Mike Yastrzemski joked about his grandfather’s brief cameo at Fenway Park
"There are some cool days in baseball, and I’ve had a lot of them," said Giants manager Bob Melvin. "This is one of them."
Mike Yastrzemski’s day at Fenway Park: As a Massachusetts native, Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski probably already gets a thrill out of playing at Fenway Park. But when combined with the fact that he’s the grandson of Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski, it can sometimes result in special scenes like the one Thursday.
Yastrzemski, 33, got to catch up with Carl, his 84-year-old Hall of Fame relative, prior to the Thursday’s 3-1 Giants win. In customarily laconic fashion, the elder Yastrzemski didn’t say much, or stay for too long.
“I think he left the car running when he was in here,” the younger Yastrzemski joked to reporters. “But that’s normal. He’s quick to the point, you know.”
Mike added that, “It was good to see him and fun to have him around for a minute.”
During the game itself, he looked a lot like Carl: Two left-handed hitters swatting home runs at Fenway.
As brief as the longtime Red Sox star’s presence may have been, it’s something his grandson appreciates.
“One of the things that he’s done incredibly well as a grandfather is letting me have my career,” Yastrzemski said. “He’ll pick up the phone when I call or if I ask him questions, he’ll answer. But he’s never forcing anything on me. He’s never suggesting anything. He’s always told me, ‘When in doubt, talk to your hitting coaches.'”
Short as his stay was Thursday, Carl still made a strong impression on Giants manager Bob Melvin.
“I didn’t have a ton to say to him,” Melvin said afterward. “There are some cool days in baseball, and I’ve had a lot of them. This is one of them.”
Trivia: Carl Yastrzemski is far and away the all-time leader in games played in Red Sox history with 3,308. Who ranks second?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He was Yastrzemski’s teammate for 12 seasons.
Scores and schedules:
The Bruins lost to the Maple Leafs, 2-1, in Game 6 of the playoff matchup on Thursday. Boston now faces a Game 7 at home against Toronto on Saturday at 8 p.m.
The Red Sox also lost on Thursday, falling 3-1 at Fenway Park to the Giants. Boston begins a three-game series against the Twins tonight in Minnesota at 8:10 p.m.
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Tom Brady, still popular in New England: The Patriots legend will be celebrated at Gillette Stadium in June when he is inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame. Tickets, as expected, went fast.
On this day: In 1970, the Bruins smashed the Blues, 6-1, to win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Boston overcame the St. Louis defense strategy of trying to focus on Bobby Orr, with Johnny Bucyk notching a hat-trick in the rout (that would culminate with a Boston sweep and the team’s first Stanley Cup win in 29 years).
Daily highlight: OG Anunoby threw it down in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ series-clinching win over the 76ers on Thursday.
Trivia answer: Dwight Evans
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