The Boston Red Sox batted 1.000 — or darned close to it — as hordes of fans braved long lines and sometimes chilly weather throughout the county Tuesday and Wednesday to enjoy the World Series championship trophy or have their photographs taken with it.
They ranged from toddlers to 90-somethings who had memories, albeit somewhat dim, of the last Boston Series win, more than 86 years ago. Most expressed delight at being able to share in the glorious season of 2004, as well as and thanks to the Sox organization for bringing the trophy to what many in Boston consider the forgotten land.
“This is phenomenal,†said George Canales, as he watched an estimated 2,500 fans pass through St. Anthony’s Parish Hall in North Adams for their moment with the trophy. “There’s a lot of people here in Berkshire County who love the Sox, and this means a lot to them. I see people in their 80s, and they’re saying, ‘I’m going to see the trophy before I die.’ You wanted to hold your breaths because you couldn’t believe what they did — they annihilated the Yankees, and that’s tremendous, and then took the Series. We don’t have to ‘wait until next year’ anymore. It’s here.â€
“This is a home run!†proclaimed state Rep. Daniel E. Bosley, D-North Adams, who went to every stop on the North County tour. “People here identify so much with this team, and the Red Sox haven’t forgotten us. They’ve let it be known it isn’t just their trophy — it belongs to everyone.â€
Some expressed disappointment that no players had made the trip, but Jared Remy, son of former second baseman and current NESN announcer Jerry “Remdog†Remy, and Tim Schmitt, publicist for former pitching great Luis Tiant, were on hand, swapping a few good tales and signing autographs for children who brought baseballs for that purpose. Among those they met and spoke with were Paul Laliberte Jr., 9, of Adams and Matt Bresett, 9, of Cheshire at St. Anthony’s and Bobby Costine, 3, of Stamford, Vt., at the Clarksburg Senior Center.
At the latter venue, the mood was festive, as seniors greeted the trophy entourage with a rousing version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,†led by Choral Director Barbara King.
“I’ve been waiting all my life for this,†said Philip Fosser, former police chief and retired Yankee Atomic employee. “It’s great the Red Sox are promoting this. We’re a small town, and Boston doesn’t even know where Clarksburg is.â€
His wife, Agnes, who has become a fan only in recent years, reminded him that she had to wake him up for some of the late games.â€
The town bused in students from Clarksburg Elementary School for the occasion, and scores more from throughout the area attended.
At C.T. Plunkett School in Adams, where the tour began, the accent was mostly on youth, as children paraded past the trophy in the auditorium, class by class. Many of the young fans were eager to express their opinions about their team.
“I like them because they win!†said Nick Ryan, 9.
“They’ve got a lot of good players — I’m thinking David Ortiz,†said Nathan Pierce, also 9.
“The Red Sox are coming, the Red Sox are coming! And they got revenge,†quipped Chad Alibozek, 10.
Favorite players ranged from Ortiz and Curt Shilling to the ever-popular Johnny Damon (especially among the girls).
“I think they’re all hot,†said Stephanie Griffith, 10. “They’re good. They must be good; they have a trophy,†added Joelle Diesz, 9 1/2.
Among the “more mature fans†at the school were Mary Jette, Jim Dynes, Herb Martin, Fran Alibozek, Helen Jay Morin and Joan Pause, all of Adams.
This is the greatest thing in the world — we beat the Yankees!†It’s been coming for years,†Pause said.
Martin said he still rued the Sox loss in the 1946 series: “[Johnny] Pesky should have thrown the ball to home plate, or we wouldn’t have had to be here today.†[Many Boston fans recall the play, saying Pesky held onto the ball, allowing the hated Yankees to score.]
Roughly 1,500 fans saw the trophy at Towne Fieldhouse at Williams College, some coming from Saratoga, N.Y. and beyond. The line swept past the hockey rink into the plaza next to Chandler Gym. If Williams had not been on break between Winter Study and the beginning of second semester the crowd would have been dramatically larger, college officials said.
Retired Eph lacrosse coach Renzie Lamb, who grew up on Long Island is not a Red Sox fan, but he and his wife, Terry, came to get a picture of the trophy for a granddaughter.
Later, at St. Anthony’s North Adams Mayor John Barrett III beamed as he watched the seemingly never-ending crowd — which stayed polite and genial despite the long lines. The balmy 40-degree weather helped make the wait less painful.
“This is a baseball town and always has been,†Barrett said. “Not only are you seeing Red Sox fans here, you’re seeing baseball fans. We love our Red Sox and we love our SteepleCats. But this trophy tour is a once-in-a-lifetime thing.â€
“Now,†quipped Bosley quipped, who was standing nearby, “I want Robert Kraft [New England Patriots owner] to bring three Lombardi trophies out here.†He referred to the Patriots’ two Superbowl victories and the one he is predicting for Sunday.
But for two glorious days, it was baseball, not football, on everyone’s minds.
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WMMGA to Host Gardening Half Day in Lenox
LENOX, Mass. — The WMMGA will host a gardening half day on April 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School.
The event will feature eight workshops covering the following topics:
Ticks
Hydrangeas
Summer bulbs
Pollinator gardens
Good garden tools
Plant propagation
Heirloom tomatoes
Container gardening
The event will also include vendors, free refreshments, a sale table with puzzles, houseplants, and gently used garden books, and a garden-themed raffle.
Registration can be completed at wmmga.org. Class size is limited.
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