One of the fans lining up to take a photograph with Carlton Fisk at Fenway Fest last weekend was carrying her baby, who was bundled up in a snowsuit.
Fisk held out his hands, and soon the family had a keepsake photo of their daughter safe and secure in the big mitts of the Hall of Fame catcher.
Standing off to the side, it was nice to see Fisk enjoying his time with Red Sox fans. Their bond goes back to 1967, when he was drafted out of the University of New Hampshire.
“It’s great to be back here because the fans treat me so well,’’ Fisk said. “Some of it has to do with me growing up in New Hampshire, a hometown boy making good.
“But it also shows you how involved the fans are here — and it’s not like this in Chicago. They really appreciate you as a person and for how you played the game. That’s only here and a few other organizations.’’
Fisk, who turned 77 in December, will celebrate some milestones this year.
This month marks 25 years since he was elected to the Hall of Fame. In the time since, the only other catchers to make it to Cooperstown via the BBWAA ballot are Gary Carter, Mike Piazza, Pudge Rodriguez, and Joe Mauer.
October will bring about the 50th anniversary of his home run to win Game 6 of the 1975 World Series at Fenway Park.
But with happy memories come the pain of losing friends he played with, the latest being Luis Tiant in October.
“The greatest part about Looie was that he was always Looie,’’ Fisk said. “He never fell into that hole of thinking about who he was and what a great pitcher he was.
“He was a good-hearted man. He was always ragging Rico [Petrocelli], Tommy Harper, and Carl [Yastrzemski], just having fun. He was inclusive, too. He brought us all together in the clubhouse.
“We didn’t have Black players on one side or Latinos on the other. That was because of Looie.’’
Tiant threw 163 pitches in Game 4 of the ’75 Series, something you’d never see today. Fisk’s eyes lit up when talking about that game.
“There was never anybody I enjoyed catching more,’’ he said. “We never had a disagreement; we were always on the same page. He very, very rarely shook me off.
“Most pitchers are throwers now. It’s crap. They throw as hard as they can for 80-85 pitches and let the bullpen come in. In [Game 4], Louie got better as the game went on. That’s what I admired about him.’’
Fisk left the Red Sox after the 1980 season in a contract dispute. He finished his career with the White Sox, playing until he was 45.
Fisk played 343 more games in Chicago than Boston, but went into the Hall of Fame wearing a Red Sox cap on his plaque.
“I’m connected to both franchises but this is home,’’ he said, looking around Fenway Park.
Fisk started 2,097 games behind the plate and caught 18,511⅔ innings. It’s not always easy to get out of bed in the morning, but he’s doing well physically.
“Finally making a comeback,’’ he said. “I had a hip replacement that got infected and I spent 2½ years on the shelf. Nobody knows where it came from. That’s the worst thing you can have happen when you have a joint replaced.’’
Fisk needed intravenous antibiotics to fight the infection. He said the Centers for Disease Control near his home in Sarasota, Fla., was involved in helping his doctors treat the infection.
“We finally got it figured out,’’ Fisk said. “It took a while, but I’m feeling good.’’
Fisk enjoyed talking to fellow catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia while he was at Fenway. He makes occasional appearances at the ballpark during the season and watches some games on TV.
He likes the way Connor Wong catches — “he’s a good athlete’’ — but in general doesn’t like the evolution of his position.
“You shouldn’t have to rely on somebody from the dugout to call pitches,’’ he said. “You shouldn’t be on one knee when there’s somebody on base. There’s not a premium on catching. Now there’s a premium on framing the pitches and I think that has created some bad habits.
“They’re trying to pull the ball into the strike zone. Now you see guys missing balls in the dirt. There’s a responsibility for your catcher to instill as much confidence in a pitcher as you can. By that, I mean you can throw any pitch at any time, anywhere, and it’s not going to get by. I took pride in the idea that no ball would get by me even if it landed two feet away or was six feet high.’’
Fisk also would like the pitch clock adjusted so that catchers can have a few extra seconds during important moments of the game to make sure they’re in synch with the pitcher.
“When nobody’s on, I can see it,’’ he said. “But with the game on the line you need to be able to take a deep breath. I think that could be changed. The object of the game is to win, not play faster.’’
Quick ascent
Campbell ready for his first shot
Kristian Campbell will arrive at Red Sox spring training having played only 137 minor league games. His quick rise brings to mind players like Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr.
“Definitely a little bit quicker than I maybe originally anticipated, but it’s all been really good,’’ the 22-year-old Campbell said. “It’s been really consistent.
“I feel like our player development team has really got me in a good place, to where I feel confident and to where I feel like I’m able to take one step at a time throughout this whole process.’’
Campbell will get a good look at second base, where the Sox have a clear need. But that could change if further additions are made.
“I’m competing, but also preparing for the season,’’ Campbell said. “I want to ask the veteran players who have been through it how they feel about Boston and how they prepare for games.
“I want to see what their routines are and how I can learn from that.’’
Campbell carries himself with the confidence of an older player. Understandably so given his .327/.439/.546 slash line in the minors.
Coming from Georgia, Campbell has learned a lot about being a member of the Red Sox after playing in Portland and Worcester.
“The fans are passionate. They want a winning team,’’ he said. “That’s the most important thing when it comes to baseball, winning. I definitely felt it playing in New England. Baseball means a lot to people here.’’
A few other observations on the Red Sox:
■ The Sox did the right thing by making a deal with Jarren Duran instead of following through on their policy to go to an arbitration hearing with any player who doesn’t sign before the deadline.
Duran’s $3.85 million guarantee is $150,000 less than he was seeking and $350,000 more than the Red Sox were offering. It’s worth $200,000 for the Sox to maintain good relations with Duran and likely cheaper than what it would have cost to go forward with the hearing.
■ Scott Boras insists Alex Bregman merits a long-term deal. But as February draws closer, would he entertain the three-year, $60 million contract Cody Bellinger took from the Cubs on Feb. 27, 2023?
Other than manager Alex Cora saying he believes Bregman can play second base, Sox officials have been buttoned up about Bregman.
■ The Sox created some competition for backup catcher by trading with the Giants for Blake Sabol. He’s an alternative to Carlos Narváez.
Sabol caught for Southern Cal as a freshman in 2017, then played outfield the next three seasons. The Pirates tried to make Sabol a catcher, then gave up in 2022. The Giants tried for two years, giving Sabol 32 starts in 2023 but only seven last season as he spent most of the year in Triple A.
He is a good athlete with power and some speed, but is a poor defensive catcher according to several evaluators. That Buster Posey traded him doesn’t seem like a good omen.
Opponents are 48 of 55 stealing off Sabol in major league games. Narváez is the better defender but has only six games of major league experience.
■ The Sox announced last week that Rich Gedman would be the “Player Development Hitting Advisor’’ this season. It was one line in a long press release.
“Geddy’’ deserves more than that. He spent 12 years with minor league teams as a hitting coach, starting with Rookie League Lowell in 2011 and working his way up to spend eight seasons in Triple A.
He was in independent ball the seven years prior to that. You have to truly love baseball to spend 19 years in uniform helping young players learn their craft.
Going back to his playing days, the 65-year-old Gedman has been in pro ball for 35 years.
■ The Red Sox haven’t lost 100 games since 1965. Only the Phillies (1961), Yankees (1912), Cardinals (1908), Dodgers (1908), and Angels (never) have longer such streaks.
Eleven teams have lost 100 or more games in the last four seasons.
■ Félix Mantilla, who played for the Red Sox from 1963-65, died Jan. 10. He was 90.
Mantilla, Roberto Clemente, and Vic Power were among the first Puerto Ricans to make a significant impact in the major leagues. Power made his debut in 1954, Clemente in ’55, and Mantilla in ’56.
Mantilla played the first seven years of his career with the Milwaukee Braves, playing on some excellent teams with Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, and Warren Spahn.
After going to the 1962 Mets in the expansion draft, Mantilla was traded to the Red Sox. He hit .287 with an .843 OPS and 54 home runs over three seasons and was an All-Star in 1965 as a second baseman.
Mantilla had his career ended by an injury in spring training in 1968 and lived in Milwaukee for the remainder of his life.
Etc.
Call on Pedroia looks to be safe
Based on the exit polling done by Ryan Thibodaux, Dustin Pedroia has enough votes to ensure he will remain on the Hall of Fame ballot next year. Five percent is required.
As somebody who voted for Pedroia, that was the hope.
Because his career was cut short by an injury, Pedroia did not hit the milestones many voters expect for Hall of Famers. But his peak years were tremendous and he was a centerpiece player in what was a long period of success for the Red Sox.
His career deserves a thorough examination, and remaining on the ballot is the best way for that to be accomplished.
Scott Rolen received only 10.2 percent of the votes in 2018 in his first year of eligibility and climbed to 76.3 percent in 2023 as voters came to appreciate his combination of power and excellent defense.
Could Pedroia make a similar climb? It’s only speculation, but at least he remains in the picture.
The Hall of Fame voting will be announced Tuesday at 6 p.m. on MLB Network.
It could be a large Hall of Fame class. The only question with Ichiro Suzuki is whether he will receive every vote. CC Sabathia is headed for 85-90 percent.
In his final season on the BBWAA ballot, Billy Wagner seems to have received enough of a bump to reach 75 percent. The big question will be if Carlos Beltrán and/or Andruw Jones makes it.
Any players elected by the writers would join Dave Parker and the late Dick Allen, who were selected by the Classic Era committee in December.
Extra bases
Did you know Sandy Koufax once intentionally walked Bob Uecker? It happened July 24, 1965, at Dodger Stadium. Uecker, then playing for the Cardinals, homered off Koufax in the fifth inning. In a 2-2 game in the seventh, Koufax gave Uecker an intentional pass with a runner on second and two outs to face pitcher Ray Sadecki, who struck out on three pitches. Uecker, who died Thursday at the age of 90, was beloved in his hometown of Milwaukee. He played two of his six major league seasons there, then returned to spend 54 years as an announcer while moonlighting as an actor, doing Miller Lite commercials, and appearing on “The Tonight Show’’ dozens of times. Through last season, Uecker had a locker in the clubhouse and fans would congregate outside the press box door after games to say hello or grab a photograph. Uecker loved to joke about what a poor player he was, but he homered off Koufax and fellow Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins and Gaylord Perry during his career and earned a World Series ring with the ’64 Cardinals. When your death inspires tributes from Rob Manfred and Adam Sandler, that’s a sign you led a full life and Uecker certainly did . . . In the interest of warming you up a bit, pitchers and catchers report to spring training with the Cubs on Feb. 9, and with the Dodgers on Feb. 11. Those teams open the season in Tokyo on March 18 and are getting started early . . . Former Red Sox international scout Victor Rodriguez Jr. is now director of international operations for the Nationals and trying to turn around a program that hasn’t produced much talent in recent years. His father was with the Red Sox from 2004-17 in player development and as a hitting coach. Washington signed two prominent Venezuelan prospects last week: shortstop Brayan Cortesia and catcher Daniel Hernandez . . . The Athletics signed 18-year-old Shotaro Morii for $1.51 million as part of their international amateur class. He was a shortstop and righthanded pitcher in Japan. Typically, Japanese players play in the NPB before asking to be made available to major league teams. But first baseman Rintaro Sasaki enrolled at Stanford last year and now Morii is following an unconventional route . . . The Cape Cod League announced Opening Day will be June 14, with the 40-game schedule running through Aug. 3. The postseason is set for Aug. 5-13. The All-Star Game will be July 19 at Red Wilson Field in South Yarmouth … Interested in working in baseball? The Worcester Red Sox are holding a job fair Jan. 25, from 10 a.m. to noon at Polar Park. The WooSox are hiring in many departments, including baseball operations, the clubhouse, grounds crew, security, the mascot team, and more . . . Happy birthday to Rich Gale, who is 71. The Littleton, N.H., native played baseball and basketball at the University of New Hampshire before pitching in the majors from 1978-84 with the Royals, Giants, Reds, and Red Sox. Gale appeared in 13 games for the Sox before pitching in Japan for two seasons. He returned as a minor league pitching coach and became the major league pitching coach under Butch Hobson from 1992-93. He stayed in pro ball as a minor league pitching coach with the Expos, Marlins, Nationals, and Brewers through 2011.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him @PeteAbe.
