I was in Boston this past weekend to watch my friend run the Boston Marathon. It was a great road trip. Three friends and I drove seven hours, got a cheap hotel room and made t-shirts. We discussed things we could do while we were there and more than anything else, I wanted to see the Red Sox play in Fenway Park.

We decided that Sunday afternoon’s game against the Texas Rangers would be our best chance to get some tickets from a scalper for a decent price. About an hour before the game, we walked to Fenway and started looking for shady guys whispering, “Who needs tickets?” Sure enough, about 20 minutes later we found a guy with standing room seats that were in our price range of $50 or less.

As we walked down Yawkee Way and saw the championship banners hanging from the side of the building, it was amazing to think it took 86 years (1918-2004) for them to hang a new championship banner. We made our way through the Red Sox faithful and finally got to the tunnel where the stairwell meets the field. This is my favorite moment whenever I go to a baseball game. You can smell the field and hear the crowd chatting. Every sense is being used except sight and then all-of-a-sudden, the field appears.

I’ve seen Fenway Park on television probably a thousand times. Everyone knows the Green Monster in left field and Pesky Pole in right field. When we emerged from the tunnel and saw the field, it was breathtaking. There it all was. The outfield where Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski roamed, the Green Monster where Bucky “bleeping” Dent hit his famous home run in 1978 and where Dave Roberts stole second base to keep the Red Sox alive in game four in 2004.

We walked around and took pictures before the game and took turns calling our friends and family asking, “Where are you?” After they answered we would chime in with, “Oh yeah, I’m at Fenway Park watching the Red Sox.”

To make the experience even better, the Sox came back from a 5-0 deficit and won the game 6-5. Manny Ramirez got ejected in the second inning, but even that was OK. I’m a die-hard Mets fan, but when Red Sox Nation gets loud in Fenway, it’s hard not to join in.

I’ve completed the Holy Trinity of ballparks now. I’ve been to Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium (saw one-handed pitcher Jim Abbott’s no-hitter in 1993) and now Fenway Park. No t-shirt can commemorate the feelings I had when we walked into Fenway. It’s just different than any other ballpark. The history, the sights, the people, everything is simply amazing. We were only in Boston for three days, but I won’t forget those three days anytime soon.

Oh and my roommate ran the marathon in 3:03:47, a minute and 13 seconds under what he was shooting for. It’s pretty crazy to see 25,000 people running and putting everything they have into finishing a race. Running really isn’t my thing, but it definitely shows what people will do to accomplish a goal they have set for themselves.

Around the League:
Cleveland Indians starting pitcher C.C. Sabathia makes his fifth start of the season Tuesday against the Royals. In his four outings thus far, he is 0-3 with a 13.50 ERA. He has 14 strikeouts and 14 walks. Now I realize certain players start off slow and take a little while to find their groove, but this is ridiculous. He is yet to pitch into the seventh inning and has already given up five home runs. For someone who went 19-7 last season, Sabathia has been a major disappointment this season.

As Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley continues to dominate National League pitching, one has to wonder how much longer teams will pitch to him. His protection, first baseman Ryan Howard hasn’t been hitting at all and has looked dreadful at the plate at times. After Monday’s win at the Rockies, Howard upped his average to .200, but if the Phillies want to keep relying on Utley, Howard has to do much better.

Utley has six home runs in his last five games and is batting .354. Why are teams still pitching to him? If you aren’t going to intentionally walk him, at least pitch around him. As I sat screaming at the television Sunday night in a Boston hotel for the Mets to walk Utley and pitch to Howard, starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey served up a nice fastball for Utley to crush into the right field foul pole for a three-run home run.

Hopefully teams will begin to see a trend. Chase Utley is too good for your team’s pitchers and while Howard may hit a home run occasionally, he won’t do as much damage as Utley.