Ah,
Spring Training. It's a picture-perfect day at City of Palms Park
in Ft. Myers, FL. It's my first game of spring, and I'm already in
heaven being away from Boston in the middle of winter and with the long-awaited
return of baseball, glorious baseball! It had been a very long, arduous
four months, as is every off-season in Boston. Also, the previous night
I'd seen one of the greatest rock 'n' roll shows ever - Bruce Springsteen
in Tampa, and from the center of the FRONT ROW. No kidding.
Another story for another time (and place), but my point is that the heavens
are shining down upon me on this day, and I'm sitting in god's pocket.
I
greet many familiar faces, give my septagenarian "beer stud" pal a hug
"hello," grab a program and settle into my seat behind home plate.
I flip through the program and happen upon Jim Rice's bio, and notice that
his birthday is March 8. "Hmm, that's tomorrow," I think to myself.
During a break in the action, I lean over to where Mr. Rice is sitting,
his regular spring training game spot just outside of the dugout and to
my left. Like a lot of fans, I manage to chat with him every year
at Spring Training, through the screen. We make eye contact, and
I get a wave and a big, familiar smile. I whisper through the screen:
"I see that tomorrow's a special day in your life. What would you
like for your birthday?" He smiles and thinks for a brief moment.
Then he replies "chocolate-covered strawberries." "Strawberries,"
I'm thinking...hmmm, that could be a tough thing to find in a strange town
on short notice. "How about cherries?" I ask. "Cherries?
At MY age?" he says with a chuckle.
The
following day, en route to the ballpark, I make a quick stop at the Winn-Dixie
to pick up some supplies. As I suspected, chocolate-covered strawberries
are nowhere to be found, and time is short. Fortunately, the Winn-Dixie
has a reasonably well-equipped "party" section, and I quickly find some
"happy birthday" and "older, better than ever" streamers, as well as a
gift bag. I hit the produce section and find some fresh strawberries,
then move on to the candy aisle and find a large Hershey's chocolate bar.
"There must be a microwave in the clubhouse," I think to myself.
So,
armed and ready, I make my way to the ballpark, arriving about 1/2 hour
before game time. Time to enlist some co-conspirators! I find
the two ball/bat-boys for our side, and we have a little chat, out of the
view of the coaches. I turn over my birthday streamers to the boys,
who hide the ammo under Rice's chair outside the dugout. We agree
that the seventh-inning stretch would be surprise-party time. Then
I take my giftbag containing
almost his precise birthday request,
and get myself out of sight.
I
bump into Sox' mascot Wally the Green Monster and decide to fill him in
on the plan. It's tough enlisting a mascot for a prank because all
they can do is point and nod. Much like Disney characters, they're
not permitted to speak. But Wally seems to really go for the idea,
rubbing his hands together, and giving me a "thumbs-up." Now here's
where a big part of the plan comes in. I have a friend who works
in the Sox' front office. I consider how busy he must be, decide
to call him up anyway - and getting his voicemail, I leave a message
describing "the plan." I ask if he has any pull with the electronic
scoreboard people, and if so, might he be able to get a "Happy Birthday
Jim" flashed up on the screen? I have no idea whether my friend will
receive my message in time for the stretch, or whether there is, in fact,
anything he can do - but I figure it's worth a shot.
So,
nevermind the game. As I recall, the Yankees were killing us (it's
one of their first Spring Training victories, for what that's worth).
It's hard
not
to care, but at this time of year, the game's the
thing, the outcome
really doesn't matter! It JUST DOESN'T
MATTER! Not even when it's the "Bronx Bombers." Hailing
from Tampa as they do this time of year, there's just no ferocity;
they may as well be the Tampa Tiggers. IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER!!"
So,
it's the 7th Inning Stretch, and as the crowd wraps up singing "Take Me
Out To The Ballgame," a wonderful thing happens - beyond my wildest imagined
plan. Not only do I see a huge "Happy Birthday to Red Sox Hitting
Coach Jim Rice," up on the screen, but suddenly the ANNOUNCER comes on
the PA system and says,
"Ladies
and Gentlemen - will you please join us in singing 'Happy Birthday' to
Red Sox hitting coach Jim Rice."
With
this - the entire ballpark breaks out in song, accompanied by the park's
organist! I scoot down to the screen and egg-on the ball/batboys,
who need a little push. Once they conquer their fear, however, and
start decorating the "birthday-boy," they seem to relax and have a lot
of fun with it.
Mr.
Rice turns to me, smiling, as I hand over the giftbag. He graciously
peeks inside, then turns back to me, beaming. I explain my microwave
recipe. At this point, I'm not sure who is wearing the bigger grin
- him or me. For a great moment, I feel like I'm one of the players,
a member of the major league team - having pulled off my first pretty decent
"baseball prank" in all its glory! And believe me, it couldn't have
happened to a nicer guy.
All
these years I've been going to Spring Training during St. Paddy's Day week.
I may continue to go a week earlier (like I did this year), as I just may
have to make Rice's birthday celebration an annual tradition!
Ball-boys
start to decorate Jim as the seventh-inning stretch turns into a "a Big
Red Sox Happy Birthday" sing-a-long for batting coach Jim Rice -- forty-something
and fabulous -- March 8, 2000!! He's reading the banner that says
"Better than Ever!"
He
thanks the prankster! He seems really touched!! No, Jimmy - thank
YOU!! For everything!
A
shot of one of my co-conspirators and me! Thanks, Wally ("The Green Monster")!
You ain't no Philly Phanatic, but you're O.K., buddy. :-)
I
owe a big "THANK YOU" to my friend at the Red Sox (who it seems - got my
voicemail message in time, afterall!) for pulling out all the stops in
Rice's honor. Thanks for making MY day (or more like my entire Spring)!!
:-)
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