While the Red Sox were tanking three of four games to the Twins this weekend, David, Kerry and I were having some fun on the road.
We started the day Saturday at Tatnuck Booksellers in Westborough Mass and found ourselves in an interesting position, as we were sharing space with a current NY Times best seller.
As we were getting ready to go, Dave investigated what the stir was all about.
Hmmmm, maybe we’re in the wrong genre.
Things were a little slow in the morning which lent itself to some interesting baseball fodder; As we discussed among other things, the Red Sox woes, why Luis Tiant is not in the Hall of Fame (because he should be!), and who the baby is in the Red Sox clubhouse running upstairs to ownership about “what Bobby Valentine said to Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks.” Now for those of you who may have missed it, this is truly rich.
Kerry (Moe) and David (Larry). I’m Curly!
In a recent game the rookie third baseman made two errors in an inning. At some point after the fact, Valentine quipped to the kid, something to the effect of, “nice inning kid, or good inning”, something said in a sarcastic manner and in all probability to poke a little fun at the kid, relax him a little. He also at some time after the incident sat with Will and told him about the game early in his (Bobby V’s) career, in which he made three errors.
Well apparently one of the other players heard the “nice inning kid” remark and went running upstairs to haunchodom (is that a word?) and said something like, “Daddy, Daddy, you won’t believe what Bobby said to Will after he made those errors, golly gee Daddy he was trying his best you know and I just don’t think that he should talk to him like that do you? I mean don’t you think he might injure his self-esteem or something ?”
Believe it or not, haunchodom agreed with Blathering Baby and Bobby got a tongue lashing! Seriously, it really happened. You know one of those “we don’t do it that way here” tongue lashings. Good God how pathetic is that?
Now I am on record as saying that I am not a big fan of Bobby V and I have not been from the start but holy moly this is truly ridiculous! Most of you know I am involved with a high school baseball team and any of you who have ever been in a dugout, know the banter that takes place and forth. It’s sort of like an ongoing version of the “no slack review”. Blathering Red Sox Baby would never survive in our high school dugout. But he’d probably want a trophy for showing up.
What Haunchdom should have done was dragged Blathering Baby by the ear into the clubhouse (preferably with the whole team in it) and right to Bobby V. He then should have spoken in a loud voice and informed Blathering Baby that Bobby V was his boss and he was in charge and to knock of the nonsense and play baseball! I believe it would have helped a lot if he spoke very, very, very loud and sprinkled in some well-chosen and most descriptive cuss words. And come to think of it, a boot in the ass to Blathering Baby on his way back upstairs would have been the perfect exclamation point to it all.
Well after we sorted that all out, we headed to the Barnes and Noble at the Derby Shoppes in Hingham. Now you know that if you’re heading to an establishment where shops is spelled shoppes, you’re heading into a pretty sexy place. And it was.
Larry and Moe, pointing the finger at Curly.
There were no shades of grey here, only shades of baseball and Fenway Park as a lot of nice folks came by and shared their memories and stories about Fenway Park and the Red Sox. Some were on their way in to the game and stopped by to pick up a book. I even had a visit from an old friend who I played softball with 30 years ago. It was great to see him and catch up on three decades.
We were visited by a lovely lady who shares a name with a certain current Red Sox catcher. A hint, it’s the longest surname in the history of major league baseball.
On Tuesday night August 7, Kerry (Moe) and I (Curly) will be at the Hanson Public Library, 132 Maquan Street in Hanson, at 6:30 to give a presentation about the book and talk to all about Fenway Park and the Red Sox. There will be some trivia contests and the book will be available. Stop by and say hello.
And then on Wednesday, it’s on the road for me as eldest daughter and I head back south to the land of sun and sand.
And so it is on this day in Fenway Park history, August 6, 2012.
