Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The Boys of Summer


Peter Gammons "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". Check out his label and charity, Hot Stove Cool Music. Also see Fenway Recordings compilations of Boston locals.


If it wasn't for the Boston Red Sox winning a couple of World Series in the past 4 years I would never have been able to read Bradley's book featured at right. If not for the two championships reading this book would be like slowing peeling off a scab had healed and been covered with larger injuries (I still don't think I could read anything about the Sox's 1986 loss to the Mets). That said the book is an excellent history of the season and history and how the teams ended up in a one game playoff after the end of regular season in 1978.

I was 11 years old and had been living in Connecticut for around a year and half. There were only two baseball teams. People rooted for the hated Yankees or the Red Sox and in our part of New England it was the Red Sox. Yankee fans were transplants or band wagoners from the 1977 season. The Greatest Game evokes this era of baseball before skyrocketing salaries and players changing teams like underwear due to free agency. It brings back all of the minor role players in the days where kids like us knew them all because we had their baseball cards. This book is similar to the format of the wonderful recent biography of Sandy Koufax by Jane Leavy in which chapters alternate between description of the game and the background leading up to it. The first names say it it all: Reggie, Carlton, Billy, Catfish, Goose, Yaz, Thurman, etc...etc...etc...

Yesterday the music blog Aquarium Drunkard had a post about the recent release of the The Baseball Project from Yep Roc Records. Apparently this might be an extended project since its subtitled Volume One: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails. I would never pass up an opportunity to listen at least once to a record that has the "Ted F*cking Williams" on it. That track and another are available at the end of the post I mentioned above. Anyway I am so ready to go see a major league game. Let's play two.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Too bad you missed the 6/14 game in Cincinnati. Great seats and the beer was cold.

Kevin R.

Churlita said...

Are you going to see a major league game this year? We were going to try to go to a Cubs game, but with gas prices the way they are, we'll be lucky to afford or road trip to Cali.Maybe next year.

Unknown said...

I know! I was sad when I watched the game on TBS on Sunday even the sox one. The new Cincy park is even more of a "...little band box...." than Fenway.

I hope to get to a game. I have a friend from CT showing up in Chicago in July.


I tried to generate some interest for people getting together to go see a Brewers game. They would be cheaper than the Cubs and downtown Milwaukee is easier to negotiate and cheaper lodgings than Chicago.

Kansas City is an option as the they do host the Red Sox in August but its mid-week series. Up in the air.