A Big Papi party, and other thoughts

Just thought I’d empty out my reporter’s notebook while eagerly awaiting the triumphant return of Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band to the Mohegan Sun Arena on March 12 …

*The village of Cooperstown, New York turns into a Boston neighborhood today for David Ortiz’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Big Papi, the greatest designated hitter of all time, slugged 541 home runs while leading the Red Sox to three World Series titles (2004, 2007 and 2013). Only four players in MLB history have hit 500 or more home runs and won 3 or more World Series championships (Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, and David Ortiz).

With one clutch hit after another, Ortiz ended the Curse of the Bambino while becoming one of the most popular and iconic athletes in Boston’s illustrious sports history. Beantown’s Mount Rushmore is the hardest one to crack but Ortiz, a first ballot Hall of Famer, is in the conversation alongside Tom Brady, Larry Bird, Bobby Orr, Ted Williams, and Bill Russell.

Ortiz joins Wade Boggs, Jimmy Collins, Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Rick Ferrell, Carlton Fisk, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Harry Hooper, Pedro Martinez, Herb Pennock, Jim Rice, Ted Williams, and Carl Yastrzemski as Hall of Famers with a Red Sox cap on their plaque.

It promises to be one heck of a pahty today in Cooperstown. Rumors abound that Pedro Martinez will arrive by landing a seaplane on Otsego Lake.

*Just picked up “the book the experts cannot do without” -  Phil Steele’s annual ‘College Football Preview’ magazine - for the 28th consecutive year. Despite all of the craziness going on in college football - are UCLA and USC really going to the Big Ten? - there’s nothing better than a fall Saturday in places like South Bend, Ann Arbor, Baton Rouge, Athens, and Chestnut Hill.

Batten down the hatches, Connecticut! The Boston College Eagles invade Rentschler Field on Oct. 29. The Huskies are 0-12-2 against Evan Springsteen’s (son of Bruce) alma mater.

My other “Bring Back The Yankee Conference Games of The Year” are Maine at New Mexico (Sept. 3), UConn at Michigan (Sept. 17), Rhode Island at Pittsburgh (Sept. 24), and UMass at Texas A&M (Nov. 19).

*Speaking of college football … Southbury native Jenny Dell, the former Red Sox sideline reporter at NESN, has been named the lead college football reporter on CBS. She replaces Jamie Erdahl, who went to the NFL Network. Dell will be teaming with Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson to call CBS’s top game each week, including the SEC ON CBS game of the week.

I have a hunch my TV is going to be stuck on CBS every Saturday this fall.

*Kudos to Red Sox entertainment honchos for playing “Sweet Caroline” during the Sox’s ugly 28-5 drubbing against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

Some folks on social media didn’t think the iconic song should be played while the Sox were giving up the most runs in franchise history. But who says fans can't have any fun when the Sox are playing like the Bad News Bears?

And what about the out-of-town visitor who planned a summer vacation around his first trip to Fenway Park. You bet he wants to hear “Sweet Caroline.” So good!

*I can’t wait to see the New England Patriots play in their throwback uniforms this season. Seeing the classic Pat Patriot back on the helmet along with red jerseys with white pants brings back memories of Steve Grogan throwing bombs to Stanley Morgan and Sam “Bam” Cunningham barreling into the end zone from the 1-yard line. Yup, still stuck in the 70s.

*Kudos to the Preston/Jewett City 12U softball all stars who made it all the way to the state finals. PJC won their first state final game in program history before being eliminated by defending champ Milford and Wallingford. As a parent, it’s magical watching your kids go from tee ball and coach pitch to blossom into talented athletes competing for district, sectional and state championships.

*Former Old Lyme High and UConn star Ryan Fuller has been a big part of the Baltimore Orioles resurgence.

After his playing days ended following a year in the minors with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Fuller ran a private hitting school from 2013 to 2019. He joined the Orioles in 2019 as their minor league hitting instructor. He spent the 2021 season as the hitting coach for the Bowie  Baysox before being promoted to replace Don Long as the Orioles major league hitting coach. Fuller has been sharing co-hitting coach duties with Matt Borgschulte.

Fuller, along with former Oriole minor leaguer Ryan Zrenda, led Old Lyme to the Class S state championship game in 2006. The Wildcats lost a late lead and fell in heartbreaking fashion against Windsor Locks, 4-2, at Yale Field.

*STUCK IN THE 70s: On this day - July 24, 1975 - the first place Boston Red Sox defeated the Minnesota Twins, 6-2, at Metropolitan Stadium. Jim Rice blasted a two-run homer and Rick Wise scattered nine hits in a complete game win to improve to 13-6. Rod Carew went 2-for-4 to raise his batting average to .379, while designated hitter Tony Oliva went 1-for-4 for the Twins. Oliva is joining David Ortiz today in Cooperstown. Oliva was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, along with Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, and Minnie Minoso, by the Golden Days Era Committee.

Jimmy Zanor can be reached at jzanor@norwichbulletin.com.

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