This is an upcoming book by a well-known MSNBC reporter about the cultural influence of the Boston Red Sox and even though I knew that the Red Sox were beloved by many, I didn't realize just how many connections in non-baseball areas the team had. I learned a lot and enjoyed the book as well.
Title/Author:
“The Fenway Effect: A Cultural History of the Boston Red Sox” by David Krell
Rating:
4 ½ of 5 stars (Very Good)
Review: The Boston Red Sox have a special place in the hearts of many New Englanders. Even those who don’t follow baseball closely seem to have their emotions tied together with the ups and downs of the area’s baseball team. This book by David Krell explores some of those connections and why the Red Sox are an important part of the fabric of Boston.
The book explores many different aspects of this grip that the team has on the culture of the area. Not only are the important baseball games covered (Game Six of the 1975 World Series, Game Six of the 1986 World Series, the “Boston Strong” game after the Boston Marathon bombing where David Ortiz gave his famous speech) but connections in the community and in other forms of entertainment are discussed as well. For the latter, examples of this is the television show “Cheers” and it’s main character Sam Malone who was a pitcher for the Red Sox before opening his bar and “Fever Pitch”, the romantic comedy with Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon, who plays a die-hard Red Sox fan.
Something that is worth noting is that topics that originated from a source other than the Red Sox are also included and proper credit, when due, is given. The best example is one of my favorite topics in the book, the Jimmy Fund. For those who don’t know about it, it is a very popular fundraiser for research into children’s cancer. It was inspired by a child cancer patient in 1948 and the “Jimmy” name is fictional, although the real name of the child is later revealed. But while this charity is well-connected with the Red Sox and legendary Red Sox player Ted Williams often visited patients without publicity, this was not originally a Red Sox staple. “Jimmy” expressed a desire to see his favorite baseball player, Billy Southworth. At the time, he was the manager of the Boston Braves, so the Jimmy Fund was started by the Braves. There are other connections to the Braves and plenty of mentions of the other professional sports teams in Boston.
The fan experience should also be included in this book and it covers many different areas of the region and various ages. This was my only disappointment with the book, although not because they were included. Indeed, this book would be incomplete without hearing from people on why the Red Sox are so important. But reading them in one chapter as they were organized felt like they were staring to sound the same. Of course, they were not – and for other Red Sox fans, this might resonate more greatly, but for me, they just started to feel like the same story but told in different ways.
That doesn’t take away anything from the book as it is one that I thoroughly enjoyed and it is complete for everything from the Red Sox ballpark before Fenway Park (Huntington Avenue Grounds) to the iconic Citgo sign seen over the Green Monster, this book is one that any baseball fan who understands what the Red Sox mean to the New England region will want to read.
I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a review copy. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
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