seen on the way out – we all have different name. An excellent 70th birthday gift for a baseball fan…
Sweet Caroline Good times never seemed so good I’ve been inclined To believe they never would, oh, no, no
That’s baseball. The season is 162 games long, which is a long time. The season begins in late March and finishes at the end of September followed by a month of playoffs ending in the World Series and a serason’s champion. It’s a long haul, much like my bucket list journey. It started with my first game in the 1970s and I added a second stadium in 1986, then a third in ’87, a fourth in ’88, and many more finishing in Boston. It has been fun; and I’ve enjoyed the travel, the people I’ve met, and the games I’ve seen.
a view of Boston Harbor on the way home…
Today is going to be a great day and it could be a million and six times better than yesterday. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, looking back and savoring the experiences, but with an eye on the present.
Do you have a bucket list? If so, what is it?
“Sweet Caroline”
Was in the spring
And spring became the summer
Who’d have believed you’d come along
Hands, touchin’ hands
Reachin’ out, touchin’ me, touchin’ you
Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I’ve been inclined
To believe they never would
But now I…
…look at the night
And it don’t seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two
And when I hurt
Hurtin’ runs off my shoulders
How can I hurt when holdin’ you?
Warm, touchin’ warm
Reachin’ out, touchin’ me, touchin’ you
Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I’ve been inclined
To believe they never would
Oh, no, no
Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
Sweet Caroline
I believed they never could
Sweet Caroline
Good times never seemed so good
Written by Neil Diamond
a great sign and good advice, and I love the colors of the wall it makes the sign standout, much like to colors in an art museum…
PS: I forgot the most important comment. 1000s of people all singing always makes me smile and kind of tear up. I don’t know why. I guess it’s because there, for a moment, all those people have the same objective and are doing something together. Plus when you get that many voices it always sounds great. The crowd there certainly knew the refrain!
It is awesome, isn’t it? They sure did now the refrain – bap,bap bah! Every ballpark has a song besides Take me out to the ballpark. And they all sing it with gusto. I love it when everyone sings the national anthem. Thanks for the PS!
So much fun. I’ve been to Boston once, in the 80s, was on my own and LOVED the city. So photogenic. But the drivers were the worst I had ever seen. (I’ve seen worse since.) And it was in Boston I saw my first traffic circle. WHooooo-ee! ANYWAY. I don’t understand baseball to the extent you obviously do, but I do understand people and it seems to me you have some of the best conversations with strangers. I have always found talking to strangers so interesting. What ever in the world are you going to do next now that this adventure is complete? Oh…and I saw the Van Gogh exhibit when it came to Detroit. Fabulous.
Thank you. talking to strangers is my forte. I can I sense when my conversation isn’t welcome, so I move on. I think we are all looking for connection, even if it’s from someone we don’t know. As for my next adventure, I am planning a couple of local baseball on Sunday and Tuesday. I am going to take transit on Sunday and visit the “Eucker” seat Tuesday. As for traffic circles, I encounter many while driving in the UK while driving on the ‘other side’ of the rode. Had to keep left, weird! Thank you for stopping in. Enjoy the weekend.
So much goodness in this post, Clay! I love how you engage the ushers and also send postcards! So awesome! And Sweet Caroline – it reminds me of my dad. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Wynne! It has been a fun journey making t to all of the ballparks.
I am a postcard person! A couple of friends and I send post cards to each other over the summer and I always send post cards to family. There is so much you can learn about a ballpark from the ushers – they are there because they love the game and the ballpark! Best places to eat, best seats, and maybe a place to enjoy after the game.
PS: I forgot the most important comment. 1000s of people all singing always makes me smile and kind of tear up. I don’t know why. I guess it’s because there, for a moment, all those people have the same objective and are doing something together. Plus when you get that many voices it always sounds great. The crowd there certainly knew the refrain!
It is awesome, isn’t it? They sure did now the refrain – bap,bap bah! Every ballpark has a song besides Take me out to the ballpark. And they all sing it with gusto. I love it when everyone sings the national anthem. Thanks for the PS!
So much fun. I’ve been to Boston once, in the 80s, was on my own and LOVED the city. So photogenic. But the drivers were the worst I had ever seen. (I’ve seen worse since.) And it was in Boston I saw my first traffic circle. WHooooo-ee! ANYWAY. I don’t understand baseball to the extent you obviously do, but I do understand people and it seems to me you have some of the best conversations with strangers. I have always found talking to strangers so interesting. What ever in the world are you going to do next now that this adventure is complete? Oh…and I saw the Van Gogh exhibit when it came to Detroit. Fabulous.
Thank you. talking to strangers is my forte. I can I sense when my conversation isn’t welcome, so I move on. I think we are all looking for connection, even if it’s from someone we don’t know. As for my next adventure, I am planning a couple of local baseball on Sunday and Tuesday. I am going to take transit on Sunday and visit the “Eucker” seat Tuesday. As for traffic circles, I encounter many while driving in the UK while driving on the ‘other side’ of the rode. Had to keep left, weird! Thank you for stopping in. Enjoy the weekend.
So much goodness in this post, Clay! I love how you engage the ushers and also send postcards! So awesome! And Sweet Caroline – it reminds me of my dad. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Wynne! It has been a fun journey making t to all of the ballparks.
I am a postcard person! A couple of friends and I send post cards to each other over the summer and I always send post cards to family. There is so much you can learn about a ballpark from the ushers – they are there because they love the game and the ballpark! Best places to eat, best seats, and maybe a place to enjoy after the game.