World Series trophy visits local Red Sox fan base (12/2)
(Updated: Thursday, December 2, 2004 10:00 AM PST)
Visitors and residents who stayed in Hermosa Beach over the Thanksgiving holiday week were afforded the rare chance to set their eyes on this year's World Series trophy as an executive from the Boston Red Sox team made a special trip out to the tiny beach town last Friday afternoon.
"It was a huge event, one of the coolest days on the plaza. It was about as good as being back at Fenway," said City Councilman Sam Edgerton, who is a lifelong Red Sox fan and a Boston native.
Dr. Charles Steinberg, who is the executive vice president of public affairs for the Red Sox, transported the trophy in a black limousine to Fat Face Fenner's Fishack which is known as the South Bay home to Red Sox and New England Patriots fans. The trophy was put on display in the bar and grill for two hours before heading off to Santa Monica's Sonny McClean's, another Red Sox hot spot on the west side.
"This huge box comes out made with stainless steel corners on it built like the cases that transport musical instruments for a rock band. They opened it and everyone was just dying to see it," said Edgerton. "Inside the Fishack it felt like you were back in Boston, no one could pronounce their 'r's. They all sounded like a bunch of Townies."
Between 300 to 400 people surrounded the street and packed the Fishack for the event that began at 1:30 p.m. last Friday. Thanks to the public relations effort of one of the Fishack owners, Gary Vincent, the organization agreed to stop in downtown Hermosa Beach.
"It's still settling into me as to what exactly happened," said Vincent. "I didn't find out about it until mid-afternoon on Wednesday that they were definitely coming."
The trophy is one-of-a-kind made by Tiffany Co. in New York City and has been traveling the country on a national tour of sorts with the help of a rotating group of players, coaches and executives connected to the organization. The piece consists of 30 flags that represent each team in Major League Baseball's National and American Leagues. It weighs about 30 pounds and has an estimated value of about $15,000.
"It was wrapped in a turquoise cloth from Tiffany's," added Vincent. "People were in the street, standing at the windows and balcony, and everybody is applauding and screaming. We walked into the back room where I cleared the dance floor, and set up a table with a black drape on it and a backdrop of a Red Sox flag. Charles put it on the table, started to unwrap it, and he looked at me and said, 'Go ahead, you do this.' I unveiled the trophy and everyone just went crazy."
According to the Red Sox's official Web site, the team received about 200 requests from people all over the country, asking it to bring the trophy to their cities. In early November, it traveled around New England in a six-state tour.
"My hat's off to Gary, he's the one who made it happen," said Edgerton. "He's quite the promoter and made a major move to get it out here. I got a picture of myself kissing the trophy with my wife and son, Peter."
The Red Sox clinched the world champion title in late October/early November in a four-game sweep against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Vincent is a native of Medford near Boston and moved to the South Bay in the early 1980s. Since relocating to the West Coast, Vincent has created a home away from home for Boston and New England natives who have become South Bay transplants and East Coast tourists.
Vincent coordinated about 300 pictures of the public with the trophy and people of all ages showed up for the affair.
"We had everyone from grandparents who had never been up there before to 8-week-old babies with Red Sox outfits to kids and their families," recalled Vincent. "It was an incredible afternoon."