Loyalty goes both ways with Doerr.

Byline: Ron Bellamy / The Register-Guard

JUNCTION CITY - Bobby Doerr turns 88 on Friday. It's an age that seemed unthinkable to him when he was in his 50s, and the age at which his wife, Monica, passed away just over two years ago.

Yet the many years haven't dimmed the blueness of those hitter's eyes, nor eroded the dignity that made Doerr such a popular member of the Boston Red Sox during a Hall of Fame career as a second baseman from 1939 through 1951.

And the core strength that slugged 223 home runs, among 2,042 career hits, and drove in 1,247 runs, remains evident as well, in the fact that he still puts in his own boat and fishes his beloved Rogue River, still chops wood for his winter home in Illahe, and still travels, to the most interesting of places.

He went to Kennebunkport, Maine, last summer, for a conversation with former President George Bush for a documentary about Ted Williams. He'll go to Boston next week where, before the Red Sox's home opener Tuesday, Doerr and a handful of other surviving teammates will be honored for winning the American League pennant 60 years ago, in 1946.

For those opportunities, Doerr is typically grateful, as he is for the World Series ring he received from the Red Sox to commemorate their 2004 championship, inscribed with his name.

Indeed, while Doerr's statistics made him a Hall of Famer, his humility and character have made him a hero in Junction City, where he's lived since the 1950s.

And so it's fitting that the community has been invited to celebrate Doerr's birthday with him in a public reception at Guaranty Chevrolet and Pontiac in Junction City from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday. There will be cake and prizes, and Doerr will sign autographs.

Modestly, he's taking part to thank the car dealership, of which he's been a customer for decades, and the brand, Chevrolet, which he's driven at least since Red Sox fans gave him a Chevy pickup on Bobby Doerr Night at Fenway Park in 1947.

"In those days, you weren't making much money, so it was a real big lift to you," he said.

But in this case, gratitude is a two-way street, because Doerr is as appreciated in Junction City as much as he appreciates being here.

He said he's doing well, and seems that way. Monica's death, in December 2003, "was hard," he said.

"But I have great faith in what the Bible says," he said. "I think some day that Monica and I will be back together, and I live with that in mind, and it's been very comforting to me. I get to thinking about her a lot. ... We were married 65 years and she was 88 years old, so you can't ask for much more out of life. I'm comfortable with it. I think about her all the time."

He thinks about his blessings - family, friends, his places on the Rogue River and in the farmland west of Junction City. "I've been very fortunate," he said. "A lot of good friends. The older I get, the more I realize what good friends and friendship means. You take a lot for granted when you're younger, but good, loyal friends are pretty important in your life."

For the past two years, Doerr has spent considerable time in the memory of one of his best friends, Williams, his late teammate, an American icon. (Their bond with former Red Sox players Dom DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky was chronicled in "The Teammates," published in 2003.)

Doerr has been collaborating with Steve Brown, of Daytona Beach, Fla., who is producing a documentary on Williams; hence, their trip to Kennebunkport to see the former President Bush, an old friend who fished with Williams.

Brown said he's got more than 80 hours of filmed interviews with people who knew Williams. Depending on sponsorships, Brown said, the project could be completed in as little as two months, and marketed to a TV network or straight to the DVD market.

Meanwhile, Brown recorded so many conversations with Doerr that he's also developing a documentary about the classy player who wore No. 1 and who, around here, still is.