Not afraid to siphon some of the love that was showered on the local
football team, the Sox will celebrate the Patriots' Super Bowl victory in
pregame ceremonies. Prepare for Brady-palooza. And if you live in the Back
Bay, you might want to put masking tape on your windows - not because John
Wasdin may pitch, but because there'll be a flyover featuring four F-16s
at the conclusion of the Canadian and US national anthems.
Ever tangled up in green, Fenway's capacity has increased by a few
hundred seats, and new manager Grady Little is just fine with the changes.
''It gives more fans a chance to see the Red Sox,'' Little said during
yesterday's workout. ''And that's what we're all about. We'll try to show
'em something to make it worthwhile.''
The Sox certainly have the firepower to compete in the American League.
The strength and depth of their starting pitching and the health of the
recovering trio of Jason Varitek (elbow), Nomar Garciaparra (wrist), and
Pedro Martinez (shoulder) are the key questions for this edition.
The players are certainly happier than they were at the end of 2001.
Most of the malcontents have been swept out, and some of the issues that
dogged the remaining stars have been addressed. Furniture and food have
been moved out of the clubhouse, making the ancient locker room appear
considerably larger. The old wives' room has been converted into a
players' lounge, equipped with food, beverages, and a 61-inch television.
A new wives' room was still being completed yesterday.
Meanwhile, stars from yesteryear such as Dwight Evans, Luis Tiant, and
Johnny Pesky suited up and whistled while they worked with the players
during the light workout. Little's wife and brother were on hand, as was
Nomar's friend, Mia Hamm. They all watched from the box seats and must
have wondered what the commotion was all about at the end of last season.
Things certainly are cheery these days.
''You should have seen the guys when they saw the new facilities,''
said longtime clubhouse manager Joe Cochran. ''They came in here around 11
o'clock Saturday night and I never had so many guys come up and hug me and
say nice things about the place.''
''Awesome,'' said Lou Merloni.
''Beautiful,'' said Tim Wakefield. ''I love it.''
Trot Nixon added, ''They did a great job, using every inch of available
space. And the players' lounge is great, especially the big TV. You don't
want to get too comfortable in there, but it's a great atmosphere.''
Who knows? It might even be good enough for Manny Ramirez's agent.
Opening Day at Fenway has worked out well for the hometown team. The
Sox are 49-41 in home openers at Fenway, and have won eight of their last
nine.
The Sox have not opened the season at home since 1995, when Aaron Sele
beat the Twins, 9-0. They usually open on the road because weather can
play a huge factor in early April games on the East Coast. Today's
forecast calls for rain early in the morning, clearing in the afternoon
with temperatures in the 50s.
There are no lightning bolts in the forecast. Lightning strikes only
once.
This story ran on page A1 of the Boston Globe on 4/1/2002.
Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.