Spring is Just Around the Corner: Red Sox Truck Day 2011

Nothing is more fitting after the winter we have had in New England than waking up to more snow on the ground for the now famous Boston Red Sox Truck Day. This morning, Red Sox equipment managers will be moving all of the bats and swag the Red Sox need in Fort Myers into a tractor-trailer to begin the 1,480-mile journey to Florida. Although this happens every single season, the tradition of Truck Day has emerged as an event since the Red Sox won their 1st World Series title in 86 years in 2004, and now, the day has a sponsor and gets attention for most medias sources in the area. More than the physical act of moving equipment, today is more a symbol of how close we are to seeing live baseball, with pitchers and catchers reporting in less than 1 week.

This event, as anti-climactic as it can be, is a chance to celebrate what appears to be another extremely competitive team the Red Sox have fielded, continuing the trend over the last 8-10 years. Going from lovable losers to hated winners was a transition the new ownership and front office made when taking over the club in the early 2000s, and since that point, the team has been considered one of the best in baseball, at least having a chance at the post-season each and every year. For any long-time Red Sox fans, a day like Truck Day is a symbol of that transition to prominence, and less about the truck pulling away from Fenway Park on Van Ness Street amid the hoopla from the media and fans.

Anyone who is heading down to Fenway this morning (or watching the video on TV) will get to see Boston’s own Wally the Green Monster throw foam baseballs and other free swag from their sponsor  out to fans. Wally will escort the tractor-trailer away from Fenway on a flat-bed truck to add some excitement and intrigue to the event. People often ask me if I have gone down to the Kenmore area to watch the truck get loaded and leave Boston because I work less than 10-15 minutes away. My response is this: I love the event for what it represents and find the concept to be fascinating (especially the idea that many people wake-up early to watch it), but for me, the actual loading of a truck is just plain boring and brings back memories of the many Budget rental truck moves I have made over the years.

My memory of past moves aside, Truck Day is a time to celebrate the 2011 Boston Red Sox. Theo and his team have made some big moves this off-season to further excite the fan base, and most people are anxious and excited about the possibility of this team being one of the best in years for the Fenway faithful. The words, ‘Play Ball!’ can almost be heard from the sun-soaked fields of fort Myers, FL.

For those of you that have never seen or experienced Truck Day at Fenway Park, below is a video taken by a fan last year as the truck rolled away. Enjoy!