By Maureen Mullen
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BOSTON -- Bill Monbouquette, the native of Medford, Mass., who threw a no-hitter for the Red Sox against the White Sox in 1962, was at Fenway Park Sunday morning before the Red Sox first-half finale against the Orioles. Monbo and several other former Sox players were there as part of the teams Alumni Day celebration.
Monboquette, who turns 75 on Aug. 11, pitched for four teamsthe Sox, Yankees, Tigers, and Giantsin his 11- season career, compiling a record of 114-112, with a 3.68 ERA. He was happy to report the stem cell transplant which he underwent almost three years ago has worked to combat the acute myelogenous leukemia he had been battling.
On Sunday, he was looking forward to watching right-hander Kyle Weiland make his major league debut for the Sox.
Im sure hes very, very excited, very nervous, Monbouquette said. But after the first pitch itll be like hes pitching any other time. Thats the way I was.
Monbouquette reflected on his own big league debutJuly 18, 1958, with the Sox facing the Tigers. He went five innings, giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Monbo wasnt involved in the decision as the Sox won, 11-9, at Fenway Park. But he quickly established his hard-nosed, no-nonsense reputation.
Billy Martin stole home on me that night, Monbouquette said. And the next time up, I flipped him. I really flipped him good. In those days there were no helmets. All I saw was his hat came off and the ball went between his hat and his head. Then the next pitch he popped up and he came running right across the mound, which is a no-no. Well, my glove was loose and I had my fist cocked. And he said he to me, Well, you owed me that, rook. And then I end up being his pitching coach in New York, and I wouldnt wish that on anybody. He was a tough guy to coach for.
But in that first game, they got four or five runs off me. We made two or three errors. Lepcio made a big error.
Boston Red Sox
Of course, infielder Ted Lepcio, who turns 82 on July 28, did not make an error in that game. He just happened to enter the conversation just in time to hear Monbouquette using his name in vain. One ballplayer giving another ballplayer some good-natured grief.
Nice to see some things never change.
Maureen Mullen is on Twitter at http:twitter.commaureenamullen