A walk in the park

Photos by John Nordell - Staff

1. If Broadway songwriter Jack Norworth hadn't lost his newspaper on a crowded New York subway in 1908, then Josh Kantor wouldn't be doing what he's doing at right with just 2-1/2 innings left to play. (For another hint, see No. 6 below.)

		2. The modern version of this device was perfected in the late 1920s by John Perey (see his name?) and Conrad Trubenbach. The 'bum tappers,' as they were once called, are for 'access control.' Now laser scanners that read barcodes are used as well.

3. (BONUS) It may not look like a pole, but that's what it's called. It even has a name. An infielder named Johnny who played in the 1950s hit six home runs in eight seasons here. Legend has it that all six wrapped around this item that's 302 feet from where Johnny stood.

		4. They didn't appear here until 1947, rather late in the game. The first such apparatus had been used in Cincinnati in 1935. The television age made them a virtual requirement, though Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs) held out until Aug. 9, 1988.

5. This is the third-most likely place a ball will be thrown during a game. (What are the first two?)

		6. F. W. Rueckheim introduced this confection in 1893, but it wasn't something to sing about until his brother Louis found a way to make it less sticky.

7. (BONUS) It's 37 feet tall. No wonder they call it a 'monster.' It's been green only since 1947 - before that, it was covered with advertisements. After seats were put on it in 2003, a ladder was no longer needed. But it's still there, a historical footnote.

		8. You've heard of 'sports drinks'? Well, you're looking at special 'sports dirt.' See how the dirt is darker at the top of the photo and lighter at the bottom? That's because two dirt 'mixes' (specially formulated in New Jersey) are being used. What are you looking at? And what is the dirt in the foreground?

9. (BONUS) If you're a fan, you know who this is by the number on his jersey. But anyone in this player's hometown could probably guess with just a glance at his collar of his uniform.

ANSWERS: (1) Fenway Park, Boston, organist Kantor plays 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' during the seventh-inning stretch. With no paper to read, Norworth scanned the subway ads instead. His eye fell on a poster for a New York Giants game. He wrote the lyrics in 30 minutes. (2) A turnstile. Ushers must scan the barcode on a ticket before the ticketholder may pass. (3) 'Pesky's Pole' is the foul pole in Fenway's right field. Red Sox pitcher Mel Parnell named it when Pesky's game-winning home run just missed it to stay fair. (4) Stadium lights. (5) Action at first base: Baltimore Oriole Chris Gomez is safe as Red Sox first-baseman David Ortiz awaits a throw. (Pitcher to catcher and catcher to pitcher are the top two baseball 'destinations.') (6) Cracker Jack, as in 'Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack' from the famous song in Clue No. 1. (7) The 'Green Monster' is a high wall in left field. The wall helps to compensate for the fact that left field is so shallow (308 ft.) because of Fenway's small urban lot. (8) Pitcher's mound (foreground) and infield. 'Beam Clay Baseball Diamond Mix' is used in every major league baseball park. Pitcher's mounds are a different kind of dirt and can be red, orange, brown, or gray. (9) Red Sox centerfielder Johnny 'Caveman' Damon, with his trademark locks.