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A LAST PIECE OF THE WALL; PLAYERS LOOK TO TAKE HOME PART OF FENWAY PARK.


Byline: Ben Walker Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency.
Associated Press (AP)

Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world.
 

Ken Griffey Ken Griffey may refer to:
  • Ken Griffey, Sr. (born 1950), a retired Major League Baseball player, and the father of Ken Griffey, Jr.
  • Ken Griffey, Jr. (born 1969), a current Major League Baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds
 Jr. wants a piece of the Green Monster This article is about the left-field wall at Fenway Park. For other uses, see Green Monster (disambiguation).

The Green Monster (often known simply as The Monster or The Wall) is the nickname of the 37-foot, two-inch (11.
.

And with the All-Star focus clearly on Fenway Park's famous left-field fixture, Junior has a plan for tonight's game.

``Chip some paint off the wall, put it in a bag and take it home,'' Griffey said Monday. ``There's something I will take from this ballpark before I leave.''

He'll let Sammy Sosa Samuel Sosa Peralta (born November 12 1968 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic) is a designated hitter for the Texas Rangers of the American League. His Major League career began when he broke in with the Texas Rangers in 1989.  and Mark McGwire
    Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963 in Pomona, California) is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the Oakland Athletics before finishing his final years with the St. Louis Cardinals.
     try to clear the 37-foot-high wall - after all, Griffey has hit only eight of his 379 career homers at Fenway.

    He'll let Ted Williams and Carlton Fisk
      Carlton Ernest Fisk (born December 26, 1947 in Bellows Falls, Vermont) is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for 24 years with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox.
       look out toward the wall and reminisce rem·i·nisce  
      intr.v. rem·i·nisced, rem·i·nisc·ing, rem·i·nisc·es
      To recollect and tell of past experiences or events.



      [Back-formation from reminiscence.
       - they spent many years playing in Boston. Junior just wants a keepsake.

      ``It's a classic,'' the Seattle center Seattle Center is a fairground, park and arts and entertainment center in Seattle, Washington. The 74-acre campus is the site used in 1962 by the Century 21 Exposition. It is located just north of Belltown in Lower Queen Anne.

      Attractions
      • The Space Needle.
       fielder said. ``There are certain ballparks that have a lot of tradition behind them, and this is one of them. And before they tear it down, they've having an All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league. The players are often chosen by a popular vote of fans of the sport and the game often occurs at the halfway point of the regular season, although this is not the case for some all-star games  here.''

      After a recent run in which many of the majors' newer stadiums got to play host, baseball returns to its roots for the next-to-last All-Star Game of the 20th century. Fenway opened in 1912, the same week the Titanic sank.

      ``This is the one old park I haven't played in,'' San Diego outfielder Tony Gwynn said. ``I saw what Wade Boggs used to do here. I'm looking forward to doing it myself.''

      Gwynn, tied with Boggs at 2,982 career hits, won't be able to help the National League try to extend its 40-28-1 edge. Hobbled by injuries, he'll sit out as Boston's Pedro Martinez starts for the AL against Philadelphia's Curt Schilling.

      Still, Gwynn wanted to take batting practice Monday and maybe field a few balls off the wall. How excited was he about seeing Fenway? He had a book detailing the history of the ballpark in his hotel room.

      NL manager Bruce Bochy of the Padres was equally enthused.

      ``I've never been in Fenway. You step on the field, it's hallowed ground,'' he said. ``I hate to age Carlton (Fisk Fisk   , James 1834-1872.

      American railroad financier and speculator who attempted in 1869 to corner the gold market with Jay Gould, leading to Black Friday, a day of nationwide financial panic.
      ), but I was a Reds fan and now I get to walk in there and see where it really went out.''

      Fisk's down-the-line, 12th-inning shot that won Game 6 of the 1975 World Series remains one of baseball's most enduring images.

      ``The Green Monster, when you talk about it, everybody knows where the Green Monster is,'' said Fisk, the AL's honorary captain. ``There are plans that they're going to build a brand new, old-fashioned ballpark. That doesn't cut off your memories and the stories that have taken place in the old ballpark.''

      Ted Williams, who will throw out the ceremonial first ball, put on a one-man show in the 1946 All-Star game at Fenway. He hit two homers, including a drive off Rip Sewell's ``eephus'' pitch, in going 4 for 4 with five RBI RBI
      abbr. Baseball
      runs batted in

      Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season"
      run batted in
       in a 12-0 rout.

      That said, the 80-year-old Williams claimed he won't miss Fenway.

      ``No, I'm not sentimental about it. I want to see a new ballpark where the seats are bigger,'' he said Monday.

      ``I've heard a lot of fans say, `Oh, geez geez  
      interj.
      Used to express mild surprise, delight, dissatisfaction, or annoyance.



      [Shortening and alteration of Jesus1.]
      , I wouldn't even think about going anyplace else.' It wasn't that great. The park is just an old park.''

      With a lot of history wrapped up in that wall.

      At varying times the wall was made of wood, brick, concrete and sheet metal. Now the side facing the hitters is all tin. And it became known as the Green Monster in 1947 when the ads on the wall were covered with green paint.

      One other fact about the wall: The initials of former owner Thomas Austin Yawkey and his wife, Jean Remington Yawkey, appear on it in morse code. Easy to overlook, a series of dots and dashes that spell out ``T-A-Y'' and ``J-R-Y'' show up in the vertical white lines to the left of pitchers' numbers on the out-of-town scoreboard.

      Hugh Bradley of the Red Sox hit the first shot over the wall on April 26, 1912. ``Few of the fans who have been out to Fenway Park believed it was possible,'' the Boston Herald reported the next day.

      Sosa hit his first major-league homer over the Monster off Roger Clemens in 1989.

      CAPTION(S):

      19 Photos, Box

      PHOTO (1--Color) Seattle Mariners' Ken Griffey Jr. defends his home-run derby title Monday night at Fenway Park.

      Charles Krupa/Associated Press

      N.L. LINEUP

      (2) Barry Larkin - Cincinnati, ss

      (3) Larry Walker - Colorado, of

      (4) Sammy Sosa - Chi. Cubs, of

      (5) Mark McGwire - St. Louis, 1b

      (6) Matt Williams - Arizona, 3b

      (7) Jeff Bagwell - Houston, dh

      (8) Mike Piazza - NY Mets, c

      (9) Jeromy Burnitz - Milwaukee, of

      (10) Jay Bell - Arizona, 2b

      A.L. LINEUP

      (11) Kenny Lofton - Cleveland, of

      (12) Nomar Garciaparra - Boston, ss

      (13) Ken Griffey Jr. - Seattle, of

      (14) Manny Manny may refer to:

      In nobility:
      • Baron Manny, a title in the Peerage of England
      • Walter de Manny, 1st Baron Manny (died 1372), soldier of fortune and founder of the Charterhouse
      People with the given name Manny:
      • Manny (given name)
       Ramirez - Cleveland, of

      (15) Jim Thome - Cleveland, 1b

      (16) Cal Ripken - Baltimore, 3b

      (17) Rafael Palmeiro - Texas, dh

      (18) Ivan Rodriguez - Texas, c

      (19) Roberto Alomar - Cleveland, 2b

      BOX: 1999 ALL-STAR GAME

      Starting lineups and statistics for the 1999 All-Star Game, to be played today at Fenway Park in Boston.
      COPYRIGHT 1999 Daily News
      No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
      Copyright 1999, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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      Article Details
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      Title Annotation:SPORTS
      Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
      Date:Jul 13, 1999
      Words:846
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