50 years ago

Last week, there was a free HBO preview, and Christine DVR'd a documentary, Ted Williams: There Goes the Greatest Hitter that Ever Lived, for me. It was good. It made me think about how there will probably never be an iconic superstar again. In our generation, maybe Cal Ripken, but his back story is bland. I had also forgotten about the whole frozen head thing, so maybe it was not all good.

A few days later, I saw an MLB Network special on the home run Williams hit in his last at-bat, commemorating today's 50th anniversary of the event.

I then tried reading John Updike's classic Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu to Trent, but I gave up. It's harder to read aloud than I thought.

Tonight's games: Irrelevant. The best 2010 regular season National League team lost to the Nationals 2-1. The Red Sox lead the White Sox, but their season is officially done as both the Rays and the Yankees won tonight. Congrats to our AL East foes. Go Rays.

Hub fans bid adieu, redux

A moment of silence, and a tip of Ted Williams' hat - if gods are answering letters tonight - in memory of John Updike.

For a writer, I'm not the most literary sort, but I've always liked Updike because of his Red Sox connection, most notably his famous essay about Fenway and Ted Williams' last at bat: Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu. I also liked his short story A&P, probably because I was assigned to read it at a time I also worked as a grocery store cashier.

While looking at his Wikepedia page tonight, I learned he was from Berks County, Pa. I don't know if I had known that. I will consider him an honorary SoxandPhil, like the late John Marzano.