Northeastern University is
accustomed to being a part of Red Sox history since the university currently
stands where the Hunting Avenue Grounds once stood. This was the original home of the Boston
Americans, who in 1908 changed their name to the Boston Red Sox. On October 1, 1903 Cy Young took the mound of
the Huntington Avenue Grounds in front of 16,242 Royal Rooters (the original
fan club of Boston’s professional baseball team) and threw the first pitch in
World Series history. On the 90th
anniversary of this event Northeastern University erected the statue shown here
to mark the spot of this pitch. Also,
inside Northeastern University’s Godfrey Lowell Cabot Physical Education Center
you can see memeorabilia from the 1901 to 1911 Red Sox teams, including
newspaper reporting the first modern-day (third overall) perfect game in
baseball history pitched by Cy Young on May 5, 1904.
Earlier this year Northeastern
University took part in Red Sox history once again by being the first visitors
to JetBlue Park at Fenway South, to play a preseason game against the Boston
Red Sox. Four members of that Huskies
team are also members of your 2012 Nashua Silver knights. They include a pair of catchers John Puttress
(New Providence, New Jersey) and Josh Treff (Salem, New Hampshire), and they
are joined by Sean and Conner Lyons of Bedford, New Hampshire. After hitting a home run into the right field
bullpen during batting practice before the game Sean said “Seeing their [the Red
Sox] BP up-close you learn a lot, how quick their hands are and how effortless
their swings are and they hit the ball 450 feet, it’s unbelievable.”
Playing against the Red Sox is an
experience these guys will never forget, “It’s really unbelievable, seeing
these guys and being in front of them,” Connor says, “you really don’t know what
to think at first. You’re kind of
nervous, but excited at the same time.
You just want to get out there and play.”
John Puttress and Sean Lyons are
returning to the Nashua Silver Knights after their 2011 FCBL championship
season. This year for the Huskies,
Puttress has started nearly every game and batted well over .300 as a junior. Sean on the other hand, has transitioned into
being primarily a relief pitcher this season after splitting duties on the
mound and outfield in 2011. He has 10
appearances this season with batters hitting a paltry .182 against him.
New to the Nashua Silver Knights
this season are Josh Treff and Connor Lyons.
Josh entered his freshman year with the Huskies after a stellar career
at Salem High School. He was selected to
the first team all-state his junior and senior years as well as being named the
New Hampshire D1 Coaches Player of the Year as a senior. Connor led Northeastern University in hitting
his freshman year with a .356 avg, and commanded great range in center field,
with his Ellsbury-esque speed, timing, and ability to read the ball right off
the bat.
Together this quartet is ready to
make a little more history at Holman Stadium and help the Nashua Silver Knights
on their quest to repeat as FCBL Champions.
And who knows, maybe one of these guys will be on the other side of the
Red Sox vs. Huskies preseason game some day.
-2012
Nashua Silver Knights Souvenir Program
No comments:
Post a Comment