Red Sox honor Connecticut fans at game today

BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox today honored more than a dozen children from two Connecticut group homes before their game against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. The team celebrated "Connecticut Fan Appreciation Day at Fenway" as the second in a series of celebrations of the fans in each state of New England.

"The Red Sox are proud to welcome these children into the family of Red Sox Nation," said Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry. "It's a privilege for us to have them here with us today. This kind of outreach is an important part of what everyone on the team wants to do in our community."

The children, all wards of the state of Connecticut, first met club owners July 21 in a day-long Red Sox caravan to Hartford.

Today, the children from the two group homes received a VIP tour of Fenway, had private meetings with players and mascot Wally the Green Monster, and enjoyed a pre-game reception in the Red Sox Hall of Fame Club presented by Volvo. Honored in a pre-game ceremony on the field, the children delivered the words, "Play ball!" with gusto over the public address system to start the game.

Red Sox players Tim Wakefield, Doug Mirabelli, Dave McCarty, Brandon Lyon and Mike Timlin met with the children in private before the game.

"This is the best day of my life," said Fabian, 8, a resident of one of the homes. "I liked the press room the best."

At Henry's suggestion, the Red Sox this summer have "adopted" a group home in each New England state. The Red Sox Foundation contributed $10,000 to each home, and Henry, Chairman Tom Werner, and President/CEO Larry Lucchino invited the children - most of whom were taken from their parents because of abuse or neglect - to a game at Fenway Park. The two Connecticut group homes, run by the Wheeler Institute, are based in Plainville, CT.

"They are a little awed at the experience, but it's a terrific day for them," said Dr. David Berkowitz, executive director of the Wheeler Clinic. "We can do a lot of treatment and a lot of therapy, but we can't duplicate any experience like this which shows them they are not so different from other children and that they can have special, happy experiences just like other kids."

Throwing out the Ceremonial First Pitch was a 9-year-old a resident of one of the Wheeler Clinic homes, Shawn.

Accompanying Shawn to the mound was 75-year-old Jim Powers, president of a Connecticut-based Red Sox fan club, the Benevolent Loyal Order of Honorable and Ancient Red Sox Die Hard Sufferers, affectionately known as The BLOHARDS. Each year, the Blohards charter a bus to make the trip up from Connecticut for Opening Day. The group also has luncheons in New York City when the Red Sox are visiting.

Among today's Connecticut dignitaries were two devout Red Sox fans of note-Babe Ruth's granddaughter, Linda Ruth Tossetti, and a Jewett City pizza parlor owner named Joe DiMaggio. Unrelated to the Yankees' Hall of Famer with the same name, DiMaggio first met Henry and Werner at the July events in Hartford.

"Connecticut is proud to say we are part of Red Sox Nation," Ruth's granddaughter said today. "We're thrilled with the team's new owners, and as it will soon become clear, there is no curse."

A Connecticut flag flew as opera singer Sara Asmar, a West Simsbury native, sang the national anthem with Connecticut State Police honor guards presenting the colors.

During the game, the Red Sox presented video vignettes about Connecticut, its history, attractions, and fans. The theme, "Brass Bonanza," associated with the old Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League, provided the musical accompaniment. The club also presented notes about Sox players with ties to the state, and NESN focused its programming before and during the game on Connecticut.

The celebration is part of the club's new regional outreach to New England to introduce the new ownership, build awareness for NESN and its affiliates, and intensify the bonds between the club and its broad fan base.

"One unique thing about Red Sox is that the team draws a fan base from six different states,'' said Werner. "We invite those fans into our house all season long, so in this campaign, we traveled to where they live to share the Red Sox experience and build new relationships."

This season, the Red Sox owners have visited all five of the surrounding New England states, meeting with political and business leaders, media representatives, and fans.

"Loyalty is a two-way street, so we take nothing for granted when it comes to our fans in Connecticut," said Lucchino. "Connecticut is a key part of our fan base and we are determined to make that connection even stronger."

The tributes at Fenway began when the Red Sox celebrated New Hampshire Day July 24. Future tributes take place August 25 (Vermont), September 14 (Maine), and September 17 (Rhode Island).

Connecticut has provided the Red Sox with at least 17 players over the team's 102 seasons, including Mo Vaughn, Jimmy Piersall, Walt Dropo, Joe Lahoud and Darren Bragg. Current interim pitching coach Dave Wallace is also a Connecticut native.

The team's visit to Hartford this summer came on the heels of a poll showing strong support for the Red Sox in most of Connecticut. To help "claim" disputed territory in the state, especially the county nearest New York sometimes associated with the Yankees or Mets, Connecticut fans have taken to the Internet to declare their piece of Connecticut is part of Red Sox Nation. An email petition, located on redsox.com, was launched after hundreds of fans signed a similar proclamation, read by Henry at last month's rally in Hartford hosted by United States Senator Chris Dodd, an enthusiastic, lifelong Red Sox fan.

The proclamation, in part, reads: "We do not wish to remain a part of what has been improperly viewed as a monolithic empire." The proclamation asks fans to sign their names as a declaration that Connecticut is indeed a part of Red Sox Nation.