Nuts and bolts and a day-late granny

A Fenway experience wouldn't be a Fenway experience if it weren't for certain things: There's the smell of the sausage vendors outside, the cloud of traffic from the Kenmore T stop to the park, all those friendly and amiable scalpers, and, of course, the abundance of easy-to-find, affordable parking. OK, so I made that last part up.

Among the things I look forward to most at Fenway, though, is the atmosphere. I'm always happy to trade a comfortable seat for baseball nostalgia, and there's nowhere I'd rather be than a miniature wooden chair on any given summer night.

For the first time this year, I found myself in just such a chair Friday night. But I experienced a new twist to my Fenway experience. During one break between innings, I stood to stretch and heard an unusual clink below my seat. I then went to sit down, only to find a piece of wood on the chair flapping freely. Below my seat was the culprit of the clink, a rounded silver nut. I picked it up and twisted it back into place, and voila - it was my first ever Fenway repair. I left a bill for services rendered on my seat, and I'm anxiously waiting for a check from Mr. Henry.

But, in all seriousness, I had a great night, even though the Sox lost a 7-3 game (more on that in a minute). The small improvements the current ownership has made over the years cannot be overlooked. My friend and I were in the last row of our section in the rightfield grandstand, which is a long way from home plate. The view was solid, but the Sox have added a nice touch by hanging a number of HDTVs from the beams in those sections, giving fans a live broadcast from NESN during the game, providing those without the benefit of a view of the centerfield scoreboard the opportunity to watch replays and generally see more closely what they miss on the field. And though they hang from the ceiling beams, they aren't obtrusive or obstructing a view in any way. A nice touch indeed.

Also, we had a brand new spiral staircase behind us that led down to the rightfield concourse, complete with beer vendors and plenty of food. Even restrooms. It's strange to say, but everything was right there for us. And yet I was still sitting in a rickety, wooden seat complete with chipped paint and falty hardware. It was the perfect Fenway night - the charm and nostalgia you expect with a few hints of convenience.

As for the game, we wound up being one at-bat early for Kevin Youkilis' first career grand slam. The Sox, who watched the bullpen once again cough up a couple of late-inning runs, faced a 7-3 deficit in the ninth before rallying, loading the bases with two outs and bringing Youk to the plate as the tying run. Unfortunately, he whiffed.

So imagine my chagrin the next afternoon when Youk came to the plate with the bases juiced again and proceeded to launch his first ever granny as part of a 12-1 pasting of the O's. When he came up Friday night, I couldn't help but think to myself he was due for one. I guess I was right. I just had the timing off by about 16 hours or so.

It was also nice to see Buchholz back in the bigs. This particular outing was hardly a gem - he walked three in the first inning - but I expect great things from this kid. I love Lester, but if you ask me, three years from now it's Buchholz who will be anchoring our staff. I know the kid weighs about 96 pounds soaking wet and doesn't even have to shave yet, but he can be downright filthy. The only concern with him, as with any young, wiry pitcher, is his health. But if he stays healthy I don't see any reason he can't be a consistent 18-game winner someday.

As far as the last weekend before the All-Star break, I must have been bad luck. The Sox won the other two games of a three-game set with Baltimore, one a slugfest, one a pitcher's duel. In order to do my part as a Sox fan, I pledge to stay away from the stadium until my luck changes (read: until someone gives me free tickets again). At least on my couch I don't need to worry about brining a tool belt to make my seat structurally sound.