40 YEARS AGO

An American In Paris, 1967

Sox Fan Nancy Macmillan recounts her 1967 story:

In a Red Sox season that was, as the DVD has it, impossible to forget, my most vivid and enduring memory originated not in Fenway Park, but 3,000 miles away.

The trip to Europe my husband and I had planned as our last getaway before our first child arrived in December coincided with the end of the regular season—bad timing! When we made the arrangements, the RedSox didn’t look like contenders for the pennant, and once they started their surge, it was too late to change the dates of our trip.

So here we were in our funky hotel room in Paris, the morning after the season ended. Before the Internet and other wonders of modern technology, news of baseball games was scarce on the other side of the Atlantic. As we drank our coffee in bed, we speculated about the weekend just past. Could the RedSox have won both Saturday and Sunday and taken the pennant? At first it seemed unlikely, but then we decided they could have won, and we needed to find out as soon as possible.

But how? Finally, one of us thought of the American Express office a few blocks away. Surely someone there would know all the important news from the U.S. We got dressed and proceeded to American Express. It turned out all the employees were French, but they had the information we and the other 20 or so Americans in the office were eager for. When they told us the RedSox had won the pennant, we total strangers hugged and danced and whooped and hollered, to the puzzlement of the office staff—an early manifestation of RedSox Nation.

We were back in Boston in time for the World Series, and that was wonderful, but what I’ll always remember is the celebration for the Impossible Dream team in Paris.

Tavarez Wows BoSox Luncheon!

Red Sox starting pitcher Julian Tavarez was the hit of the July 2, 2007 BoSox Club Luncheon at the Newton Marriott. Regaling the 300-plus members in attendance with on and off field stories, Julian showed why his energy and enthusiasm has made him a fan favorite. He talked about his "rolling the ball to first" exploits, the advisability of his locker being placed between Dice-K and Okajima, and his general love for the game of baseball and the Boston fans.

Also in attendance were: Wally The Green Monster, Master of Ceremonies Dan Roche from WBZ-TV, former Sox player Billy Conigiliaro (representing his brother Tony for the 1967 team), and Ranger rookie thrid baseman Travis Metcalf.

You can catch this type of excitement at the next BoSox luncheon on July 17th with the K.C. Royals, so make your reservations now.

BoSox BBQs At Fenway Nourish Body And Soul

In this 40th Anniversary year for both the BoSox Club and the 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox, we're holding 3 special BBQ days at Fenway for members and friends. The first was held on May 1st when the Sox hosted the Oakland A's, the second was held on May 17th when the Tigers were in town, and the final one will be held on September 14th when the (not so) dreaded Yankees come to Fenway.

The May 1st BBQ was graced by Red Sox Legend Bill Monbouquette, who held court with fans of all ages (see photo). These are just some of the great events planned by the BoSox Club in our big 40th Anniversary Year. If you'd like to join, just go the right of this story and click on the BoSox Club link. Go Sox!

BoSox Luncheon Kicks Off 40th Anniversary Celebration

The twin 40th anniversary celebrations of the BoSox Club and the 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox were held at a huge gathering of fans at the Newton Marriott on Monday, April 23rd. Close to 500 people enjoyed the festivities, emceed by Fox 25's Gene Levanchy.

Two of the anchors of the team that launched Red Sox Nation were honored guests—Hall of Famer and 1967 MVP Carl Yastrzemski and the man that caught the final regular season out, Rico Petrocelli. Carl and Rico recounted the memories of that storied season—and recalled when they first thought the team might be something special (Yaz thought so right in Spring Training).

If you'd like to share in these kinds of great moments, click on the BoSox Club homepage link on the right of this blog and join up today!