Largest Baseball Crowd EVER Sees The Red Sox Stomp The Dodgers

It was truly a sight to see. The LA Coliseum was packed with a baseball record 115,300 people, the largest crowd ever to see a baseball game. The Red Sox beat the Dodgers by a score of 7-4, but it became that close only near the game's end. This is from the Sunday Boston Herald. I have to admit I was only able to stay up for the first inning or so. I guess I was up too early on Saturday morning. Here you go...

“It was really a pretty special night for everybody involved with both teams, both organizations,” he said. “I don’t think any of us knew what to expect but (the Dodgers) did a great job and the players did a good job focusing on the game and not the close porch. It ended up being a pretty special night.”
Catcher Kevin Cash said that batters were complaining about the lighting but otherwise there were no major beefs with the odd configuration.
“It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be,” said Cash, who acknowledged that his three-run homer in the second inning probably wouldn’t have cleared the wall at either Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium. "We just walked in and you see the whole thing," said Red Sox infielder Alex Cora, a former Dodger. "I'm more impressed by the amount of seats out there. I went to [Miami] and I went to the Orange Bowl, and you're just part of it. When you're in the middle of the football stadium, it's like, wow, this is it. It made me feel like running 100 meters. That's the cool thing. You run track in front of all these people, in the Olympics, I can't imagine. Playing here is unreal."

Peter here...Jonathon Papelbon allowed a two run home run late in the game to make it a three run game. But it was a Tim Wakefield night. He went 5 plus innings (he could have gone more), giving up one unearned run, one walk and striking out two. Yet another "solid as a rock" outing for the knuckleballer, who I wish was pitching on Tuesday. But the way the rotation is set up, it'll be Daisuke and Lester in the two Oakland games. Wakes will be ready Friday in Toronto with Beckett cleared to go on Sunday. Last night, the batting stars benefitted from the short outfield dimensions. The two Kevins, Cash and Youkilis, hit home runs that would have been fly ball outs elsewhere, Cash's blast a three run tater and Youk's a two run shot. A good time was guaranteed for all!

The Red Sox continue their exhibition series with the Dodgers Sunday and Monday and then make the relatively short jaunt to the Bay area to play another couple (real ones this time!) with Oakland. So the season begins newly again on Tuesday.

Have a great Sunday, and click on this post's title for the Hartford Courant's overview of this massively attended exhibition game which generated millions of dollars for charity. And that's a good thing. I hope every one of you has a great day and as always, BE WELL. Now click on that title! Thanks.