Yaz Statue at Fenway
Carl Yastrzemski was my hero growing up (in that rarified boyhood world where people we have never met and know pretty much nothing about can somehow become a role model).

I have often wondered why the Red Sox have so infrequently highlighted Yaz since he retired.  Perhaps he is just private, as many have said.  But when I heard this news, I was delighted. 

This is the photo the statue will be modeled on...Yaz waving to the crowd just before his last at-bat.

Okay, heroes.  An odd thing.  My room growing up had a huge Yaz poster (yes, I still have it) and dozens of other pictures from Sports Illustrated all over the walls.  I would read the sports page each day and pay special attention to any Yaz news. 

I am not sure how it started, but I came to appreciate the WAY he played the game.  Later I learned he is a Republican; it is possible I might not even like him if we met (since Republican can mean a lot of things, from the brilliant Senator Danforth to, well, just about the lowest form of creature on the planet: think Perry, Bachman, Pat Robertson just for starters). 

Yaz was not a gifted athlete.  Of course, he was a great athlete, with awesome natural skills.  But he was no Barry Bonds.  He had to work hard, day in and day out, every season and off season, for 23 years as a pro and all the years before that.  And he never gave less than 100%.  He did not (as far as I could tell) judge others, scream at teammates, or let stardom go to his head.  He just wanted to be the best player and and person he could be.  I liked that.

My grandmother never pronounced his name right, and she would always criticize him to try to get me going.  It usually worked and we loved talking Red Sox.  My Dad liked to remind me that Ted Williams was better.  Of course, he is correct.  Of course, I never admitted that.  We loved talking Red Sox.  My mother and I watched so many Sox games together over the years, that loving Yaz feels like something wel love doing together.

I played baseball.  Like Yaz I played the outfield and, like him, I was an EXCELLENT fielder with a strong and accurate arm.  Unlike him, I was a mediocre hitter once I got to HS varsity level.  But I always tried to be like him and it made me a better player and better person.

Thanks Red Sox for the statue.  I look forward to seeing it and someday I would like to meet Yaz, but that will likely never happen.  I wish my mother, father, grandmother and I could have all sat in my parents great room for an evening with some food and beers talking baseball.  That would have been very cool.  Nanny would have loved it.