Day of the Truck

Heidi was happy! (Police officer was cold!)*

It was rainy.  It was chilly.  We got yelled at to “move away” by the folks doing actual work because the truck took up half of Van Ness Street and there were cars trying to make their way down (also, the people doing the actual work didn’t seem overjoyed at having people with cameras and kids gawking at them and getting in their way – can’t say I blame them).  We only saw Wally for about three minutes and that was just to give away jetBlue caps and the only other “celebrities” there were Heidi Watney and a brief cameo by Larry Lucchino.

Yet it was the most fun I’ve had all winter!

Every fan there yesterday was happy.  I’m not sure there were more than 50 Red Sox fans there by the time the truck rolled away, but the fans who were there were smiling and excited and eager to discuss baseball and the significance of watching the truck get loaded and on its way.

There was a tweet yesterday that the Globe’s Eric Wilbur retweeted and added commentary to:Wilbur followed his up by saying that he is “tired of the unending Sox marketing machine”.  Aside from the signage on the truck, the only other “marketing” yesterday was Wally tossing fans jetBlue caps (okay they toss soft baseballs with the jetBlue logo on them as well…big deal).  There was a small group of fans, including some children, who knew being there was silly but it was FUN.  That’s all.  No one tried to sell us anything.  No one asked us for money to stand there in the rain and watch them load baby toys (seriously) on to the truck.  We did it because it was FUN.

Truck day has gone on much longer than the current owners have been with the Red Sox.  Fans have always gone to Fenway Park to watch it leave, it’s just more publicized than it used to be.  If you have a problem with this, I’d venture you have a problem with the ownership in general (as Mr. Wilbur seems to) because there was nothing negative about yesterday.  Again.  IT WAS FUN.

I know fun might be a foreign concept to some who cover sports but, really, the stick needs to be taken out of some asses in the Boston sports media.

The people at Fenway yesterday were happy.  Hell, Heidi Watney was DANCING at one point.  People took pictures of a truck and discussed the upcoming season with fellow Sox fans.  Many who were there were also planning on being at some of the Spring Training games and this was their pregame warmup of sorts.  I will never understand why so many in this town need to crap on the things that most people just find enjoyable.

I was at Fenway Park yesterday being reminded that on Sunday baseball season is beginning.  No one made me go.  I didn’t have to pay for anything, I just stood there happily staring at “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark” and getting excited for the 2011 season.  How can that possibly be a bad thing?

*Visit my Flickr page for more photos from the day

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGrIzEUBAWc&w=560&h=345]