Last night, July 6, 2012 at Fenway Park, a torch was passed! It is a significant event when a tradition is carried on and passed to another generation of Americans. And in this case it is very specific Americans. My Americans.
My eldest offspring, who lives in Florida, took her two boys to Fenway last night for the first game of this Sox/Yankees series. Jake, the oldest, has been there before but as a little, little scruffer, it was Brady’s first visit, his lobstah’s too.
The trip to Fenway culminated a week that saw them drive from Florida and take in a bit of America along the way, as Mom recreated a drive she made a few times as a kid.
“Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River”
Joining the Union cause at Gettysburg.
The week included:
Trips to the beach.
Just hanging out with the cousins.
And of course poolside at Auntie Nancy’s, the site of decades of so many joyous moments.
Last year my oldest granddaughter made her inaugural visit to Fenway and now three of the five grandkids have made the trip.
The other two will get there soon, as they have not quite yet come of age.
In this digital, electronic age, I was able to share part of the evening right from my chair on Florida’s Gulf Coast, as text messages and photos kept me abreast of the activities from the third base grandstands. The evening brought a wide smile through the glistening of a tear.
It is bittersweet for as I watch this unfold I long for just one more ball game with the leader of the band. Just one more; and in the inescapable reality that the bottom of my hour-glass is filling, all too rapidly I might add, I still see all that could be, if only. And in my approaching winter each “if only” brings a longing for the sweet breath of Spring, more Summer in the sun and glorious, golden Falls.
Yet there is a true joy in seeing and knowing that what you wanted to pass on as important, is passed on as important. Even in the triviality of a game, a team, an event, a place! It’s not about baseball really, it’s about relationships, it’s always about relationships. And Fenway has been the stage where literally hundreds of millions of relationships have been born, lived, been shared and died.
Last night two more were born and somewhere in the whisper of the Fenway breeze or perhaps in the roar of the crowd, the leader is smiling and I am remembering…….
remembering the sweet, sweet breath of Spring…………………..If only.
And so it is on this day in Fenway Park history, July 7, 2012.
About fenwaypark100
Hello and welcome, my name is Raymond Sinibaldi. A retired history teacher, after 26 years in the classroom, a baseball fan for three score and five, I have authored 13 books. Eight about baseball and her glorious history; most recently Yankees in the Hall of Fame and Dodgers in the Hall of Fame. An aficionado of the Kennedy Administration, I have written four books in that realm and also co-authored a book of motivational stories for coaches. The first, The Babe in Red Stockings which was co-authored with Kerry Keene and David Hickey and released in 1997. It is a chronicle of Babe's days with the Red Sox. We also penned a screenplay about Babe's Red Sox days so if any of you are Hollywood inclined or would like to represent us in forwarding that effort feel free to contact me. In 2012 we three amigos published Images of Fenway Park in honor of the 100th birthday of Fenway Park. That led to the creation of this blog. The following year, 2013 came my first solo venture, Spring Training in Bradenton and Sarasota. This is a pictorial history of spring training in those two Florida cities. The spring of 2014 brought forth the 1967 Red Sox, The Impossible Dream Season. The title speaks for itself, and it also is a pictorial history. Many of the photos in this book were never published before. The spring of 2015 brought 1975 Red Sox, American League Champions. Another pictorial effort, this will be about the Red Sox championship season of 1975 and the World Series that restored baseball in America. The spring of 2016 brought 61 Motivational Stories for Every Coach of Every Sport. My first JFK effort was in 2017 with John F Kennedy in New England, which was followed by JFK From Florida to the Moon (2019) and JFK At Rest in Arlington (2020). Jackie's Newport came about in 2019 and in 2023 came both Yankees in the Hall of Fame and Dodgers in the Hall of Fame. I was fortunate enough to consult with sculptor Franc Talarico on the “Jimmy Fund” statue of Ted Williams which stands outside both Fenway Park and Jet Blue Park Fenway South, in Fort Myers Florida. That story is contained in the near 300 posts which are contained herein. Throughout the years this blog has morphed from an exclusive Red Sox focus, to a broader baseball perspective to a blog about life, with baseball a large portion of it. This year, 2024, I have reactivated this blog which lay dormant for quite some time. Welcome aboard, pass the word and feel free to contact me about anything you read or ideas you may have for a topic. Email me at fenwaypark100@gmail.com.
fenwaypark100 
Love it Pops!
Thanks Mook!
Thanks Dad. Wish you could have physiaclly been there with us, although you were there through the stories I told my kids. What a wonderful night of memories!
Memories indeed, it’s all about relationships!
What an absolutely great blog today!!! You are so blessed to have such a beautiful family! I’m sure the leader of the band was not only watching, but was very proud of each of you. Only a life long Red Sox can truly understand the significance of this pilgrimage, but your daughter performed like an absolute champ!!!
Thanks so much Tom. I am truly, truly blessed!
Good one Ray. I had a tear in my coffee. GT
Thanks Gary….Much appreciated.
Nice one Ray…. Loved the blog and your passion for family and making memories.
Glad you enjoyed it Susan…..Those little gremlins sure do grab hold! Come to think of it, so do the big ones…Thanks!
Those pics of your beautiful kids and grandkids are way better than all those ugly baseball players you seem to be obsessed with…
A most astute observation good sir…..