Patriotic (so to speak)

Melvin, Watson, Bragdon and I attended the Patriots Day game at Fenway, the middle game of the three that comprised the first tour of 2023.

Our day-trip to Boston was bracketed by minor league games in Worcester MA and Bridgewater NJ, the latter being the home of the Somerset –– wait for it! –– Patriots.

Bragdon and I drove to Worcester from Metropolitan New York, stopping at the Ancient Burying Ground in Hartford, where a great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of his is buried.

Ancient Burying Ground, Hartford

If a culture ends up becoming dominant, colonial can become a cousin of patriotic, but lets sidestep the problematic aspects of this ... I am justing mining a semantic theme.

Hibernians

Bragdon and I got to Worcester early and before heading to Polar Park, we saw Hibernians observing the 107th anniversary of the Easter Rising –– more patriots! (if you're an Irish Republican) –– as well as Turtle Boy and a monument honoring Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor, also known as the "Worcester Whirlwind," the first Black international sports superstar.

"Major" Taylor monument (detail)

The two of us met Melvin and Watson at the stadium, along with their friends Ellen and Caleb Brown. We enjoyed ourselves; the Worcester Red Sox, not so much. The Columbus Clippers beat up on the WooSox, 10-1, winning their fifth game of the week and outscoring the home team, 59-17 for the six-game series.

The Browns went home and the core-four ate dinner at Armsby Abbey, then retired. By the time we were on the MBTA commuter rail in the morning, it was already raining. Watson and Bragdon stowed their luggage in a locker outside Fenway and we settled into the Lansdowne Pub for an early lunch.

these bobbleheads are displayed on vibrating platforms so...

Start of game was delayed, so we whiled away the time touring the oldest stadium in major league baseball. An hour later, Shohei Ohtani took the mound, pitched a couple of innings, and was replaced by the tarp. Bragdon left for North Station; Watson checked the status of her repeatedly delay flight; we all exercised patience.

shortly before the resumption of play

The Angels had taken a four-run lead before the second rain delay. Afterwards, the Sox would score three but ultimately fall short, 5-4. (Time of play, 3:03; rain delays, 2:26) We weaved our way through the Boston Marathon crowds, bidding Watson adieu at South Station. Melvin and I looked at this and that in the North End, had supper at the Bell in Hand, and returned to Worcester.

After breakfast at the landmark, 1936 Boulevard Diner –– Worcester Lunch Car #730 –– Melvin and I toured some more, finally ending up at the semi-restored Holyland, in Waterbury CT.

perhaps the right balance of restoration and ruin

From there we dashed to Bridgewater to see the Patriots host the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. The Cats dominated early but the Pats came back to win, 17-9. Unfortunately, we didn't see the home team score five in the seventh and eight in the following frame. The game time temperature was 53º, with a brisk 13 mph breeze, and we had decamped at the stretch.

Next stop: Charlotte Knights at Durham Bulls with Haldeman!