When I think of Baseball, I think of the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park. No place in America is richer in baseball history. Fenway Park with its' unique (green giant) wall in left field is the perfect setting for the American pass-time. Steeped in tradition, simmering with rivalry, baseball in Boston is truly an Abner Doubleday Extravaganza. For the younger set, who might not know who Abner Doubleday is. He is generally accredited for being the inventor of baseball.

I get nostalgic when I think of the great Hall of Famers of the past who graced the park. Ted Williams the splendid splinter, who had it not been for his military duty during World War 2 during the prime of his career, potentially could have been the All-Time homerun king. He had an eye for hitting a baseball unlike anyone, arguably the greatest hitter of all time, and the last man to bat over .400.

Who could forget Yaz? Carl Yaztrzemski, the last player to win baseballs coveted triple crown award. Leading his league in homers, batting average and runs batted in, all in the same season. He was a gem. A clutch hitter who always seemed to come through when the game was on the line. A great player who was loyal to one team for the length of his career.

Anyone who was watching remembers the Carlton Fisk home run in the 1975 World Series, where he seemed to wave the ball back into fair territory, as if controlling it with his will. We knew when we were watching it live that this would be a defining moment in the history of the game and the Sox.

Much has been written about the curse of the Bambino, when the dealing of Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees supposedly cursed the team from winning the Championship. Whether a person takes stock in superstition and believes a team could be under a curse or not, the mere coincidences and setbacks that held the Sox in check for 87 years have been great stuff for historians,fans and journalists alike to argue over and take pride in.

The great tradition of beloved athletes continues to this day. With greats like Pappy and Manny to route for, we loyal fans of Red Sox nation eat, breath and sleep according to the baseball schedule.

When I die, I hope God has a replica of Fenway Park in Heaven, because that's what I want my mansion to look like. I can't imagine going to a place better. The roar of the crowd, the smell of the hot dogs,the crack of the bat, the passion of the game. It is a thing of beauty!

What does a Red Sox fan do in the off season? Have you heard of the World Class basketball team in Boston. The Celtics are definitely in a class of their own if basketball is your thing. I am personally a baseball freak, so I typically reserve the moments I can't dedicate to baseball exclusively for Yankee bashing.

Just friendly Yankee bashing, no physical violence, just good old fashioned rivalry. Making fun of George Steinbrenner and his multi-million dollar team which now seems to have inherited the reversed curse of the Bambino. That kind of fun is a sport of its' own, one we can all join in on.

Learn more about this author, Michael Mccormick.
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