Patriot's Day: A Father and Son Tradition

The Red Sox have played their quirky Monday morning game on Patriot's Day since 1960. For a dozen years, Kevin from New York and I established our own traditional celebration of this unique New England holiday.

Beginning in 1990 and continuing through 2002, Kevin and I would truck into Fenway on Patriot's Day morning for the Sox game. It became our tradition. From the time he was 6 and just making his first baby pencil marks in the scorebook, until he was 18 and spending his first year in college we would make the trip to the Fens. The only thing that interrupted the streak was the strike in 1995 which delayed the start of the season and aborted the the annual early April game. The streak finally had to end when the demands of being a college sophomore prevented Kevin from taking the day off from classes. Leafing through the old box scores and score cards of those twelve games and recalling the experiences we had reveals a lot about the Red Sox, the baseball development of Kevin and the growing relationship between a father and son.

Despite the Sox playing .521 ball (988-908) during those 12 years (eliminating the 95 season), Patriots Day turned out be be a losing experience more times than not. The home team was 5-7 over that stretch and were shut out four times, including a pair of 1-0 losses. During the stretch, we saw the Yankmees (twice), A's, Devil Rays, Indians (three times), Orioles, White Sox (twice), Blue Jays and Brewers.

During the period, we would park at one of the T lots (usually Wellington), climb onto the Orange Line, transfer at North Station or Haymarket to the Green Line and then get off at Kenmore and wade through the crowds building not only for the game but the Boston Marathon which came through the same congested Kenmore Square where Fenway is located.

In the early years, I would hold Kevin's hand for dear life for fear of losing my little boy as I negotiated the moving mass of people. As Kevin got older and finally bigger than me, he would use his learned skills as a center on the football team to lead me through the crowd like a running back.

Once in the park, we would make our way to our seats. Every year I would get my company's seats for one game, and I always picked this one. The seats were awesome, three rows from the field just off the Red Sox on deck circle. We were so close we could see Mike Greenwell's unshaven face in 1991 and Jose Canseco's steriod enhanced muscles in 1996. The seats were so good I actually always worried that I would be spoiling Kevin for life having his first experience in these premier box seats. I also had to warn Kevin he had to pay attention since we were seated in prime check swing line drive territory. One time, I saw a fan sitting about five feet away not paying attention and then getting his face caved in when a right handed hitter half swung and launched a missle into the stands.

The omens were not good for our first Patriot's Day game in 1990. We were barely settled in our seats when the Brewers teed off on Mike Boddicker (yes he from whom we traded Brady Anderson and a young Curt Schilling to the Orioles) scoring 4 in the second and 2 in the third. That was just the beginning. They would amass 18 runs on 20 hits on the day while the Sox lineup led by Wade Boggs, Greenwell, Ellis Burks and Dwight Evans came up with three hits.

The final score was 18-0. A couple of interesting events in the game. I continued the education of scoring a game with Kevin that had begun in September of the previous year at his first game. By this game, he was able to handle most situations and would go several batters before getting bored and handing the book to me. Not bad for a six year old. To this day, he does not attend a game, and neither does Corey Almost in College, without scoring the game. In the early days, this got us some sideways glances from fans who had no idea what we were doing.

A couple of interesting sidenotes. Kevin recently reminded me that the Brewers scored their 18 runs without hitting a home run in the game. Also, late in the game, the Brewers inserted a pinch runner by the name of Terry Francona to run for Greg Brock. That would be Tito's next to last game. He would make his final major league appearance three days later and was released by Milwaukee the following week.

Finally, a lifelong precendent was set in this game. Losing 13-0, the Brewers exploded for another 5 runs in the eighth to make it 18-0. I turned to Kevin, and assuming a normal six year old would be ready to pack it in by then, asked if he wanted to leave. He looked at me as if I told him there was no Santa Clause. "Leave? No Dad, we have to stay to the end." The deal was struck. Again, to this day, we NEVER leave a game before the final out. No matter the circumstances, we stay to the bitter end.

In 1991, we changed things up a bit. Patriot's Day started by me waking up seven year old Kevin at 4:45 and stuffing him half sleeping in the car so I could take him to the Lexington Green to view the reenactment of the shot heard round the world. For those not aware, this starts at 6 am and the British win every year. Kind of like the Sox and Yanks in the AL East regular season. After the show, we sat on the curb on Mass Ave in Lexington and watched the parade which started at 8:30. From there we hightailed it to the nearest T stop and headed into town for the 11 am Sox start.

The Indians were in town and the Sox were shut out again, this time 1-0 Boggs and company came up with six hits in this one. So after two years, the sum total of Kevin's Patriot's Day experience from the Sox was this: Two losses by a combined score of 19-0, nine hits, no runs and one serious case of sleep deprivation.

In 1992, eight year old Kevin saw the Sox score their first run on Patriots Day in the fourth inning against the soon to be two time World Champion Toronto Blue Jays. Trailing 2-0, Greenwell singled home Boggs who had doubled to cut the lead in half. They would score three more times on the day but that wasn't enough to prevent a third straight Patriot's Day loss, 6-4 to the Jays. Jimmy Key got the win and Joe Hesketh got the loss.

Kevin was making scorebook progress. He did the first three innings before handing the book over to me.

We finally broke the P-Day streak with a 6-0 win over the White Sox in 1993. All the scoring took place in the bottom of the sixth when the Sox sent 11 batters to the plate in scoring their half dozen. John Dopson got his first win of the year and nine year old Kevin scored the last seven innings by himself.

Following the game, I had the bright idea that would avoid the massive crowd jam at the Kenmore T stop by walking to the next station, watching the Marathon as we went. Well, little did I know that several of the stations were closed and we ended up walking from Fenway Park to Park Station, about a 2.5 mile walk. Kevin never complained, but I don't believe he every walked the same again.

Our big win was followed by two more rout losses, 12-1 to the White Sox in 1994 and 8-0 in 1996 to the Indians following the strike year of 1995. 11-year old Kevin got to see Tim Raines go 4 for 5 with three homers, touching up Danny Darwin twice in 94. In 96, 12-year old Kevin saw a young Manny Ramirez go 1-4 while Dwayne Hosey led off and played center. Tim Wakefield took his second loss of the year.

In 1997, Kevin, now 13, saw the Sox win for the second time on Patriot's Day, this time beating the Orioles, 4-2. Rookie Nomah led off and played short and Wil "Answer the phone" Cordero belted a homer. Aaron Sele picked up his third win.

Another win for the Sox in 1998 despite a 2-4 day by Manny, including a home run in the fourth. Jim Leyritz tied the game with a pinch hit homer in the bottom of the ninth and Tom Flash Gordon picked up the win in relief.

Back to our losing ways in 1999 with the All Star Game logo festooning the left field wall. The Devil Rays bested Bret Saberhagen and the Sox 4-1.

The new millenium brought similar results as Kevin the high school junior watched Oakland's Felix Heredia shut down the Sox for seven innings enroute to a 1-0 A's win. Only four hits for the Sox.

The final two games of the streak fitting came against the Yankmees and resulted in two wonderful wins. in 2001, the Sox cruised to a 4-1 win over the bombers behind Frank Castillo. The Sox rocked Mike Mussina, always a pleasurable event, for 11 hits. Darren Lewis, Now Our Manny and Troy O'Leary all had two hits. Rod Beck got the save.

In 2002, Kevin, now a freshman at UNH, had to cut classes to make his final appearance to date on Patriot's Day. It was worth the trip. the Sox held off the Yanks to win 4-3. D-Lowe got the win and Ugeuth "Walking Boss" Urbina picked up the save.

It may be awhile before we get to go to another Patriot's Day game. I did get tickets for the family in 2003, but Kevin couldn't take time away from school. I think we'll try to do it again some day. But until then, we'll have to relive the wonderful memories of those special Monday mornings in April.