Stay Fair, Stay Fair

Today was the announcement of who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame for the class of 2000. I was at work when word arrived that Carlton Fisk and Tony Perez were elected. These two players will forever be linked to the 1975 World Series in my mind. I can still remember watching Game 6 of the series from my hospital bed. I was 15 years old at the time and it was the day before I was to go in for surgery. I had been playing football and happened to get my finger stuck between two helmets shattering the joint on my middle finger. I was pretty lucky, at least it wasn't my pitching hand. I sat in the bed, glued to the television as the game went extra innings. When Fisk came up in the bottom of the 12th, I like everyone in the country cheered and leaned to try and help the ball stay fair as it sailed above the green monster. Doctors and nurses were all in the room cheering as it hit the foul pole and Fisk rounded the bases. That experience helped me get through a rough period of time in my life. I would like to say I remembered Perez homering in game seven to help Cincinnati win the series but I was experiencing better living through chemistry. It seemed appropriate that they should enter the Hall of Fame together.