Yaz's Classy Disappearing Act
Last week, I wrote about Yogi. This week, I must make mention of Carl Yastrzemski. I have a soft spot for old timers.
The Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy has a poignant and funny column on Yaz, the last player to earn the Triple Crown. He spends his time fishing and golfing, but shuns the spotlight. He shows up at the minor league training facility and offers tips, but avoids major league locations. Instead, he watches Sox games religiously on his TV.
The column starts this way, but I think you'd enjoy the whole thing:
He is the lion in winter, wheeling into the shabby minor league complex at the dead end of Edison Road every morning before 8. Fifty years after his rookie season, the greatest living Red Sox player doesn’t want to be around the millionaire big leaguers and he doesn’t want to be around baby boomer fans he thrilled all those years ago. He just wants to work with anonymous young hitters, walk around the warning track by himself for an hour, then retreat to an afternoon of fishing or golf.
Carl Yastrzemski is our New England sports Salinger. Ava Gardner. Sandy Koufax. He just wants to be left alone. He knows you love him and you appreciate those glory days, but truthfully, it probably means more to you than it means to him.
“I’m not much of a conversationalist,’’ says the 71-year-old legend. “I don’t like to reminisce about when I played. I had my day in the sun and it’s over with.’’
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Dec '10
Re: Yaz's Classy Disappearing Act
“I’m not much of a conversationalist,’’ says the 71-year-old legend. “I don’t like to reminisce about when I played. I had my day in the sun and it’s over with.’’
The Yaz and Ted Williams are two of my favorites within the Red Sox organization. Yaz's comment reminds me of the old wisdom - gracefully surrender the years of your youth..
Aug '10
Re: Yaz's Classy Disappearing Act
Thanks, Ursula. I did happen to see this. Shaugnessy can still write when he wants to (which is rarely these days).
Yaz and the Impossible Dream Sox of 1967 had a major impact on me as a boy, and created a baseball fan for life.
Edited on Mar 17, 2011 at 9:37amSep '10
Re: Yaz's Classy Disappearing Act
Bill Waldron: Thanks, Ursula. I did happen to see this. Shaugnessy can still write when he wants to (which is rarely these days).
Yaz and the Impossible Dream Sox of 1967 had a major impact on me as a boy, and created a baseball fan for life. · Mar 17 at 9:36am
Edited on Mar 17 at 09:37 am
Just so. Down here in Cardinal country I was the only kid in my second grade class rooting for the Sox. That experience set me up well for '75 and '86. Yaz was definitely a personal favorite, but my hero was Dewey Evans.
Mar '11
Re: Yaz's Classy Disappearing Act
The Yaz approach to people reminds me of something a preacher said to me years ago, "If folks didn't need to be saved, I could do without them."
Mar '11
Re: Yaz's Classy Disappearing Act
It's hard to believe Yaz is 71. I guess that explains why I'm 46.
Aug '10
Re: Yaz's Classy Disappearing Act
As an adult, I've never had the slightest interest in professional sports, but as a child near Boston, I loved the Red Sox, and Yaz was my favorite. Looking back on his career, he was tops not merely because he was such a great player, although I always got a thrill whenever he threw someone out at the plate from far left field, with a direct shot into the catcher's mitt, no bounce necessary. But what set him apart from the current crop of sports figures was his quiet professionalism, just doing his job flawlessly and not boasting about it. He was loyal to one team, rather than marketing himself to the highest bidder. He exemplified a kind of manliness that is quite different from what passes for masculinity today, and judging by his retirement, he still does.