I love my country. Of all the traits instilled in me by my Mom and Dad, a sense of patriotism is among the ones I hold most dear. I’m free to express my opinions and pursue a career I wouldn’t be able to in most other nations throughout human history. I’m inordinately blessed to be an American today. That Patriotism also requires a look back at the saddest chapters of my country’s history. Today is one such milestone, and one I was alive for.
September 11th, 2001 is a day marked by fear and pain. I was only seven years old that day, but I knew as it unfolded that something horrible happened. I grew up in West Hartford, CT. It’s a border town. It’s 50/50 between Red Sox fans (New England/Massachusetts based folks) and Yankee fans (New York based). I knew people who’s parents worked in the World Trade Center or had family in New York. I didn’t know any of them, but my parents had coworkers and business associates who lived in and worked in the city. I was aware that my mom and dad went to New York for business. And my grandparents (Mom’s side and obviously knew well) were native New Yorkers from Manhattan. I myself am a son of New England, but I have my share of New York connections.
I remember seeing the teachers of my school seeming distressed that day. I think they knew what we would come to remember 9/11 for before us kids did. We went home early. I could walk to my elementary school, and walked home by myself. When I got back, I walked into our den where my brother and Au Pair were parked in front of the television. I turned the corner and saw the second tower come down. I don’t remember if it was live or if it was a clip of an earlier happening. But regardless, I didn’t fully understand what I saw, but I knew it was awful. Our Au Pair, who normally was pretty talkative was completely silent, shocked by what we all saw.
My dad regularly talks about how they wheeled out televisions into their office, unusual to have in 2001, to watch the ongoing news. My mom was abroad, traveling to Poland. She was intending on traveling back the next morning, on her birthday no less, and was stuck in Poland for a week after the attacks.
Beyond the immediate aftermath, I grew up in a political world shaped by that day and the reaction to it. I still remember debates about how to conduct the War on Terror, discussion around the 9/11 attacks in the 2004 election cycle, and the days when Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Ladin were captured and killed. It is the single most significant and impactful day, politically and practically speaking, I’ve ever experienced. I recently had the chance to remember and reflect on that day at Ground Zero.
Back in August, I covered The Northern Trust golf tournament held at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City. There are spectacular views of downtown Manhattan from all over the course, most notably from the 18th fairway (where this picture is from). It’s the most distinct and famous skyline in the world. The Freedom Tower is a beautiful piece of that skyline today, almost an iconic piece along with the Chrysler Building or the Empire State Building. Even still, there still is a visual hole in the string of buildings with just one tower that looks different from the original Twin Towers. I don’t have a clear memory of seeing NYC before 9/11. But even I can tell there’s a hole that shouldn’t be there.
On an early day of the week, when it was just practice and interviews, and after I submitted my pieces for the day, I took a trip into lower Manhattan and went to the World Trade Center. I had been there only once before, back in 2006, as part of a family trip. And it was a construction site back then. The Memorial fountains weren’t installed and the Museum wouldn’t be opened for another eight years. But it was still harrowing to imagine that bustling stretch of New York under siege by hijacked commercial airliners. Since then, the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum opened and serve as a beautiful reminder of the terror and heroism on display that day.
I didn’t get to the museum. It had closed for the day and my friend who works there was out of the country. But seeing the memorials and the fountains in the footprints of the Twin Towers was a harrowing experience. The air around there is somber. The memory of the day and what existed before8:46 AMhas never left the area. Seeing the memorials and names of the workers in the buildings, pilots and crew on the planes, the police, Port Authority officers, and firefighters is a gutting thing. The site is so beautifully maintained. Yet, I could not help but imagine hearing the sounds crashing planes, fearful pedestrians, and falling metal that have been seared into my memory from all the news clips and documentaries of the day. The contrast of the sounds with the present day site is a remarkable contrast, and an inseparable one for me, despite being 122 miles away from Ground Zero that day.
Reflecting on 9/11 is sad. I didn’t directly know any of the victims, But my country was irreparably changed that day. And it’s impossible to look at the pictures and names and not be saddened by how raw the day was. It from the first hijacking to the second tower collapsing (a time which included the Pentagon attack and the United 93 crash in Shanksville) was only about two and a half hours. And the world changed permanently in that time.
It’s also invigorating in a way. The heroism of the firefighters, police officers, people like Welles Crowther, the amazing civilians on Flight 93, and many more are a wonderful reminder of how much good exists and how the human spirit is resilient. May God be with the families of the victims this day and forever. And God bless the United States of America.
I’ve been wished a Happy Fourth of July for much of my life, including many times this week. While I appreciate the sentiment, I’m not a big fan of celebrating the Fourth of July. It’s a day on the calendar, the 185th on a non-leap year calendar, which 2019 is. It’s not that different from July 29th, or August 10th, or any other day in the summer. So why do we set it aside? Because the actual holiday is Independence Day in the United States. I always wish people that instead, wanting people to join in the holiday being celebrated, not just some random day in the middle of the summer.
It might be unfashionable to call it Independence Day, but that is the holiday. It’s the day the Declaration of Independence was approved and delivered to the public. The separation was actually voted for by the Continental Congress on July 2nd, but the wording of the Declaration was debated a little longer to ensure everyone was on the same page. John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, predicting that the legal separation would become the day of great celebration.
The second day of July 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.
Well, only two days off, John.
Still, Independence Day is a great time to celebrate the history of this country. So I’vefound a few stories of remarkable American figures who’s stories remind us of our heritage and past. Enjoy!
Samuel Whittimore
On April 19, 1775, the British Regulars marched to take the munitions held by the Massachusetts Militia in Concord. Along the way, they encountered 77 Militia on the Lexington Common for the first skirmish of the American Revolution. The Regulars marched onto Concord and were turned back. On the march back, 78 year old Samuel Whittimore, a veteran of King George’s War and the French & Indian War and retired farmer in Menotomy (present day Arlington), saw a rescue brigade led by Earl Percy headed aid the retreat.
Whittimore rallied to join the fight. He loaded his musket and dueling pistols, and equipped a sword. He took position along a wall and fired his musket, killing a Regular. He then unloaded his pistols, killing a second and mortally wounding a third. The Brits figured out where he was and rushed him as Whittimore drew his sword. He engaged, though it ended poorly. The 78 year old was shot and bayoneted many (some say 18) times, and beaten with the butt end of a rifle. The Brits left him for dead in a pool of his own blood.
When the colonial forces found him, not only was Whittimore not dead, he was reloading his musket to get another shot off. The locals took him to Medford’s Dr. Cotton Tufts (yes, as in that Tufts family who’s name adorns a prominent university in Medford). The good doctor proclaimed there was no hope for Whittimore’s survival. In fact, not only did the man live another day, he lived for 18 additional years, passing at 96 years of age on February 2nd, 1793. He is interred at the Old Burial Ground in Arlington and is memorialized with a monument on the town common. In 2005, Massachusetts proclaimed Whittimore as the Commonwealth’s official hero.
The Samuel Whittimore Memorial in Arlington, Massachusetts
Declaration Signers
A year after Lexington and Concord, the Second Continental Congress gathered in Philadelphia unanimously approved the Declaration of Independence, as it exists today. What happened to the 56 singers of that revolutionary document? Well, many lost money, fortune, family, property, and their own lives. Paul Harvey’s telling of their stories is so good that I will simply link it below. It’s a tradition of mine to watch this and be awed at the courage present in America’s birth.
Its oftenI look on the course of my life and realize I’ve had it easy compared to my ancestors. But no story has so thoroughly given me that feeling than the tale of Civil War hero John Lincoln Clem. Born in 1851 in Newark, Ohio, his mother was killed in a train accident when he was 10 years old. Shortly thereafter, Clem ran away to try and join the 3rd Ohio Infantry as a drummer boy in the Union Army. They rejected him because he was too small. He then went to Michigan and tried to join the 22nd Michigan Regiment. They didn’t allow him in, but he followed behind and was adopted as a mascot and drummer boy. There is plenty of myth surrounding his service, but what is clearly true is a rapid rise up the Military ladder.
In September, 1863, a Union offensive was pushed back at Chickamauga, in Northwestern Georgia. Over the course of three days, from the 18th to the 20th, nearly four thousand soldiers died and an additional 24 thousand injuries. It’s one of the bloodiest battles in American history, only edged out by Spotsylvania Courthouse and Gettysburg. Famed journalist and Investigating Agent of the War Department Charles A. Dana wrote of Chickamauga: “My report today is of deplorable importance. Chickamauga is as fatal a name in our history as Bull Run.”
In the midst of the Union retreat, Clem was in the grasp of a Confederate Colonel and shot his way out of danger. For his bravery in the fight, the Drummer Boy of Chickamauga was promoted on the spot to Sergeant of the Army of the Cumberland. He was 12 years old at the time. He continued fighting and a month later, was captured in Georgia by a Confederate Cavalryman. He was included in a prisoner exchange shortly after and was most upset about the confiscation of his uniform, including his cap with three bullet holes. His service in the war was actually used as Confederate war propaganda. Many newspapers in the South asked the question “What sore straits the Yankees are driven, when they have to send their babies out to fight us.”
Clem, despite his young age and small stature, fought bravely in the Union Army and helped win the Civil War. He continued to serve in the American military until 1916 and was the last living Civil War veteran at the time of his passing on May 13th, 1937. He was 85 years old.
Lance Sergeant John Lincoln Clem
These are just a few of the heroes who sacrificed life and limb to create our home and give a free nation to us today. I call the Fourth of July Independence Day because of the heroes who went before us. And I’m eternally grateful to those who lived and died to make this country a reality.
It’s been a while since I posted anything here on this blog. I’ve had my hands full with various work projects and personal stuff. I wish I had chosen something more cheery to write about as my first post in a while. But the news that came down the wire last night is enough to spark my reflection and the memory of Celtics and Ohio State fans with far more experiences than I have. One of Basketball’s most overlooked all time greats has passed and must be remembered as such.
John Joseph Havlicek was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio, on April 8th, 1940. He was a natural athlete and grew to stand 6’5″ and had natural stamina that few in his hometown could keep up with. He was a multi-sport talent and became a legend at Bridgeport High School, the same place that produced famed Arizona State and Iowa State wrestling coach Bobby Douglas, MLB Hall of Fame knuckleball pitcher Phil Niekro, and MLB All-Star pitcher Joe Niekro. All were in attendance at Bridgeport around the same time.
Havlicek starred on the school’s football, baseball, and basketball teams. On the gridiron, he quarterbacked the team to many wins and was voted an all-conference performer. He was recruited by schools like West Virginia and Ohio State.
On the diamond, Havlicek hit .400 as a shortstop and led his team to two conference championships.
His best successes came on the hardwood, where he averaged 27 points a game for his career and led his school to a championship in 1958.
The super-athlete decided to stay in-state, attending The Ohio State University, a hotbed of athletic talent with Woody Hayes leading the football team to National Championships and Jack Nicklaus toiling on the golf course in those days. While at Columbus, Havlicek stopped playing football, but continued time on the baseball diamond. But ultimately, Hondo found his greatest success on the hardwood. In three years playing (freshmen were not allowed to play varsity in those days) the Buckeyes reached three Final Fours and three National Championship Games. Havlicek averaged 14.6 PPG on 50.8% shooting and added 8.6 rebounds per game. Teaming with future Cincinnati Royal and New York Knick great Jerry Lucas, future Boston Celtics teammate Larry Siegfried, and future Indiana coaching legend Bob Knight, Havlicek helped the Buckeyes to a Final Four win over New York University (yes the Violets used to play big time NCAA Basketball) and a National Championship Game win over Cal Berkley. Havlicek scored 12 points and pulled in 6 rebounds in the only National Title Game Ohio State has won in their program’s history. They followed it up with two more Title game appearances and two losses to in-state rival Cincinnati.
After college, Havlicek was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the seventh pick in the 1962 draft. In an enormous credit to his natural athleticism, the NFL’s Cleveland Browns (a model franchise at the time) drafted him in the seventh round, 95th overall, to be a wide receiver despite not playing organized football for four years while attending one of college football’s premier schools. He actually joined the Browns for training camp but ultimately was cut.
Celtics Coach Red Auerbach commented that the decision was a mistake by Cleveland. But, Auerbach wasn’t complaining. When Hondo arrived, the Celtics had won five of the last six NBA championships and the last four consecutive, including a legendary series with the Lakers in the most recent Finals. Bill Russell, Sam Jones, Tommy Heinsohn, and Bob Cousy were the cornerstones of the greatest dynasty in sports, yet they improved dramatically when Hondo arrived.
Auerbach created the role of sixth man by bringing Havlicek as his first man off the bench. His stamina and adrenaline allowed him to lift the Celtics when the starters needed a breather and gave the team a near unbeatable formula. It were as if the C’s had six starters. As Cousy and Heinsohn retired, Hondo (a nickname inspired by the 1953 John Wayne movie and character of the same name) continued to help the C’s win, earning four straight NBA Titles to open his career and getting the Celtics and unfathomable eight consecutive championships. In the middle of all this came Hindi’s defining moment.
On April 15th, 1965, the Boston Celtics hosted the Philadelphia 76ers for Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. Sam Jones led the Celtics with an astounding 37 points while Bill Russell pitches in 15 points, 29 rebounds, and 8 assists while mostly matched with Wilt Chamberlain. Havlicek had one of his best performances of the season, posting 26 points and adding 11 rebounds. The Celtics led by 11 in the dying minutes and Auerbach lit his traditional victory cigar. But Wilt Chamberlain has none of it. He proceeded to score 10 of his 30 points (some off his game high 32 rebounds) consecutively to bring the Sixers to within 1 point with five seconds left. Auerbach put out his cigar and Russell took the inbound. He made the mistake of hitting a guide-wire that held up the backboard. That meant the ball was out of bounds and possession went to Phili. In the ensuing timeout, Russell pleaded for someone to take the goat horns off his head. Hondo came to the rescue.
Future Hall of Famer Hal Greer took the inbound for the Sixers. The play was for Greer to inbound to Chet Walker (also a future Hall of Famer), who would then pass to Chamberlain in the post. Havlicek knew the inbound timing, with five seconds to put the ball in, and read the strategy based on prior matchups. Auerbach always relied on intel gathered by his players through the course of the game, demanding that the players be ready to coach themselves on the floor. Hondo followed his coach’s direction and read the play perfectly. As he counted the inbound time down to four, Hondo broke toward Walker and looked up to see the inbound pass. The forward leaped and tipped the ball to an awaiting Sam Jones, who dribbled the ball into the front court and killed off the remaining time. The fans at Boston Garden rushes the floor to mob their hero and Celtics radio announcer Johnny Most immortalized the play with basketball’s greatest call.
Greer is putting the ball into play. He gets it out deep. Havlicek steals it! Over to Sam Jones! Havlicek stole the ball! It’s all over! Johnny Havlicek stole the ball! Johnny Havlicek is being mobbed by the fans! Bill Russell comes over to hug John Havlicek; he squeezes John Havlicek.
The play not only stands as Hondo’s iconic moment, but also as an all-time moment for the Celtics and the NBA at large. It’s the most famed play in Celtic history and rightly so. The C’s went on to beat the Lakers and in five and win that year’s NBA Championship, but 1965 will forever be the year in which Havlicek stole the ball.
In the waning years of the 60’s, Hondo became a starter on two final Bill Russell led championship teams, including on the unlikely 1969 edition that saw Russell and Sam Jones walk into the sunset.
Under new Head Coach but familiar friend Tommy Heinsohn, the Celtics retooled and followed Havlicek’s lead to two more NBA Titles in 1974 and 1976. Hondo was voted Finals MVP in an epic struggle between the C’s and the Kareem Abdul-Jabber and Oscar Robertson led Milwaukee Bucks that went seven games. Two years later, his heroics helped the C’s to an unprecedented 13th NBA Championship over the plucky Phoenix Suns, including a famed triple overtime game five at Boston Garden (my dad’s first ever NBA game).
Havlicek continued to play until 1978 when he decided it was time for retirement. When all was said and done, Hondo played more games and minutes and scored more points than any Celtic to ever set foot on the parquet floor. He’s still the Celtics’ all time leading scorer and only Elvin Hayes and Robert Parrish have played more games in NBA history than Hondo. In 16 seasons, Havlicek’s line was 20.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 4.8 APG. He was an All-Star 13 times over and a member of the First or Second All-NBA Team 11 times. He stamped his name on the Celtics history with eight championships. Only Sam Jones (10) and Bill Russell (11) have more rings as a player.
Despite all the success, Havlicek is often not mentioned as an all time NBA great. Of his era, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Hal Greer, Jerry Lucas, Walt Fraser, Kareem, and others earned more notoriety. Hondo never won an MVP and was never considered the best in the League. And when the NBA ballooned in popularity in the 80’s with Bird, Magic, Isiah Thomas, Dr. J, Moses Malone, and the new television deals, then dominated the sports landscape behind Michael Jordan’s Bulls of the 90’s, Havlicek’s legacy was forgotten, cast aside as little more than a relic of a bygone age.
The line became that Hondo was great for his time. Nothing more. I’d argue that John Havlicek is and ought be remembered as an NBA superstar on par with the greats of both his day and the current age. He was an ambassador for the greatest dynasty the sport ever knew, a participant in several moments indelibly marked in NBA history, and a humbly clutch performer who put the objectives of the team before his personal goals. He is everything a professional athlete should be. As far as the Celtics are concerned, Hondo is only outpaced in importance by Larry Bird and Bill Russell. He will forever be linked with the legacy of the Celtic green and white, but also with the Buckeye scarlet and grey.
His passing became real when Doc Emmerich, calling the Boston Bruins vs Columbus Blue Jackets playoff series opener, announced the sad news over the image of Hondo’s retired number 17 hanging in the rafters of TD Garden. The legendary Celtic and Buckeye was 79 years old and will forever serve as a beacon of athletic and leadership excellence and as a model for how a professional athlete ought act in the public eye.
This is a write up for a final assignment in my Sports History and Culture class at Iona College.
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox share one of sport’s great rivalries. For more than a century, these teams have competed fiercely, claimed titles, and offered many of baseball’s finest players and moments. They did so with an air of fierce competition and often came to serious blows. But there was always a begrudging respect between the teams and fanbases. Boston fans aspired to Yankee glory and New York fans knew they always could lose to the Red Sox. The complexion of the rivalry changed in 2004, but the competition and respect remained.
These teams also have a unique amount of commonality born through pain. Both franchises represented their cities through moments of tremendous suffering and loss with composure, heart, and tremendously exciting baseball. These seasons, 2001 and 2013, were compelling and exciting years when considering just the play on the diamond. But when accounting for the full context and backdrop, these years have taken on memorable places in the canon of the fanbases and baseball more generally.
I have painfully clear memories of both tragic events that defined all that came after for both these teams. In fact, 9-11 is the first significant world event I have any memory of.
2001
September 11th, 2001 was a uniquely terrible day for the United States of America, and particularly New York City. It has remained in the city’s memory and altered the course of domestic and international events. Twenty one years after that horrid day, it remains the single most world altering day of the 21st century.
I was seven years old and grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut. I spent that day in school, second grade, when the attacks happened and my school was close enough that I walked home. We were let out a bit early from school and I vividly remember walking into our home, turning into the television room, and seeing my brother and our au pair staring right through the television that was showing the footage of the day. I saw the the video of the second tower fall and knew immediately something bad had happened. But it took time to fully grasp the enormity of the day’s events.
I was close enough to the city that some neighbors were New Yorkers and either had family in the city or worked there themselves. One particular neighbor was a police officer and had friends in the NYPD and I believe the NYFD. I distinctly remember going over to their house after that day and he was different. Much quieter and reserved than before. I never confirmed my guess that he knew people who died in the towers but I also never really wanted to know. He seemed different for a long while and didn’t rebound to his normal gregarious self until a bit after, or when the Yankees were playing.
That’s one place I clearly diverged from my neighbors. I’m a died in the wool Boston Red Sox fan and have no love for the New York Yankees organization or fanbase. But that fall, I had a different respect for the Yankees due to their fans seeking relief and distraction from a uniquely terrible pain. It certainly relieved my neighbor’s pain and allowed him to feel some joy and happiness amidst what I could only presume was a wildly harsh time in his life.
I didn’t fully grasp what that Yankees run meant until years later, when I watched the highlights of the World Series and the Oakland series. And when I did grasp it, it struck me how remarkable a run it was and how impressive that team was.
The late 90’s to early 2000’s Yankees are the last great dynasty in MLB’s history. We haven’t had a repeat champion since the 1999 and 2000 Yankees. And the 1998 edition of the team has a claim as the greatest single-season unit in baseball’s storied history. 114 wins in the regular season and barely challenged in the postseason is unmatched dominance.
The 2001 Yankees were 95-65 in a 160 game season, an increase from their 87-74 record from the prior year but not the best team the franchise had put together in recent memory. They finished 13.5 games clear of the Boston Red Sox for first place in the AL East for the 5th of what would be 11 consecutive seasons at the top of the division.
Then came the playoffs, starting with a divisional series against the Oakland Athletics. This was just before the moneyball philosophy took hold. Jason Giambi, Jason Isringhausen, and Johnny Damon were all still A’s. Oakland also had a markedly better record, 102 wins. But they were the Wild Card team thanks to the Seattle Mariners’ 116 win season in their same division. So the Yankees got a fortunate break with home field advantage. And they promptly lost it. Oakland won the first two games of the series behind excellent pitching from Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson with Isringhausen closing both games.
New York needed a hero in game three to extend their series. And they got it with Jorge Posada’s solo home run to quiet the Oakland crowd (back when they drew sizable crowds). Shane Spencer got the only other hit for the Yanks all day off Barry Zito, and the Yankee pitching and defense did the rest. Mike Messina, acquired from divisional rival Baltimore to improve the pitching rotation with no more David Wells or David Cone, held up his end of the bargain. He pitched seven shutout innings and left the game after the series defining play.
Terence Long doubled down the right field line with Jeremy Giambi at first base. Shane Spencer fished the ball from the corner as Giambi rounded third and the throw from the outfield missed both cut-off men. Shortstop Derek Jeter ran up to get the ball at the first baseline to shovel the ball to Posada at home plate who tagged a running Giambi out to end the inning. The flip is regarded as one of the most famous plays in all Yankees postseason history and in Derek Jeter’s remarkable career. He was in the wrong position from a textbook standpoint, but he made the play and kept the Yankees ahead. Whenever discussing Jeter’s career, this is one of the signature plays discussed. Partly due to the unusual nature of the play and the fact that Giambi could’ve slid and changed Posada’s ability to make the play. Alas, it’s Jeter’s moment and the Yankees won the game 1-0.
They then dominated Game 4 9-2 and forced a trip back to Yankee Stadium. Oakland went ahead 2-0 in the first two games, mirroring what they did in the first two games of the series. But could not hold on. Alfonso Soriano notched a two rbi single and capitalized on two errors to claim the lead. Oakland hung tight, but failed to find a last answer. The Yankees won 5-3 and survived the first round of what would be a dramatic postseason.
Seattle was next and this was a shockingly easy series. The Mariners set the American League record for wins with 116, which tied the 1906 Cubs’ record for all of Major League Baseball. Ichiro Suzuki was the Rookie of the Year, Batting Champion, and runaway League MVP. Bret Boone set the record for most RBI by a second baseman (141). Eight Mariners made the All-Star game. On paper, it should’ve been a war. And yet, this was a five game victory for New York.
Close wins in Seattle set the tone (4-2 and 3-2 scores). The Mariners offered their only serious pushback with a 14-3 demolition in the Bronx for game 3. Alfonso Soriano walked off the game off, then Andy Pettite completed his series MVP performance to lift the Yankees to a 12-3 demolition and the 38th World Series in Yankee history.
The Arizona Diamondbacks provided a more dramatic test and combined with the Yankees for possibly the greatest World Series ever played. But the first two games were not close. Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson dominated in the first two games to lift Arizona to 9-1 and 4-0 wins.
Just like the Oakland series, New York needed a comeback and would have to do it against a better opponent against the backdrop of a stadium on edge. This was the first major sporting event held after the attacks and Yankee Stadium was tightly secured, especially with President George W. Bush taking to the mound to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. He did so with ease and gave the Yankee fans the first of many things to cheer for.
Roger Clemens was next. He shut down the Diamondbacks for just one run. Jorge Posada hit a home run and David Justice drove in the game winning run. Mariano Rivera notched the save and the Yankees won 2-1.
Games 4 and 5 are the ones that sit in Yankee fan memory and for good reason. Arizona led Game 4 in the ninth and was an out away from going up 3-1 in the series. A Yankee offense that did nothing against Curt Schilling all game had to get two runs in the ninth off Arizona closer Byung-hyun Kim. Tino Martinez played hero with a game tying homer that sent Yankee Stadium into the loudest reaction manager Joe Torre had ever experienced. It would only be surpassed by Derek Jester’s career defining hit, a walk off opposite field home run in the tenth, just after the clock struck midnight to signal the start of the month of November. This, along with the flip, are he two plays that define Derek Jester’s career for many fans and observers, and for good reason. They show Jeter’s postseason ability and calmness in the clutch.
New York needed more heroics the next night when they faced an identical position. The Yankees trailed by two in the ninth facing Kim and delivered. Third baseman Scott Brosius, the MVP of the 1998 World Series, blasted a two run homer to left to tie the game. Alfonso Soriano added to his own heroics with an RBI single to score Chuck Knoblauch and send the Series to the desert with New York ahead 3-2 in the series.
The heroics didn’t carry into Game 6. Randy Johnson pitched heroically and Arizona’s offense steamrolled Andy Pettite to win 15-2 and force Game 7.
The final game was a worthy conclusion. Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens dueled beautifully. Tied at 1 in the sixth, Soriano added to his postseason highlight film with a solo homer to chase Schilling and give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. New York failed to score against Johnson, who came on a day after a lengthy start, and tasked Mariano Rivera with another save. He was so sure-handed and dominant in the clutch all his career. Yet this was one of the only times he ever slipped. Arizona played two runs, capped by Luis Gonzalez’ bloop bases loaded single to score Jay Bell and win the franchise’s first World Series.
New York left the Desert empty handed. Their chance for a fourth straight World Series came up short. And yet, this is the most talked about postseason run of that age of the Yankees. It had the most dramatic collection of games between the home games against Oakland and Arizona. Even Seattle had a walk off in the mix. The backdrop of 9/11 added weight to the proceedings and even if you cheered against the Yankees regularly, they conducted themselves so perfectly in representing their wounded city that even the most cynical anti-Yankee fan couldn’t help but respect them.
The fact that the Yankees gave their fans two near identical comebacks in the World Series with their backs to the wall is remarkable. The fact that they came so close to winning without doing so is painful. But the team lifted New York and gave an ailing city something to cheer for and hold onto for the rest of their lives.
It took me until my late high school and early college years to grasp the enormity of the 2001 postseason run the New York Yankees went on. It’s the one time I would’ve been ok with the Yankees winning a World Series. I never thought I would experience a postseason run that was anything like it. And then came 2013.
2013
Twelve years after the attacks in New York, Boston held an annual day of athletic celebration with the Boston Marathon on Patriots Day. The day honors the events of April 19th, 1775, in Lexington and Concord which began the American Revolutionary War. April 19th isn’t always the holiday itself, it got moved to the nearest Monday to the day itself, but it’s still called Patriots Day. The Monday itself, known as Marathon Monday, is an institution in Boston. Red Sox play at eleven, Marathon runners come through in the early afternoon, and everyone enjoys their day off.
2013’s Patriots Day was April 15th. I was a freshman at Boston University. I spent the morning doing homework and watching the Red Sox play their annual morning game. I had a few friends who went down to the finish line on Boylston Street. I declined to join the festivities, but enjoyed the day all the same. The Red Sox walked off the Tampa Bay Rays and I went to get myself some lunch. Then I looked up at the television in the dining hall and saw a nightmarish scene.
At 2:49 PM ET, two bombs exploded at the finish line. Planted there by brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, these bombs killed three, injured hundreds, cost 17 people limbs, and gripped Boston in fear. I started walking from my place on campus toward the mayhem, got as far as Kenmore Square, then turned around and went back to my dorm so I could look through my contact list and see if my friends were safe. My friends who were at the finish line walked off the spot of the first bomb explosion five minutes before it went off. Another classmate was running the marathon and finish close to simultaneously with the bombs going off.
The week got more surreal when on that Thursday night and Friday morning, the escaping Tsarnaev brothers got in a fire fight in Cambridge, just across the river from Boston, killing an MIT Police officer named Sean Collier, who one of my friends had talked with 30 minutes before he went on that fateful shift. One brother died in the chaos and the other got in another confrontation in Watertown. One police officer was seriously injured by a gunshot and another was hit by a hand grenade and died from his injuries a year later.
We in Boston awoke to an order of lockdown as the Boston, Cambridge, and Watertown police worked with the National Guard to find the escaped brother. That night, on April 19th, the escaped brother was captured and Boston celebrated the great work of our police officers.
At this point I should note that the Marathon Bombing and 9/11 are not comparable. Almost 3,000 people died in an act of organized mass homicide and the two tallest towers in America fell. The Boston Marathon Bombing, awful as it was, was not on the scale of 9/11. Yet, It’s the closest I’ve ever been to a war zone and easily the most terrifying situation I’ve ever seen. The moment I saw the mayhem in Kenmore Square, I understood what being in Lower Manhattan on September 11th felt like. And I pray no one has to endure that type of situation ever again.
The next day, the Boston Red Sox played their first home game after Patriots Day and brought fan favorite David Ortiz back. He spoke to the crowd and uttered the famous words “This Jersey that we wear today, it doesn’t say Red Sox. It says Boston. This is our f****** city. And nobody gonna dictate our freedom. Stay strong, Thank you!” in front of a crazy crowd. Daniel Nava hit a three run home run to put the Red Sox over the Kansas City Royals on an emotional day, 4-3.
As the Yankees did for New York in 2001, the Red Sox rallied for Boston. They relieved the city’s anxieties, and helped the city heal and recover from the traumatic day thanks to their remarkable performance.
On the diamond, Boston turned a last place Team into a first place 97 win team and a division winner, the first since claiming the World Series in 2007.
The postseason for he Red Sox was not as legendary as the 2001 Yankee run, which is effectively committed to baseball’s memory now a days. But, there were still legendary moments and, unlike the Yankees, a happy ending.
I attended Game 1 of the ALDS against Tampa, in which the Red Sox demolished the Rays 12-2. David Ortiz hit two home runs in game two, to win it 7-4 for Boston. Tampa walked off the Sox in Game 3, 5-4, but Boston a Game 4 win 3-1 to eliminate Tampa from the postseason.
The ALCS gave Boston their hardest test on paper: the defending American League Champion Detroit Tigers. Miguel Cabrera won the League MVP. Max Scherzer won the Cy Young. Anibal Sanchez won the ERA title and held the Sox hitless through 8 & 1/3 innings for a 1-0 victory in Game 1 of the series. And Game 2 was perilous. Detroit led 5-1 in the eight before Boston staged a rally. Boston loaded the bases with two outs for a struggling David Ortiz. The slugger swung at the first pitch and launched a grand slam over a famously tumbling Torii Hunter to tie the game at 5 apiece. Jarrod Saltalamacchia walked the game off with a single in the 9th and Boston tied the series.
This is regarded as a highlight moment in Ortiz’ career, as the homer for Jeter against Arizona is. A moment showing clutch performances and legendary heroics. It was the only big hit he got in the series, but he did his job.
Boston shutout Detroit at Comerica in Game 3. John Lackey stymied the Tigers and Mike Napoli drove in the only run of the day with a home run. Sox won 1-0.
Detroit answered with a 5 run second inning in Game 4 and won 7-3 in a matchup that was never close.
The Red Sox snagged a close Game 5 win with Koji Uehara pitching brilliant for his 2nd of 3 saves gotten on the series. Napoli again had the game’s defining hit with an enormous homer.
Game 6 back at Fenway mirrored the first game. Detroit led Boston late but the Sox struck for another grand slam. This one came in the seventh off Shane Victorino’s bat and sent Boston to the World Series. ALCS MVP Uehara earned the save.
The World Series against St. Louis was, like the rest of the postseason, competitive, but seemed fated to go for Boston.
The first two games were split. Boston took Game 1 8-1 and St. Louis took Game 2 4-2.
Game 3 ended in complete chaos. After Boston tied the game in the 8th, St. Louis got runners to second and third. Jon Jay hit a hard ground ball to a diving Dustin Pedroia who turned and threw it to home for the out. Saltalacchia threw the ball to third, where it got away from Will Middlebrooks and into left. Jonny Gomes got to he ball and threw to beat Allen Craig running to the plate. However, Craig had stumbled around third and was interfered with by Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks and was awarded home plate and the walk off run to secure a 5-4 win.
Boston needed to rally and did behind David Ortiz in Game 4, aided by a Jonny Gomes home run and Koji Uehara picking off Kolten Wong for the final out of the game, they did for a 4-2 win.
Boston stole one more win in Game 5 on the road. Pedroia and Orzit combined for a run in the first with back to back doubles, then David Ross drove in the winning runs in the seventh. Jon Lester and Uehara pitched the team to a 4-2 win and set up a series winning chance at home.
Game 6 was not a competition. It was a coronation. Shane Victorino notched a three rbi double in the third and Boston tacked on three more runs in the fourth. John Lackey pitched brilliantly and Uehara secured a 6-1 victory to claim the team’s 3rd World Series since 2004.
Winning and Losing with Honor
I asked some older Yankee fans who had a clearer memory of the 2001 World Series and asked if this run compared to theirs 12 years earlier. All of them said yes, but you need to win to make it complete. The Yankees, for all their excellence and dramatics, didn’t win the World Series. Boston did.
The consensus seems to be that the 2001 Yankees were a better baseball team on paper than the 2013 Red Sox. That’s interesting since the Yanks won two fewer regular season games and didn’t have home field advantage in the AL playoffs while Boston had the best MLB record in 2013. But I agree with the consensus. The Yankees were a healthier franchise, having made the prior three straight World Series and saw more success with that core after the 2001 season. Boston turned over much of their team before another winning season and was last place in the division the season prior. Plus, New York boasted a better closer and starting rotation.
I bring this conversation up to show how different a position the franchises were in when they made their runs and how despite being a more talented unit, the Yankees did not achieve the final goal of a World Series crown. And yet, that almost doesn’t matter.
Both fan bases and cities suffered considerably in their respective seasons of glory. Both saw their cities altered. And both were immeasurably benefited by their baseball teams providing relief and a chance for healing through sport. They both remind the populace why sports matters. It’s a beautiful way to test individual and collective metal and achieve some measure of excellence. It teaches teamwork, unity, and can lift a people’s spirit with heroics. Derek Jeter, Alfonso Soriano, Mariano Rivera, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Koji Uehara, and many other players provided dramatic moments that defined both these franchises.
Boston and New York learned how to deal with traumatic terrorist attacks that few American cities have had to deal with. And both cities’ baseball teams provided drama, excitement, and glory with the backdrop of pain. These teams deserve special respect and admiration. Only one won the World Series in their respective run, but Yankee fans, and MLB fans more generally don’t look to Game 7 of the World Series when first thinking of the ‘01 team. They think of Games 4 and 5 against Arizona, or the flip in Oakland. Similarly, Ortiz’ grand slam against the Tigers is sown in MLB fans’ memories, in some cases among the younger fans, even before the heroics in 2004 that redefined the Red Sox. So are the Victorians and Uehara moments. And all of these memories took on a higher place in Baseball memory because the teams were carrying their cities through pain.
I never want my or any other city to experience anything as awful as 9/11 or the Marathon Bombing ever again. But at least the two cities affected were fortunate enough to have baseball teams to lift up the fan bases. I attended Game 1 of the playoffs and partied in the Boston streets after the ALCS and World Series. Boston got a special treat. I can only imagine how heartily Yankee fans must’ve partied after the 2001 ALDS, ALCS, and the three dramatic home World Series games. They deserved the parties and the fun. It’s the lone time I would’ve been ok with the Yankees winning a World Series. And I know Yankee fans who feel the same towards the 2013 Red Sox.
The discussion of greatest National Football League head coaches typically includes names like George Halas, Vince Lombardi, Bill Belichik, Tom Landry, Chuck Knoll, John Madden, and Bill Walsh. All these men led talented rosters to championships and helped shape the NFL into what it is today. But, another name on the list of coaching greats competed against all the previously listed names across 44 years of playing and coaching football. In 33 of those seasons, he was a Head Coach in the NFL and won 328 regular season games 347 games including playoffs, a record by a rather wide margin in both categories. That man was Don Shula.
Born in Grand River, Ohio, on January 4th, 1930, to Hungarian immigrants Dan and Mary, Don lived a rather typical small town Americana life in his youth.
He was one of seven kids in a faithful and church going Catholic family and played all sorts of sports. At Harvey High School in Painesville (OH), Shula earned 11 varsity letters, mainly in football and track. His most notable sports adventure came in his sophomore year when Mary, his mom, prohibited Don from playing football because of a serious gash across his face playing the game in a youth league. Don forged his parent’s signature and earned his way onto the team anyway. His efforts earned a scholarship to play football at John Carroll University, a Jesuit School in the Cleveland suburb of University Heights.
Shula had two turning points in his time at John Carroll. First, he went on a weekend retreat to discern the possibility of joining the priesthood. He seriously considered it but ultimately declined. Too much of his heart was in football to make a collar his uniform. He remained a faithful Catholic for the rest of his life, noting that at the height of his coaching career in 1974, he was attending daily Mass every single day. Shula felt more called to the gridiron than the seminary. With that direction clear, Shula had his second defining moment at the end of his college years.
Today, the John Carroll Blue Streaks play DIII football but back then, they played DI opponents. most notably, in 1950, the Blue Streaks hosted the Syracuse Orangemen in front of a 16k person crowd in Cleveland. The staff of the Cleveland Browns were in attendance to scout the Orangemen. Shula caught their eyes instead. In his penultimate game, Shula rushed for 125 yards and helped the Streaks to an upset.
Don Shula as a John Carroll Blue Streak
When Shula graduated with his Sociology degree and Mathematics minor, he was offered a job teaching and coaching at Canton Lincoln High School in Canton, Ohio for $3,750 a year (about $36,000 in 2020 money). Instead, the Browns remembered him and selected the Carroll player with the 110th pick in the 1951 draft. Shula signed with Cleveland for $5,000 a year.
Don Shula as a Cleveland Brown
As a player, Shula was respectable. He switched from running back to defensive back and played his way into the lineup as a rookie, appearing in all 12 games. Cleveland went 11-1 that season with their only loss coming against the Norm Van Brocklin and Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch led Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Championship game, 24-17. Shula intercepted four passes in his rookie year.
He then was a member of a National Guard unit that was activated in January of 1952 with the Korean War raging. He never served in active combat, though domestic service did prevent a full football season. Shula returned to the Browns in November and played in the final five games that season. Again, Cleveland played in the NFL Championship Game. And again, the Browns lost, this time to the Detroit Lions. After the season, Paul Brown traded Shula and nine other players to the Baltimore Colts. Shula, who completed a Masters in Physical Education at Case Western Reserve University before going to Baltimore, played four seasons with the Colts under Head Coach Weeb Ewbank and tacked on one final season with the Washington Redskins in 1957. Overall, Shula played 73 games in 7 NFL seasons, intercepted 21 passes and played in two NFL Championship games. Certainly a respectable NFL career.
Then began his coaching odyssey. Shula started as a 28 year old assistant at the University of Virginia in 1958. That team went 1-9, only beating Duke 15-12 in the second week of the season. This was the worst record Shula would ever be a part of across 38 years of coaching and his only season in Charlottesville. He joined Blanton Collier’s staff at Kentucky next season, coaching the defensive backs and helping the Wildcats to a 4-6 record.
Shula rejoined the NFL as an assistant with the Detroit Lions staff in 1960. He started as the DB coach but became the defensive coordinator in 1961. The Lions boasted a respectable defense, allowing the fewest yards in 1962, and posted records of 7-5, 8-5-1, and 11-3, finishing 2nd in the Western Division, only behind Vince Lombardi’s 2-time Champion in this stretch Green Bay Packers.
In 1963, Shula became a Head Coach for the first time. Baltimore Colts owner Carol Rosenblum fired Weeb Ewbank following a few mediocre seasons and strategy disagreements. Rosenblum knew Shula as a player and trusted his football philosophy enough to make the 33 year old the youngest NFL Head Coach to that point, younger even than many of the Colts on the roster.
Don spent seven seasons in Baltimore and posted a successful mixed bag. On one hand, Shula’s Colts went over .500 every season and were a consistent playoff fixture in his tenure. On the other, this era of Colts football is regarded as one of the most famous “close but no cigar” stretches in football.
The Colts reached the NFL Championship Game in 1964 behind League MVP Johnny Unitas, halfback Lenny Moore’s NFL record at the time 19 touchdowns, and the best scoring defense in football. Shula won the Coach of the Year Award for his efforts. Oddsmakers and sportswriters favored Baltimore, but they were shutout by the Cleveland Browns. (A few sidebars, this was the only Title that Jim Brown won and the last Cleveland sports championship until the Cavaliers in 2016).
Baltimore went back to the playoffs in 1965 and visited Green Bay. Both quarterbacks on the roster, Johnny Unitas and Gary Cuozzo, were unavailable due to injury. Shula responded by giving Tom Matte, the starting halfback, a wristband with call signs for plays and made him the quarterback. It almost worked. The Colts led 10-0 behind their improvised offense. But these were the Lombardi Packers. They came back to tie the game late in regulation, albeit aided by a controversial call on the game tying field goal that the Colts believed was missed, and then won 13-10 in overtime, enroute to the first of 3 straight NFL Championships.
In 1967, Baltimore posted an 11-1-2 record but did not make the playoffs at all. Their lone loss came to the LA Rams in the final game of the season, putting the Rams in the playoffs. Unitas again won the League MVP, Shula claimed another Coach of the Year, and Baltimore posted a .917 winning percentage, still the highest winning percentage in North American professional sports to not appear in postseason competition.
But the best season and biggest disappointment came in 1968. With Johnny Unitas injured, journeyman backup Earl Morrall stepped in and won the NFL MVP. Shula won his 3rd Coach of the Year award and the Colts went 13-1 with an average margin of victory of 21 points. Baltimore avenged their only loss of the season by going to Cleveland and beating the Browns in the NFL Championship Game 34-0. Their reward was a trip to Miami to play in the third Super Bowl, a championship game between the established NFL and upstart American Football League. Lombardi’s Packers won the first two in convincing fashion and Baltimore was predicted to do the same to the New York Jets in the third edition of the game. Baltimore was favored by 17 points. Instead, Jet Head Coach Weeb Ewbank got a measure of revenge against his former employer by entrusting Joe Namath to lead the most significant upset in pro football history. New York won 16-7 by intercepting Morrall and Unitas (who attempted a late comeback) four times and running Matt Snell through the Colts defense.
Shula during Super Bowl III
After so many bitter defeats, a disappointing 8-5-1 1969 season, and the embarrassment of Super Bowl III, Rosenblum and Shula were weary of each other. The following offseason, Miami Dolphins owner Joe Robbie was looking for a Head Coach and credibility for his young franchise. He contacted the Colts for permission to talk to Shula about leaving Baltimore and while the actual details of the conversation are contested to this day, the result was that Shula signed with Miami. Rosenblum cried foul, alleging Robbie of tampering and the NFL compensated Baltimore by awarding them Miami’s first round draft pick that year.
Following the messy split, Shula settled into his new job and transformed the Dolphins from an ignored Miami sideshow into a force of nature. He spend 25 years at the helm of the Dolphins and authored some of the most memorable seasons in NFL history.
In 1970, Miami improved from 3-10-1 to 10-4 and a playoff berth. They dropped their postseason game to the Oakland Raiders, but the seeds for future success were laid.
1971 saw the first postseason wins for Miami. The Dolphins went to Kansas City and played a double overtime thriller against the Chiefs. Still the longest game in NFL history (82 minutes and 40 seconds), Miami won 27-24 on a Garo Yepremian 37 yard field goal. The next week, Shula got some measure of revenge against Carol Rosenblum by shutting out the Colts 21-0 in the AFC Championship Game. That good fortune did not continue in the Super Bowl, though. Miami was stymied by the Dallas Cowboys 24-3, still one of only two times a Super Bowl participant has failed to score a touchdown.
Entering 1972, Shula had a reputation as a good coach, but not a Champion. That changed when Miami authored the only undefeated and untied season in NFL history. Old Colts friend Earl Morrall stepped in for injured quarterback Bob Griese and won Comeback Player of the Year. The backfield of Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris, and Jim Kiick, and the “No-Name Defense” played a perfect 14-0 regular season before beating Cleveland in the Divisional round and Pittsburgh in the Conference Championship game (played in Pittsburgh thanks to bafflingly stupid divisional rules, meaning the unbeaten Dolphins went on the road for the AFC Championship). Don Shula claimed his fourth NFL Coach of the Year Award for his work. Super Bowl VII pitted the Dolphins against George Allen and gave Shula a chance to finally call himself a champion. He took it and finally won. 14-7 was the final. DB Luke Scott was voted MVP for a two interception game.
Fans and Dolphins players carry Don Shula off the field after beating Washington in Super Bowl VII to complete the perfect 1972 season.
The next season wasn’t another perfect season, but it was another Super Bowl year. Safety Dick Anderson won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award and Miami defeated Cincinnati (coached by the same Paul Brown who drafted Shula as a player in Cleveland 21 years prior) and Oakland in the AFC playoffs. Larry Csonka ran the ball 33 times for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns for the game’s MVP and a second consecutive Super Bowl Championship.
Super Bowl VIII Pregame
Miami has a chance at a three peat the next season, but ran out of championship glory in Oakland in the AFC Divisional round. Rookie Benny Malone gave Miami a late lead, but Ken Stabler’s touchdown pass to Clarence Davis and Phil Villapiano’s interception gave the Raiders one of the most dramatic wins in league history. The “Sea of Hands” game, as this became known, was described by Shula as the toughest loss he ever suffered.
Don remained as Head Coach of the Dolphins until 1995 but never had quite as good teams as he had in the early 70’s. He coached many award winners and excellent seasons and took part in a few legendary games and moments. Doug Betters won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1983. Miami played a dramatic playoff game against San Diego in 1981, still known for Kellen Winslow’s heroics. In the lockout shortened 1982 season, Miami went 7-2 and beat the Chargers, Patriots and Jets in the AFC Playoffs to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in nine seasons. Only John Riggins’ record setting day in the Washington Redskins backfield (38 carries, 166 yards) prevented another Miami Super Bowl win.
The best player Shula coached in this time, and probably the best player he coached overall was Dan Marino. The Pitt QB fell to Miami at the 27th pick in the 1983 draft and tore defenses to shreds almost immediately. His 2nd season saw maybe the finest passing in league history. 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns on a 64% completion rate. He won the NFL MVP and would win it with those numbers in the modern NFL as well. That 1984 Dolphin team went 14-2 and reached the Super Bowl, where they lost to Joe Montana, Bill Walsh, and the San Francisco 49ers. This was the sixth and final Super Bowl Shula ever coached.
Shula, Marino, and backup Don Strock in the background.
It is a tremendous credit to Shula’s coaching chops that he adapted his coaching to the talent he had. The Dolphins were built on a stout defense and a power running game in the early 70’s. Yet when Marino showed up, the offense changed to an aerial attack. Actually a throwback to Shula’s Colts days. Three different QB’s (Unitas, Morral, and Marino) won NFL MVP awards for a total of four such trophies between 1964 and 1984. Bob Griese, the Super Bowl VII starting QB was no slouch either. He made the Hall of Fame, but he was never asked to throw the football to all corners of the earth. Shula took his skills and put him in the best position to succeed, as he did with all his players. All-in-all, 15 Hall of Fame players suited up for Shula’s teams.
Two of Shula’s 15 Hall of Famers, Quarterbacks Bob Griese and Dan Marino, with their Hall of Fame Coach
Don hung around until 1995, ending his career with 328 regular season wins, more than any NFL coach by 10, over George Halas of the Chicago Bears. Bill Belichick is the closest active coach to him with 273 wins. Shula added 19 postseason wins for a total of 348 wins, again leading George Halas’ 324 wins overall. Belichick is the active leader in total wins with 304, 30 of them in the postseason.
In retirement, Shula’s name graced a series of successful restaurants. He also endowed the Don Shula Chair of Philosophy at his alma mater, John Carroll University. His name also graces the football stadium at John Carroll.
Shula passed away on May 4th, 2020 at the age of 90 years old. He died peacefully at his home in Indian Creek, Florida.
God rest the soul of the great Don Shula.
Shula’s Hall of Fame induction in Canton in 1997Miami carries Don Shula off the field following a 19-14 victory over Philadelphia on November 14, 1993, making Shula the winningest coach in NFL history.
It took the Houston Astros 55 years to win the World Series for the first time. With the win over the Dodgers, they take their place as the best team in the sport. Theirs is a remarkable story of organizational perseverance through many failures, recent natural disasters, and rising from the ashes of one of the worst records ever in 2013.
There’s plenty of individual stories that make this team special. Jose Altuve rose from poverty in Venezuela to the MVP of the American League after being signed for $15K in an Astros camp as an unproven 5’6″ infielder from Venezuela after multiple failed tryouts. George Springer came from the relative baseball no man’s land of the University of Connecticut to win the MVP of the World Series. Alex Cora becomes the manager of the Red Sox on the heels of winning this series with the Astros, and now looks to win World Series as a player, coach, and manager. Justin Verlander and Carlos Beltran are both certain Hall of Famers and both finally won World Series rings. Beltran has been playing since 1998 and barely missed playing in the Fall Classic with Houston in 2004, with the Mets in 2006, and lost in the World Series in 2013 with the Cardinals. Verlander was the MVP of the ALCS and experienced a rebirth in Houston after a decorated career in Detroit.
All these men have compelling stories that merit recounting. All these men have lessons to teach to onlookers and fans. However, of the Astros players and coaches, no one is more worthy of admiration for his perseverance and painful ride to the show than Evan Gattis. Gattis is a 31 year old catcher/designated hitter from Dallas, Texas. He’s a .252 career hitter over five seasons split between the Atlanta Braves and the Astros. He split time this season with Brian McCann behind the plate and hit .300 in only ten at-bats in the World Series this year. He was a good contributor to the team and a clubhouse glue guy, but not a star on his team or in the sport. But the fact that he was even able to play in the World Series, let alone in Major League Baseball at all, is nothing short of a miracle.
James Evan Gattis grew up in Forney, the Antique Capital of Texas, just north and west of Dallas. At eight years old, his parents divorced. At 12, he moved from his mother’s house to live with his father, who had remarried and started a new family. Gattis didn’t process this well, as he was too busy playing baseball. Fortunately for young Evan, he was a talented player and Dallas was a hotbed of baseball talent. He played on travel teams with Clayton Kershaw, Corey Kluber, and Yovani Gallardo. As he got older, he played on a travel all-star team with Austin Jackson and later in the Junior Olympics with Billy Butler, Homer Bailey, and Justin Upton. All the mentioned teammates made the Majors and had some sustained success at various levels. Gattis proved himself among his peers on the travel teams and in high school, bouncing between R.L. Turner, Forney, and Bishop Lynch high schools so he could play for his favorite coaches.
He was viewed as a good draft pick in the 2004 draft, but he decided against playing professional baseball. Rice University and Texas A&M both offered scholarships for Gattis to play college baseball for them. He accepted A&M’s offer so he could play catcher. But he never played an inning for the Aggies. Before he ever suited up, Gattis had some demons to deal with. His parent’s divorce fed an in-built sense of anxiety and stress that he bottled up for years playing baseball. He started doubting he could succeed in the college game when he left home for College Station and practiced with his new teammates.
These stresses led him to abuse alcohol and marijuana. His mother grew concerned and personally drove him to a drug rehabilitation facility for a 30 day inpatient stay when she found out how Evan was doing. The counselors determined he did not have a drug issue, but he had major anger issues. Gattis was sent to outpatient therapy in a halfway house in Prescott, Arizona, for three months. After his therapy months, Gattis left A&M and enrolled at Seminole State College, a junior college in Seminole, Oklahoma, after the coach recruited him. He redshirted his freshman season and played half of the 2006 season before injuring his knee. After the injury, he burned out and quit baseball. Telling his father he never wanted to play the sport again after doing nothing but baseball to cope with his parent’s divorce. Gattis moved back to Dallas and worked as a parking valet.
Shortly after, he visited his sister in Boulder, Colorado. He liked the area, so he decided to move there, selling his truck and starting work in a pizza parlor and as a ski-lift operator at the Eldora Mountain Resort. That summer, in 2007, Gattis went into a tailspin. He was depressed, unable to sleep, and contemplating suicide. Eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore and checked into an inpatient psychiatric ward. There, he was diagnosed with clinical depression and an anxiety disorder. Gattis was then released into the care of his father. He moved to Dallas with his brother, with whom he found work as a janitor for Datamatic Global Services, then as a cart boy at a local golf course.
Years past and Gattis went on even more absurd adventures. He was homeless in New York City for a bit, worked at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, and in 2009, Gattis met a New Age spiritual advisor who convinced him to leave his possessions behind and go to Taos, New Mexico. Gattis lived in a hostel and worked at a ski resort while there.
Three months later, Gattis went to California to find a particularly famous New Age Guru. The starter in his 1995 Dodge pick-up truck, so he had to push start his truck to get Los Angeles and then to Santa Barbra without stopping the engine once. He went from there to Santa Cruz where he found the Guru and started to talk to him about the meaning of life and the trials of life. All the Guru said to Gattis was “Evan, maybe you need to chill out.” The disgruntled Gattis thought he had wasted his time and went to San Francisco the next day.
Eventually, after being woken up by a cop tapping on his window while sleeping him his truck, Gattis had some time to reflect on the Guru’s words and the ride he had been on. Here he was, 1,752 miles from his home, close to four years removed from his knee injury, and no longer an athlete. He was not in a psych ward or driven by crippling depression. He had sought direction from famed spiritual gurus and was still wandering. He was still searching for the key to his happiness. He still wanted to close the door on his anger but did not know how to move on. That day, miles from home, it clicked. Evan Gattis was happiest playing baseball.
The now 22 year old Gattis decided that he wanted back on the diamond. Not to bury his anger or be away from his family, but to find solice and peace within himself and in the union of a team again. He pointed his car towards Texas and push started his car with some help from a homeless man in exchange for a six pack of beer. Once moving, Gattis called his father and told him “I’m coming home.” There was only one problem: Gattis had no idea how to get back to playing organized baseball after so long away.
He made one more call, to his step brother, Drew Kendrick. Kendrick was also a baseball player; pitching for the University of Texas-Permain Basin Falcons, a Division II program in far western Odessa, Texas. Kendrick told his head coach, Brian Reinke, about his step brother and Reinke remembered the powerful hitter from his high school days. The Falcons Head Coach offered Gattis a spot on the team with the words “Play a year here and we’ll get you drafted.”
In his first season playing organized baseball in four years, Gattis dazzled, hitting .403 in 57 games, belting 19 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, and taking 35 walks, 19 of which were intentional. He was named to the All Conference team for the regular season and tournament in the Heartland Conference. True to Reinke’s word, Gattis was drafted after one year in Odessa. Atlanta selected the wandering catcher in the 23rd round of the 2010 MLB Draft, with the 704th pick.
After years of meandering, hospital stays, rehab, New Age guidance, homelessness, and personal discovery, Evan Gattis was a professional baseball player. His journey to get to the pros was more complicated than many’s lives ever get. That made the transition to professional baseball shockingly easy. He rose through the ranks with the Braves quickly. The first stop was a successful summer with the Danville Braves of the Rookie level Appalachian League right after being drafted in 2010. The next year, he went to extended spring training after not making any opening day roster for a minor league team in the Braves’ system. He was later added to the Rome Braves, a Class A team, and won the league’s batting title. Gattis continued to rise, reaching Double A in 2012 and impressing in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he earned the nickname “El Oso Blanco”, Spanish for “The White Bear”.
The grind that normally swallows minor leaguers was a welcome change of lifestyle for Gattis. The man had lived four lifetimes in his late teens and early twenties and was already a grown man mentally. He was invited to Spring Training in 2013 and with regular starter Brian McCann starting the year on the disabled list, Gattis was named to the opening day roster. He made his major league debut on April 3rd, 2013, three years after returning to the diamond at any level and only after two and a half years in minor league baseball. He hit a home run in his first major league game against future Hall of Famer Roy Halladay. His contributions helped the Braves to the NL East Division Title that season.
Gattis became the primary catcher for the Braves the next season, but was traded the following offseason to the Houston Astros. Despite growing up a Rangers fan and not liking the Astros in his youth, the move back to Texas paid off. In three seasons as an Astro, Gattis has been a catcher and designated hitter for an Astros squad that reached the 2015 Playoffs as a Wild Card, won 101 games in 2017, and claim the American League West crown that season. In the American League Championship Series against the Yankees, Gattis hit a solo home run in Game 7 to break a scoreless tie in the fourth. The Yankees never scored, so Gattis effectively drove in and scored the Series winning run on his homer. Eleven days later, the Astros beat the Dodgers for their first World Series.
Ten years prior, Gattis was on the verge of committing suicide. Now, he is happily married and at the top of his profession. No athlete I’ve ever watched has the winding road of Evan Gattis. If a writer pitched Gattis’s life to a studio as a movie script, it would be laughed out of the room for being too absurd. But it’s real. Gattis has lived a crazy life and is an inspiration to anyone struggling with mental illness, personal doubt, substance abuse, or troubled family life. I hope people read his story and walk away smiling. If he can live through what he did, keep going. You can make it through your trials. Just keep going. Gattis did and made it through. You can too.
The Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers gave us a classic World Series. These were the two best teams all year and they played like it in the Fall Classic. All baseball fans should be grateful for the series we got. It seems like they are, if the TV ratings are anything to go by. Ultimately, the Astros edged out the Dodgers in one of the best series we’ve ever had. How did they do it? Let’s take a look.
Who are Yu?
Yu Darvish is one of the most talented pitchers in baseball. He’s been an All-Star, a Cy Young Award runner up, and a dominating force for the Texas Rangers. When he got traded to the Dodgers this summer, it signaled that LA was locking and loading for a postseason run. He started one game each in the NLDS against the Diamondbacks and the NLCS against the Cubs and won both. He looked good as the Dodgers lost only one game en route to the Fall Classic. So. Who wore his uniform in Games 3 and 7 of the World Series?
Darvish looked AWFUL in his two starts against the Astros. He only went 1 & 2/3 innings in each start, for a total of 3 & 1/3 innings across two games. His ERA for the series was 21.60. He gave up nine runs, eight of them earned, nine hits, two home runs, walked two men, and struck out no one. Darvish did not show up on the biggest stage of his career. I hope the man gets another chance to pitch on a playoff team so he can turn this around. Because, sadly, Darvish deserves to be at the top of the list for blame for this series going poorly for LA.
Dave Roberts’ Over-Managing
I love Dave Roberts. The man made the biggest play in Red Sox history, stealing 2nd base on Mariano Rivera in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. He helped to spark the greatest comeback in baseball history. He has also been a great manager since he took up the job with the Dodgers last season. He won the NL Manager of the Year award last year and led the Dodgers to the NLCS against the Cubs. After a slight retooling, the Dodgers won 104 games, the second most in franchise history and most in baseball. They won the division by 11 games over the Diamondbacks and lost only one game in the playoffs. Then the Fall Classic arrived and Roberts meddled a little too much.
Game 2 is the worst example of this. Rich Hill started the game for LA and was dealing through four innings. He had only given up one run, three hits, struck out 7, and had only thrown 60 pitches. He had at least two more innings in his left arm. Yet for some reason, Roberts turned the game over to his bullpen from the 5th inning on. Hill responded appropriately.
That decision to pull Hill put more stress on the bullpen to deliver against one of the best lineups in the game. And the gamble backfired. The Astros turned the game from a duel between Hill and Justin Verlander into an extra inning slugfest. That extra work Roberts put on his bullpen came back to haunt the Dodgers, as their relievers were not that sharp in Games 3 or 5 in Houston. I can’t look at that outcome and not think Roberts made a mistake with managing his staff.
Houston Learned Clutch Play
The history of the Houston Astros is riddled with playoff disappointments. The 1980 and 1986 NLCS saw painful defeats to the Phillies and Mets respectively.
The late 90’s and early 2000’s saw the Astros reach the playoffs four out of five seasons and never make it out of the Division Series. They lost to the Braves and Padres in that those series.
2004 and 2005 were the glory years of the Stros. They played the NL Central rival St. Louis Cardinals in consecutive years for the Pennant. 2004 went a memorable seven games with the Cardinals edging out the Astros.
2005 was also an excellent series and the Astros finally broke through, winning the Pennant and reaching the World Series for the first time. They also closed out Busch Stadium in the process. Their first World Series trip went badly, as the Astros were swept by the Chicago White Sox.
After that run, Houston fell on hard times. They did not make the playoffs for the rest of the decade. And after 2012, the Astros became the 2nd team to switch leagues, joining the American League’s West Division, to balance out the leagues at 15 teams a piece. In the AL, Houston struggled. They lost 111 games in their first year in the AL West, one of the worst records in the history of baseball. And yet, there were some positives to take. They picked up draft picks, drafted Carlos Correa and George Springer, picked up Jose Altuve, and built a title contender. They made the playoffs again in 2015 and held a 2 games to 1 lead over the Kansas City Royals and a 6-2 lead in the 8th inning of Game 4 in Minute Maid Park. They then choked the game away, giving up 7 runs over the final two innings and losing 9-6. The Stros then lost 7-2 in the final game of that series on the road.
Going into the 2017 playoffs, the Astros had a franchise history of failure and recent slip ups. They had to stare down the best starter in the AL in Fenway in the ALDS and won in 4 games. They dueled the Yankees in a 7 game ALCS and won. And they had a legendary 7 game bout with the best team in baseball and made the defensive plays needed to win. They got the big hits, the timely pitching, and the playoff magic that has been absent from their franchise’s entire history. The Astros finally learned how to win.
LA’s Game 7 Whimper
After all the mismanagement, Darvish disappointments, and Astros making big plays, the LA Dodgers had their fair share of offensive chances in Game 7. Clayton Kershaw pitched like his Hall of Fame self in relief, and the Dodgers had some chances to cut into the lead. Except they blew their chances. They left 10 men on base throughout the game and wasted prime offensive chances. After offensive outbursts throughout the series, Houston pitchers dodged bullets through the final game of the season and the Dodgers uncharictaristically went out quietly in the biggest game of the season. Give the Astros credit. They pitched their way into a Game 7 victory and earned the win. It was just surprising to see LA go so quietly after that series.
All things considered, Baseball had a marvelous series. LA and Houston both had some goofs, but the teams entertained fans and I hope people become fans of this sport as a result of this series. Congratulations to the World Champion Houston Astros. Now begins the long offseason wait for pitchers and catchers to report to Spring Training. Only 103 days until February 13th!
The calender now reads November. And we have even more baseball! Thank God the play has been outstanding and other people are joining me in my excitement. This is the last baseball day of the season and despite not really having a dog in the race, I am pumped for this game!
The 2017 World Series has been among the best played in the history of the sport. It has surpassed all expectations and has given fans plenty to cheer about. It’s in part because no game has been the same. Games 1 and 6 were narrow pitching duel wins for LA with game 1 punctuating Clayton Kershaw’s hall of fame credentials and game 6 flaunting Kenley Jansen for the final six outs. Game 2 was an extra inning home run derby barely won by the Astros. Game 3 saw Houston blow up Yu Darvish and hold on for dear life late. Houston’s bullpen disintegrated in the 9th inning of Game 4. And Game 5 was a slugfest for the ages. We have been blessed with a masterful series between the two best teams in the sport. Best World Series ever? I’ll let you know after Game 7.
As for that final game, we should be in for a classic. Last season’s Game 7 was one of the greatest games ever played. In part, the Cubs and Indians had their own demons to deal with and historical weight makes a game better. Also, the game was just plain wacky.
Neither the Astros or Dodgers have that level of historical pain to wipe clean, but there are droughts to be addressed. Houston has never won a World Series. In fact, the Astros would only be the first championship team in America’s oil capital since Hakeem Olajuwon led the Rockets to consecutive NBA Titles in 1994 and 1995. Their only trip to the Classic before this was a forgettable sweep by the Chicago White Sox in 2005. They would be the first Texas team to win the Fall Classic and they’d wipe their history of mediocrity off the board with a win. Also, they’d prove Sports Illustrated as clairvoyant with this 2014 cover.
The Dodgers are one of the winningest teams in baseball, with 22 National League Pennants and 6 World Series crowns. Sadly, the Dodgers went cold after Kirk Gibson hit the most famous home run in baseball’s history in the 1988 World Series. They’ve not won a pennant since, let alone a World Series. They went through the Frank McCourt saga, failed in the late 2000’s with repurposed pieces like Joe Torre and Manny Ramirez, and spent the GDP of Granada to lose to the Cubs and Cardinals in the NLCS this decade. Now, they’re one win away from validating Magic Johnson’s investment in the team.
The drought ending is there, but not the main draw. The caliber of play is the reason to watch. These teams are the best in baseball. Both won over 100 games, both are loaded with ace pitchers, and both have dynamic lineups. Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander are future Hall of Famers who have validated those credentials this postseason. Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, and Justin Turner are all legitimate MVP candidates and have given great offensive shows. It’s nice to see the ratings for this series have been higher than recent World Series. It deserves what we’ve been giving it. I hope people become baseball fans as a result of this series.
It is also completely possible to get a wacky end to the year that might even surpass last year’s closing act. The teams are ready to go and the sport is ready for its fine display.
So who wins? Beats me. I’ve just been along for the ride and have gotten an outstanding Fall Classic. I will watch this game tonight at a sports bar with another baseball addicted friend with baited breath and incredible anticipation.
I’ve certainly had my share of baseball this year. I’m an avid Red Sox fan and went to many games at Fenway, most notably David Ortiz’s retirement game against the Angels in June. I called games at MIT and followed the North Carolina baseball team for my friends on the team. And I hosted baseball players for a championship season in Brewster for the Whitecaps. You’d think that’d be enough baseball, right? Not for me!
I am excited for this year’s World Series! Not because of rooting interests, like last year for the Cubs, or any loyalty I have in a team, like with the Red Sox. No, I’m excited because this is a series between the two best teams in baseball.
Houston led the AL for most of the year until Cleveland went on their crazy run of 22 straight wins. Even with that record, I thought Houston was a better team than Cleveland. Turns out they had enough to get by the Red Sox in 4 games and the Yankees in a strong 7 game series. Carlos Correa, George Springer, Evan Gattis, and MVP Candidate Jose Altuve lead one of the best lineups you’ll ever see. Altuve is also 5’6″ and has big home run power. He is awesome to watch and is enough to power a team on his own. The pitching is also deep, with 2015 Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton, Brad Peacock, and newly acquired Justin Verlander headline the starters. Verlander may be the most important. The former Cy Young winner and MVP of the league was the easy choice for MVP of the ALCS and looks like a new man after leaving Detroit. The bullpen is anchored by Ken Giles, Chris Devenski, Luke Gregorsom, and Will Harris. It’s a good bullpen that can do the job, but the pitching strength is the rotation. If the lineup is clicking and the rotation is strong, Houston won’t need to push their pen and will win the series. If they have to depend on their bullepen, they are in trouble. The lineup is strong from top to bottom and the starters look amazing. They deserve to be in the World Series. Their opponent does too, though.
The Los Angeles Dodgers had a summer like no other. They went on a 52-9 stretch in the middle of the summer and looked like they’d set the record for most the season. Then they lost 11 in a row and panic set in. Then the Dodgers righted the ship and have dominated the playoffs. Neither Arizona or Chicago were close to LA in their playoff series. The Diamond backs were swept and the defending champion Cubs were outed in a rather easy five game victory. Justin Turner, Yadira Puig, Cody Bellinger, and Corey Seager have been bashing baseballs all season and leaving the dominant Dodger lineup. Their starting staff is anchored by certain Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, Rich Hill, and newly acquired star Yu Darvish. Yu hasn’t looked as good for his new team as Berlander has, but the former Ranger is still a big piece. Kenley Jansen is the best reliever in these playoffs. Ross Stripling, Pedro Baez, and Josh Fields are no slouches, but this bullpen revolves around how great Kenley Janesn is. If he’s on, LA has a far superior bullpen. And I expect him to be on for the series.
This is the most evenly matched series I’ve followed in my life. On paper at least. I know the sport has to be played to be understood, but I think we are in for a classic series this year. These are the best teams. They have awesome stories with Puig and Altuve, Verlander and Darvish, Hurricane Harvey and the Wildfires all surrounding this series.
Who will win? I have no idea. This will be tightly contested and too close to predict. Who do I want to win? I don’t know. I like both teams and have no ill will towards either. I guess I am an American League guy, so I would like to see Houston win. But I’d be fine with either team winning. If I had to pick a team to win, I’d say it’s the Astros on account of their starting staff being hotter right now. But we have a series to sort out. Let’s go!
Time to wrap up the fields in the Eastern Division of the Cape Cod Baseball League. So far, my look at the parks has been well worth it. I’ve seen plenty of excellent baseball with enough fun stories to go around. Now we’re finishing up with a trip to Harwich. Does it stack up to the rest of the Eastern Fields? Let’s find out. This is Whitehouse Field, home of the Harwich Mariners.
A brief word on my history with the park. I’ve been there a few times in my youth. My best memory was standing on the field for the National Anthem with one of the players. I think it was 2003 or 2004. I don’t remember exactly the year, I just know the guy I stood with was a shortstop and wore 15. It was also just plain cool that I was on the field for the Anthem. Anyway, enough nostalgia. Let’s begin.
Location: 9/10
Whitehouse Field is located at Monomoy Regional High School on Oak Street in Harwich. The school is brand new, opening its doors in 2014. As such, the school is gigantic, modern, and shiny. It serves as a good marker for where the park is. It also gives plenty of parking. The school lot, the field’s own lot, and the spaces at the Harwich Community Center right across the street ensure that there’s plenty of space for anyone trying to see the game.
There’s only one slight downside, it’s not that close to Harwich’s town center. Harwich is a lovely town with plenty of businesses, shops, and ice cream places to go explore. It’s not too far, especially if you come from the south side of Oak Street. However, it still feels like you need a car to get to the park. And that’s a little problem. Nothing major, but still an issue.
Seating: 7/10
And here is one place where the park struggles. Harwich has a great variety of seats. There’s bleachers behind home plate, grassy hills further down the baselines, and open spaces beyond the outfield fences. So what are the problems?
First and foremost, the bleacher sections are kinda small. There’s one center aisle on the larger sections. That makes the sections clumsy to navigate. And they are also smaller than most bleachers in the league. The smaller sections are even more condensed than that. That’s all just a small concern compared to the bigger issue in the bleachers, the material of the seats. They are old wood bleachers that welcome you back to old high school football games with loving splinters. Or they would if they weren’t covered with green plastic covers that are markedly uncomfortable in their own right. They curve poorly and don’t give a good surface to sit on. This issue can be averted by bringing your own seat that hooks onto the bleacher. But if you have to bring your own seat to mitigate a basline problem inherent in the seat, something is terribly wrong.
At least the sight lines are pretty good, barring a net or fence interference, but every other park has that issue somewhere. The only other issue is the outfield is very deep, making the view not very good. The best view is from the grassy hills beyond each dugout. Bring a lawn chair for that section.
Ultimately, the seating is ok, but some major problems knock it down in a big way.
Food: 9/10
No major complaints here. The Mariners don’t do anything special regarding their food, but there’s also nothing wrong here either. The food is right behind home plate, it’s close to everything, it’s priced well, the menu selections are standard and well executed, and it’s served with a smile and as briskly as the good people can get it to you. One problem. The grill is in a separate location from the rest of the foods, so getting a burger or a dog takes a bit longer and requires waiting in a longer line to pay and then wait for your food. I’m not a fan of that set up. Everything else is pretty good here.
Aesthetics: 7.5/10
This field isn’t ugly at all, it looks…. more rustic than other Cape fields. And not exactly in a good way.
Positives first. I love walking through the trees to get to the field. It makes me feel like I’m at a New England version of the Field of Dreams. The lights reflecting off the trees when the sun goes down is also an awesome look. The bunting hung around home plate is a nice touch. And the home plate area shaped like home plate and not just a circle is also a nice touch. Everything else holds up pretty well and is as you would hope for. Except for a few things.
First, the scoreboard is AWFUL!! It’s old, numbers pop on and off, some numbers don’t even show up at all, and the entire top row that is supposed to show the player’s names is blank and doesn’t work. The bleachers, as mentioned above, also look old and skeleton like. The wood also looks like it could use replacing, or at least some polish.
Ultimately, it’s not a bad field at all. There’s plenty to enjoy. There’s also much to be fixed and updated. That would improve it greatly. As it is, the park just feels old.
General Atmosphere: 8/10
Despite being an old ballpark, this is a fun place to go to. The staff does fun things for the family like T-shirt tosses, YMCA sing alongs, and dance songs. The crowd is pretty fun and the whole family can enjoy it. As stated above, I also love being in the woods for a game. It’s such a cool atmosphere to be in. Those issues of the aged ballpark knock a few points off for me. That’s my only real issue, but it is a substantial issue.
Total Score: 39.5/50
After reexamining this park, this is a flawed baseball experience. The field is well located and the town has good ice cream places for postgame merriment. The food there is good and the crowd is fun. But the seats and scoreboard need renovation and the park feels old and tired. I’d still recommend it. The baseline experience is pretty good, just flawed. Whitehouse Field is a worthwhile and enjoyable time, but I would recommend any other field in the east ahead of this one.
The Freedom Tower is a beautiful piece of that skyline today, almost an iconic piece along with the Chrysler Building or the Empire State Building. Even still, there still is a visual hole in the string of buildings with just one tower that looks different from the original Twin Towers. I don’t have a clear memory of seeing NYC before 9/11. But even I can tell there’s a hole that shouldn’t be there.
Chris's Corner 