I want to share with you a great baseball story . . . .

My wife and I went on a tour at Fenway Park recently. While on the tour our guide had us look to right field where we were to locate a red seat among a sea of green seats. Check out the pic below and look underneath the "d" in the Ford sign, four sections down, top row. It looks like a speck of red.

Over the years I had seen and heard of this seat before, but never like the way described this day. So, here's the story.

That red seat symbolizes where a ball landed some half a century ago. It was a ball that the greatest player to ever don a Red Sox uniform hit; Ted Williams. It is said that if he didn't spend 5 of his most prime years serving our country in World War II and Korea that he would have probably broke Babe Ruth's home run record 20 years before Hank Aaron did.

The reason that home run was more special then the other 520 home runs he hit is that it was, and still is, the longest home run ever hit at Fenway. 507 feet and 38 rows behind the right feild wall (which by the way has a bullpen behind it, so its more like 42 rows behind the wall). 507 feet, by the way, is 1 and 1/2 football fields long. Fenway Park has been here for 94 years and this is the longest home run ever hit there, that's why this seat is special. However, this isn't even the coolest park of the story yet.

You see, that day a man from New York was on a business trip. Even though he was a Yankee fan he came to the game. He played hookie from work and came to the day game at Fenway. In case you didn't know, Red Sox fans hate the Yankees and anything associated with them . So, not only is he a Yankee fan, but he actually falls asleep in his seat in the right field blechers.

There was nothing that enraged Ted Williams more than people who fell asleep at the ball game. Williams sees this man slumped over in his chair and decides to send a ball his way to wake him up. That ball was the 507 ft. home run that went into the 38th row of seats. It ends up striking the man right in the head and knocks him out cold. Ironically, Williams didn't wake him up at all.

With the onlookers astounded by the length of the shot one sportswriter becomes certain that he must write an entire story committed to this home run. He makes his way out to the right field stands and talks with the now awaken man. The reporter finds out the man's story about how he is from New York, is a Yankee fan, and had fallen asleep. After telling the man how Ted Williams hates when people fall asleep at the game he says, "Mr., don't you think this is a sign? You come all the way here, fall asleep, then get hit in the head by a 500 foot home run from Ted Williams. Maybe you should change your allegiance to the Red Sox." The man ponders the thought, and says, "Maybe it is a sign. I will change my allegence."

From that day on the man from New York was a devot Red Sox Fan. He would travel a couple times a year up to Boston just to see a baseball game. The day after the incident at Fenway the reporter's story made the front page of the sports section. The title read, "Ted Williams knocks sense into Yankees fan."

Nowadays the team keeps the seat sacred to a certain extent. It can't be purchased as a season ticket. This ensures as many people as possible will sit in it during the season. However, when the person arrives at the ballpark they are ushered to the seats and they get their picture taken. Then they are ushered again (free of charge) to two seats, front row, behind home plate (home plate by the way is closer to home plate, 57', then the pitcher is). The red seat remains empty during the game in honor of Ted Williams and the story of the man from New York.

Don't let these misinformed nincompoop soccer fans sway your ideals and standards for sports. Here are some reasons why soccer is stupid.

1. Think of all the major sports, basketball, football, baseball, and even hockey. They all use not only their feet, but also their hands and arms throughout the entire game. Even recreational games such as ping pong you have to use your arms, hands, feet and legs well to be successful. Soccer is stupid because they only use their arms and hands every so often.

2. What's with the clock? First off, it goes up in time. How ridiculous is that? Second, they don't stop the clock during dead times, yet they make it all up at the end when clock is standing still. Why dont they use the clock like every other sport that uses a clock. Here's a tip soccer hooligans, count down with your clock, and if there is a pause in the game for an injury or whatever, then you should stop the clock! Soccer is stupid because it doesn't know how to work a clock.

3. Don't come with weak smack like "soccer is the worlds most popular sport". It is true only because it is the lowest common denominator. It is a poor mans sport: all you need is something that rolls and some legs. No American soccer player would be good enough to play any other professional sport in America. Soccer is stupid because it is the "world's most popular sport."

4. I heard a recent argument that people would rather have soccer players be their bouncer then "a fat first basemen". I would way rather take any first basemen in the MLB as my bouncer over any soccer player. You who are soccer fans should know, soccer players are pretty small. Only one forward or defensemen on the USA team weighs over 200 pounds. Most are around 170, that is not bouncer material. Hmm, who do I want as my bouncer, Frank Thomas (who by the way played Tight End at Auburn) at 6'4'' and 230, or Landon Donovan standing at 5'8'' and 150? And Soccer fan, I challenge you to name me more than 10 out of the 750 players on active MLB rosters who you would consider fat. Just because the Babe was fat doesn't mean everyone else in baseball is. Soccer is stupid because their players are not bouncers.

5. Also, don't say "I'd like to see you play world cup soccer". I guarantee anyone could have more success at playing world cup soccer then they ever would trying to hit a Randy Johnson 91 MPH slider at the knees, or trying to throw a dart to home plate from the outfield, or fielding a one hopper at third base traveling well over 100 MPH, or anything else in baseball. And baseball is not boring if you understand it, it is suspenseful. Soccer is boring. Soccer is stupid because it is easier to play than every other sport.

6. Don't say the World Cup is better because it has more fans attending games then the Super Bowl. Please don't compare the Super Bowl to any other event. It doesn't compare. How many people watch the Super Bowl? Eeveryone watches it. How many people watch the World Cup? nobody. Plus I would rather go to 1 Super Bowl then 100 world cup games, anyone would. At least at a Super Bowl game I wouldn't have to worry about dying at the hands of the hooligans.