1962 Fenway Park versus the Yankees. I was seven. We were visiting my grandparents. My grandmother bought the tickets. We were seated in the right field grandstand. What I remember was how bright the lights and the field were. I mostly looked at Mickey Mantle in center all game. He was God.**
Later that summer we moved from Connecticut to Maine saving me from being a fan of the Evil Empire. Over the following years Yastrzemski, Conigliaro, and Scott’s rookie years pulled me towards the Sox. It also caused me to endure a lot of frustration before it got good.
** The power of Coke. In 1964 offered everything possible to a kid to trade for a Mickey Mantle baseball card. Then one hot day I offered to buy him a Coke if he gave me the card. Deal! An 8oz Coke was ten cents. At the time baseball cards were five cents for a pack of five. It essentially cost me what would have been ten baseball cards I likely already had.