I Am A Sentimental Red Sox Fan

I’ve become very sentimental these past few weeks.  I’m not sure if it’s because of the move to Connecticut, my boyfriend moving before me (he leaves Friday), my high school reunion coming up this weekend, or what.  I’ve been making my boyfriend go to “our places” for meals the last week or so.  My friend and I decided yesterday to go The Package concert (New Kids on the Block, 98 Degrees, and Boyz II Men) next week.  I also found two boxes of old pictures that I can’t wait to dive into and place the photos in nice, new albums.

I think everyone becomes extra sentimental from time to time.  There are certain things that just resonate with people.  While going through my “great purge” the last few weeks, there are certain things I found myself not being able to part with.  I have items of clothing that I can’t get rid of, even though that piece may not even fit. 

That piece of clothing: a green, Red Sox shirt that says “Green Monster” on it.  Now, in the past when I was ready to get rid of Red Sox clothing, I usually asked one of my younger cousins if they wanted it.  My family sort of has a rule that you’re not allowed to throw away anything Red Sox related (within reason, of course).  But, this particular shirt was way too small for me, and I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t fit any of my cousins. 

I put the shirt in the garage sale pile last week, as I figured someone may want it.  My mom saw the shirt in the pile and told me she wanted to keep it.  I asked her why, since it didn’t fit me.  She said she wanted to keep it in my dog’s kennel when I moved away, so my dog would have something with my scent on it.

I know I’ve mentioned it before, but my dog’s name is Fenway Parker.  He’s adorable, see:

 

Unfortunately, with the move, I will not be taking Fenway with me.  I thought about it long and hard, and my boyfriend said we could find an apartment that allowed pets.  But, I didn’t think it would be fair to Fenway.  I don’t know what kind of job I’ll have in Connecticut, and there’s no way Fenway could go 8-9 hours without being let out during the day.  Besides, I couldn’t take him away from the only home he knows, a yard he can run around in, and the other people he’s used to.  Instead, Fenway will have my Green Monster shirt, which seems appropriate.

There were other items of Red Sox apparel I decided not to bring with me, which I’m pretty sure are either in the garage sale piles or they’ve been snatched by someone in my family (my sister-in-law or future sister-in-law, possibly).  There were t-shirts, sweatshirts, and even a Red Sox purse.

I had a pink Johnny Damon t-shirt that my dad brought back for me from Boston in 2004.  It had a lot of meaning to me since it was from my dad, Damon was my favorite player at the time, and 2004 was the Red Sox won the World Series.  When Damon signed with the dreaded Yankees, I stopped wearing that shirt in public, and it became part of my pajamas.  Even being regulated to “night-time wear,” I still couldn’t force myself to wear the shirt very much (mostly because it was pale pink, and I’m not a fan of the color).  So, that was a shirt I had to get rid of in the purge.

As I mentioned above, there are certain items I just can’t force myself to toss.  I have a red shirt that reads in white writing “Red Sox” in the front and “Trot” and “7” in the back.  While this has also become a pajama shirt, I can’t get rid of it.  I also have a Lowell and two Varitek shirts that I still wear on a regular basis.  (As far as player shirts go, I still have Pedroia, Lester, and Ellsbury that are current players.  Beckett had to go as well.)

I’m the person who wears Red Sox players shirts depending on who’s pitching, who’s hot (at the plate), and other factors.  I wore my “Fenway Park” shirt on the 100^th Anniversary of Fenway Park opening last year.  I wear a Red Sox shirt on opening day every year.  I even went years wearing one of those Red Sox baseball stitching bracelets.  I’m that person.

I know some people may be reading this post and thinking what’s the big deal?  It’s just clothing.  It’s not to me.  These clothes are a part me because I associate them with my love of the Red Sox, my family, my friends (the Red Sox fans and even those who aren’t), good times, and my history.  The Red Sox are a big part of my life, and I’m proud to be a Red Sox fan and show it.

Also, make sure to keep voting for Koji Uehara for the All-Star Final Vote.  At last count, he was in third place.  You can vote here.

Making Decisions: Clothes Edition

Okay, I’m going a bit girly in this post, so if you don’t care about clothes and such, please avert your eyes. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m heading to Chicago this weekend and will be attending the Red Sox at Cubs game on Sunday. It will be my first time at Wrigley Field, though I have seen the Red Sox play the White Sox many times before.

Before every trip, it’s always important to plan out what you’re going to wear, especially if you’re a woman. I will be in Chicago for three days, and it’s supposed to be highs around 90 degrees all weekend. For some people, making a decision on what to wear, especially to a baseball game, might seem easy. It never is for me.

First, I can filter out my Red Sox sweatshirts; it’s going to be way too warm even in the evening. Going through the inventory of my closet, this is what I have for Red Sox attire:

Player Shirts
Lester
Beckett
Varitek (blue “C”)
Varitek (green)
Ellsbury (#46)
Ellsbury (#2)
Lowell
Pedroia
Crawford

Other Shirts
Red Sox women’s jersey (pull-over)
Fenway Park shirt (blue)
White and navy blue sleeveless
White striped Red Sox t-shirt

So, looking at these options I can already eliminate the “Ellsbury (#46)” option because #46 is no longer Ellsbury’s number. I think it’s safe to say that I can also eliminate the Crawford and other Ellsbury shirt, since they’re currently on the disabled list. (For the record, I received the Crawford shirt the offseason he was signed and have only worn it maybe once or twice.) I can also eliminate the Varitek and Lowell shirts because they have both retired. I do still wear these shirts, but to a game would be like someone wearing a “Crisp” shirt, which was tweeted by Pete Abraham a couple weeks ago.

I also don’t think I’ll be wearing my Fenway Park shirt because they are not playing at Fenway Park. The jersey may be out too because it’ll be too warm for that. I’m not really a fan of the sleeveless shirt either; I mostly wear it with my dri-fit Red Sox shorts. I think I’ll also eliminate the white-striped Red sox shirt because I don’t want to be perceived as a “pink hat,” since it does have a little more “style” than “grit.”

Lester is scheduled to pitch on Saturday, and Beckett is scheduled to pitch on Sunday. So, I’m torn between my Beckett and my Pedroia shirt. The last time I saw Beckett pitch live was in 2010 at Fenway Park, and he was amazing! Beckett’s line that day was: 8.0IP 3H 1R 1ER 0BB 8K 1HR. On the other hand, who doesn’t like Pedroia?

So, there’s the dilemma. Beckett or Pedroia? One of the most frustrating pitchers who has been on as of late (even though he gave up 4 early runs to the Marlins last night before settling in) or one of the most beloved players on the team. Decisions… decisions…

Which Red Sox Jersey Should I Buy?

The Boston Globe has had an interactive quiz running the past few days to tell you which jersey/shirt you should buy. I thought it would be interesting to go through the quiz, give my answers with explanations, and then find out who I should be rooting for. So, since it’s an off day and I need a little pick-me-up after a 1-5 start, here’s the results:

1. Where’s your favorite place to watch a game?
A) Bleachers
B) Box seats
C) Grandstand
D) Monster seats

Answer: A) Bleachers. I’ve been to three games at Fenway Park, and I’ve always sat in the Bleachers. I’d love to sit in the Monster seats or Box seats at some point though. The Grandstand is nice, but you’d have to make sure you weren’t behind a pole.

2. “Sweet Caroline” is…
A) A song by Neil Diamond
B) A cue to get another hot dog
C) A great Fenway Park tradition
D) My worst nightmare

Answer: A) A song by Neil Diamond. I’m aware of the tradition of singing “Sweet Caroline,” but after finding out the inspiration for the song, I’m a bit creeped out by it. Plus, I’m not a big fan of singing in public.

3. What color is your Red Sox cap?
A) Blue
B) Pink or green
C) Red
D) Don’t own one

Answer: C) Red. I own a red Red Sox cap, but I rarely wear it. I think I look ridiculous in it, but I do put it on every now and then. Instead, it’s on my glass mannequin head in my room.

4. Stereotypes about Red Sox fans are:
A) Offensive
B) Over the top
C) Mostly accurate
D) Yankees fans are worse

Answer: B) Over the top. Living in the Midwest, you get to see fans of another great, baseball rivalry: Cubs and Cardinals. I think each club has their own set of passionate fans, and Cubs and Cardinals fans can be just as intense as Red Sox fans. Plus, if we learned anything last year, Phillies fans are the worse (I’m just kidding, of course).

5. Your idea of a great game is:
A) A pitcher’s duel
B) A nail-biter won by the Red Sox
C) A blowout with lots of home runs
D) Any Sox win

Answer: B) A nail-biter won by the Red Sox. I always think the best games are the ones that are close, the ones you can’t turn away from. I almost answered Pitcher’s duel for this one too because a Nail-biter can be a Pitcher’s duel as well. But, a close game won by the Red Sox is my favorite.

6. What’s your favorite Red Sox team ever:
A) 1967
B) 2004
C) 1975
D) 2007

Answer: B) 2004. I hadn’t been born in 1967 or 1975, so I can’t honestly say either of those teams. 2007’s team was a great team because they were the best team in baseball and won the World Series. But, my heart lies with the 2004 team. I still wear my Varitek, Arroyo, Trot, and even Damon shirts (though to sleep in now) proudly.

7. When you’re at a game, you:
A) Keep score with paper/pencil
B) Watch but take food/beverage breaks
C) Watch intently
D) Make postgame plans with friends

Answer: C) Watch intently. Even when I watch the game at home, I actually WATCH the game; I don’t like to be interrupted. In 2010 when my family and I went to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park on August 3rd, I missed probably one of the greatest moments I would ever get the chance to witness live (baseball wise). My mom and I had gone down to the concessions to get some food; and when we were making our way back to our seats, the crowd erupted in cheers. In his first game back, Mike Lowell had crushed a ball over the Monster, and I had missed it. NESN viewers named that game the #1 game of the 2010 season. I may never get over missing that home run.

8. You favorite Fenway area bar is:
A) The Cask
B) Copperfields
C) Game On!
D) Jerry Remy’s

Answer: D) Jerry Remy’s. Out of those four bars, I have only been to Jerry Remy’s. It’s a really nice, pub-style bar. If you get the chance, I would definitely check it out.

9. What’s the most recent jersey you own?
A) Jonathan Papelbon
B) Manny Ramirez
C) Jason Varitek
D) Johnny Pesky

Answer: C) Jason Varitek. I actually do not own a jersey (again, I would look ridiculous in it), but I do own quite a few player t-shirts. I own two Varitek shirts (a St. Patrick’s Day one that I did wear again this past year and a blue shirt with the “C” on the front). I have never owned a Papelbon or Ramizrez shirt and never had plans to. While I may not own a Pesky shirt, I do have a Yastrzemski one (though my brother seems to think it’s his).

10. How do you get to the game?
A) The T
B) The Pike
C) The Expressway
D) I got a system, but I can’t share it.

Answer: D) I got a system, but I can’t share it. I won’t get into how I get to Boston, but every time I’ve gone to a game, I have walked to Fenway. I stayed in the Back Bay last time, and it was a great, beautiful half-hour walk to the park.

So, who’s jersey/shirt should I buy?

DUSTIN PEDROIA
because I “appreciate hard work and root for the underdog. You can’t go wrong with this guy.” I agree; he’s already my favorite. Plus, I already have his shirt, so I saved myself some money.

I'm Styling... Or Something to that Affect

This past weekend, I started to re-organize my closet. I say started because I only got about half-way through it and have yet to go through my clothes (I did find a boot strap and cardigan that I’ve been missing for weeks!). What does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? Let me tell you.

Every year around this time, I usually go onto Yawkey Way’s website and see if there’s anything I “need” for the season. I have multiple sweatshirts, sweatpants, t-shirts, fashion shirts, hats, coats, scarves, and even socks. Yes, I own Red Sox socks (I’m even thinking about ordering the Red Sox red socks from Chowdaheadz).

Last year, I realized I had most of the position player t-shirts. To date, I now own the following player t-shirts: Pedroia, Youkilis, Ellsbury, Crawford, Varitek (2), Lester, and Beckett. I also have a Lowell and Yaz shirts, though my brother has come to “adopt” my Yaz one as his own. I even wear my pink, Johnny Damon t-shirt my dad brought back from Boston in 2004 (though I wear it to bed, since I’m not a fan of pink), and I have a player t-shirt that says “Trot” in honor of Trot Nixon. There’s also a “Papi” t-shirt that has floated between my brother, mom, and I too, but I’m not sure who’s in possession of it at the moment.

I’m thinking I need to get a Gonzalez shirt this year. He raked last year, and it’s a pretty safe bet that he’s going to do the same this year. Saltalamacchia would also be a fun shirt, just because he has an awesome name (seriously, Saltalamacchia is so much fun to say!).

My dog, Fenway Parker, even owns Red Sox items! He has a Red Sox collar and leash, which I’m sure I’m going to have to replace this year since he tends to chew on it. I bought him a Red Sox jersey two years ago (and he is adorable in it!) and a shirt that says “I bite Yankees fans” to wear during Yankees series. He’s adopted my beanie-bear Nomar bear as his own as well (No-mah!).

During the regular season, it’s typical of me to wear my Red Sox apparel after work and on weekends. Honestly, I could probably go over three weeks of wearing Red Sox clothes without repeating. Is this bad? I don’t think so. If I was a man, people wouldn’t think anything of it. If I lived in Boston, it would be considered the norm, right?  Though, I do have to admit, I don’t get quite as many strange looks wearing my  Red Sox gear that I do wearing my  Bruins shirt!