Fenway Park debut extra special for Dillard

CHICAGO -- Playing in the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers don't often get the chance to play at historic Fenway Park. So this weekend's series is special for players who haven't yetbeen there. For Brewers reliever Tim Dillard, however, the interleague series comes with a little extra significance. On Sept. 28, 1975, Dillard's father Steve made his major league debut at Fenway Park. Steve Dillard, an infielder with the Red Sox, played just the one gameand recorded two hitsin the 1975 season before playing two more seasons in Boston. He also spent a year with the Detroit Tigers and three with the Chicago Cubs before retiring as a member of the Chicago White Sox. Accordingly, it has been a special week for Dillard with a series at Wrigley Field immediately followed by the trip to Boston. "There are only a few big league parks left that my dad played in," Dillard said Wednesday while at Wrigley, one of the stadiums on that shortlist. "I didn't know if I'd ever have a chance to go (to Fenway)." Dillard hopes to get in at least one of the three games in Boston, a place he knows only from photographs and stories, as he was born long after his dad's stint with the Red Sox. "I remember seeing pictures of him with the (Green) Monster in the background as he played (shortstop)," Dillard said. "It's pretty neat." Dillard said Wrigley Field holds a similar significance as a place his father called home, and he values opportunities to play there despite the cramped quarters famous for opponent complaints. "You start looking at the list of names that have been on the field and to add my name to that humungous list?" Dillard said. "It's just like 'Hey man, I'm happy to be here.' It's a pretty great feeling."