Alan Greenwood

Our first item today is a reminder for all baseball analytics worshippers: It is not against the rules to see players play.

APRIL 10, 1945 – “George Goulet and ‘Dunca’ Chaplick, two Nashua boys who caught the eye of Philly scout Cy Morgan when they held the Phillies’ baseball school here last summer, left Saturday for Wilmington, Del., where they are slated to join the Phils for a short time before being assigned to a minor league club.

“Also leaving Saturday was Fred “Red” Crory, Durham southpaw flinger, who also attended the Philly baseball school here last summer.”

We need to revive the fading custom of giving ballplayers nicknames.

APRIL 10, 1965 – “Red Sox outfielder Tony Conigliaro is continuing his personal spring festival of home runs.

“Red Sox manager Billy Herman says Carl Yastrzemski will not be traded to Minnesota.

“And Eddie Bressoud worked out at first base and played third base in the 7-4, 10-inning victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday while rookie Rico Petrocelli operated at Ed’s shortstop post.”

Would 1967 be the turning point for the Red Sox franchise if they traded Yaz to the Twins for Bob Allison and Don Mincher?

That answer would be no.

April 10, 1970 – “The Bishop Guertin Cardinals, under new head coach Bill Dod, open their 1975 varsity baseball season April 17 at Manchester Central.

“Our squad isn’t young,” explains Dod, “but it is relatively inexperienced. I am going to try and run the program a little differently and it all depends on how well the players grasp my new techniques.”

Over the ensuing four decades, Dod established the gold standard for high school baseball coaching.

April 10, 1990 – “In mid-winter, when Arctic winds refuse to yield and warm skies seem a lifetime away, New England baseball fans cling to this vision:

“It is a wonderfully warm, almost pristine April afternoon … the old ballpark is bathed by a relentless sun … the outfield grass couldn’t be greener, nor the infield clay any redder …the smell of hot dogs, draft beer and future glory couldn’t be sweeter.

“It is Opening Day at Fenway Park – a day for forgetting past frustrations and for forgiving past sins.

” … As public address announcer Sherm Feller called upon each of the Red Sox to take a bow along the first-base line, he could barely utter the first syllable of Bill Buckner’s last name before the 35,199 rose as one. They cheered for a full minute; Buckner, a week ago wondering if his big-league career would be allowed to continue, waved his cap and smiled.”

Buckner circled back to the Red Sox after tours of duty with the Angels and the Royals.

The wound of Game 6, 1986, hurt a little bit less.