[SIZE=10.5pt]I know we've had threads like this before, but it's Pedro HOF weekend and I think it's appropriate and okay if we're a little bit repetitive. If this should go somewhere else please move on my behalf.[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=10.5pt]I was born & raised in Boston but moved to VA when I was 10 in 1981. I took the love of Yaz, Rice and the Sox with me. My passion only grew as I did, but it was challenging being a Sox (and Bruins, and Celtics) fan living so far away. I was never part of the 'home team', and the internets weren't there yet so it was tough to follow along. I had to rely on TWiB and calling 202-362-4444 over and over and over again to get the latest update on the Sox score. And then pray that Channel 4 would show at least one clip from the game later that night.[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=10.5pt]When I was making a little money in the mid-90's I started flying up to Boston for a weekend to take in three games at Fenway each season. It was always amazing. I couldn't believe I was there. I couldn't believe I was in the midst of so many Sox fans. It was always surreal.[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=10.5pt]When Dan Duquette acquired Pedro (thanks again, Dan!) I immediately targeted the opening series vs Seattle in 1998 for my weekend trip. My birthday happened to be on Opening Day - the game that the Big Unit went 8 strong innings but the Mariners blew a 7-2 9th inning lead and Mo Vaughn won it with a walk-off grand slam. Fenway was electric! But the next day - that was Pedro's first Fenway start as a Red Sox. That was really why I was in town. The atmosphere was like nothing I had seen - huge Dominican flags waving, people with Dominican flags painted on their faces, dancing, singing. It was next-level stuff. Pedro spun a complete-game, two hit shutout over a lineup that included a young ARod, Griffey and Edgar Martinez. Boston based fans and scribes all talked about how nothing like this had happened in Fenway since the Tiant days, and even then it wasn’t like this. Welcome to Fenway, Pedro![/SIZE]
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[SIZE=10.5pt]The next year I bought Directv for the sole purpose of being able to watch Sox games in Virginia. Yes, the Sox were the draw but really I wanted to see Pedro, and if I missed a Pedro start there was a pretty good reason. Didn’t happen often. I remember having the game on during my fantasy football draft in Aug of 2000 - the day of the infamous game vs Tampa where Gerald Williams charged the mound. Had one eye on the tv as that happened, and both on the tv in the 9th when the no-hitter was still intact. Does anyone else remember that Pedro’s neck-chain broke the pitch before the no-no was broken up? JINX![/SIZE]
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[SIZE=10.5pt]I moved back to Boston in Jan of ’04 and was so lucky to be in the area for that magical season. I was seated near the dugout for a game that Pedro wasn’t pitching that season. In between innings Pedro popped his head out from the dugout and started tossing…something around to various fans. Yes, I was 33 years old but I wanted one of whatever it was he was playfully tossing out. By luck one came spinning my way and I dove into to the step area to catch it, busting up my elbow along the way. I still have that unwrapped piece of Bazooka gum today.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]There are so many Pedro memories – most of which we’re all familiar with like out-of-the-pen vs Cleveland, 17k vs NY, ’99 AS game, Cy Young vs Cy Old. I don’t mind hearing and reading about all of those but curious to know if any SoSHers have any lesser known Pedro memories to share on this glorious HOF weekend.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
Pedro!
[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]I was born & raised in Boston but moved to VA when I was 10 in 1981. I took the love of Yaz, Rice and the Sox with me. My passion only grew as I did, but it was challenging being a Sox (and Bruins, and Celtics) fan living so far away. I was never part of the 'home team', and the internets weren't there yet so it was tough to follow along. I had to rely on TWiB and calling 202-362-4444 over and over and over again to get the latest update on the Sox score. And then pray that Channel 4 would show at least one clip from the game later that night.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]When I was making a little money in the mid-90's I started flying up to Boston for a weekend to take in three games at Fenway each season. It was always amazing. I couldn't believe I was there. I couldn't believe I was in the midst of so many Sox fans. It was always surreal.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]When Dan Duquette acquired Pedro (thanks again, Dan!) I immediately targeted the opening series vs Seattle in 1998 for my weekend trip. My birthday happened to be on Opening Day - the game that the Big Unit went 8 strong innings but the Mariners blew a 7-2 9th inning lead and Mo Vaughn won it with a walk-off grand slam. Fenway was electric! But the next day - that was Pedro's first Fenway start as a Red Sox. That was really why I was in town. The atmosphere was like nothing I had seen - huge Dominican flags waving, people with Dominican flags painted on their faces, dancing, singing. It was next-level stuff. Pedro spun a complete-game, two hit shutout over a lineup that included a young ARod, Griffey and Edgar Martinez. Boston based fans and scribes all talked about how nothing like this had happened in Fenway since the Tiant days, and even then it wasn’t like this. Welcome to Fenway, Pedro![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]The next year I bought Directv for the sole purpose of being able to watch Sox games in Virginia. Yes, the Sox were the draw but really I wanted to see Pedro, and if I missed a Pedro start there was a pretty good reason. Didn’t happen often. I remember having the game on during my fantasy football draft in Aug of 2000 - the day of the infamous game vs Tampa where Gerald Williams charged the mound. Had one eye on the tv as that happened, and both on the tv in the 9th when the no-hitter was still intact. Does anyone else remember that Pedro’s neck-chain broke the pitch before the no-no was broken up? JINX![/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]I moved back to Boston in Jan of ’04 and was so lucky to be in the area for that magical season. I was seated near the dugout for a game that Pedro wasn’t pitching that season. In between innings Pedro popped his head out from the dugout and started tossing…something around to various fans. Yes, I was 33 years old but I wanted one of whatever it was he was playfully tossing out. By luck one came spinning my way and I dove into to the step area to catch it, busting up my elbow along the way. I still have that unwrapped piece of Bazooka gum today.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]There are so many Pedro memories – most of which we’re all familiar with like out-of-the-pen vs Cleveland, 17k vs NY, ’99 AS game, Cy Young vs Cy Old. I don’t mind hearing and reading about all of those but curious to know if any SoSHers have any lesser known Pedro memories to share on this glorious HOF weekend.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
Pedro!