It's a Red Sox October ... Finally | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Red Sox baseball has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It was introduced to me by my father at my first game in 1973. His first game with his Dad was in 1933. Until the day he passed in July, Dad knew who was going to pitch....every game. The day after each game he had a system by which he would wear a white hat to Peg's Diner if the Red Sox won; a black hat if they lost. Last year Pop wore a lot of black hats!

    Back in May, when it became clear that Dad's health was declining quickly, I emailed the Red Sox ticket office for a special request. You see, Dad had this ritual when going to games. The last thing he did as he walked out the door was to grab the tickets and put them in his front shirt pocket along with a couple of cigars. So, I got a couple of tickets from the Red Sox that weren't used and put them in his suit in the casket along with 2 cigahs ... and of course a Red Sox hat....and a bottle of ketchup!

    Sports is only supposed to be a diversion to our ordinary lives. But for Pop and me, it was a great escape....a place to let it all go...in later years, a place to get to know one another as friends and as men.
Mike Hayes with his dad - two huge Red Sox fans in this life and beyond: Above.    Click image to expand.
    Tonight,....hell, all month... Pop has had the best seat in the house to watch this band of brothers fight and claw from the ashes of last year's disastrous mess of a season to a World Series victory.

    Fire up the Cigar, Pop! What a helluva ride!!


Song for my Father Album: Song for my Father (1964) Written by: Horace Silver Personnel: Horace Silver — piano Carmell Jones — trumpet Joe Henderson — tenor ...