Empire Attire

by: Brian Schroy

The Red Sox have been the pride and joy of New England since they were founded in 1901. Now they are more popular than ever. Growing up in Maine, Simon instantly became accustom to the Red Sox culture. He patiently waited for the Sox to win the World Series in 2004 and celebrated again in 2007. Thanks to Sunday River, Simon’s life long dream became a reality as he stepped onto the pitchers mound at Fenway Park to throw the first pitch. 37,000 fans waited for Simon to release the baseball into the glove of catcher. Only one thing crossed his mind as he stood on the top of mound, “I better not mess this up”. After much debate over which pitch to throw he decided to go with a good old fashion fastball. The pitch made it the distance, but did not quite make the strike zone. Simon has no plans to switch from skiing to baseball, but he can now say that he threw the first ball at Fenway Park.

What was the highlight of your night at Fenway Park?

Simon: It was amazing being able to walk around the field without even being looked at by security. I got to walk over to the Green Monster and touch the scoreboard. I also had the chance to walk around the bases. It felt like I was on top of the world. I was amazed how long I got to stay on the field. I walked around for at least 30 minutes before the game even started.

Would this be considered a career highlight for you?

Simon: It was not as much a career highlight as it was a great sense of achievement. Growing up in Maine I loved the Red Sox. We all did. When I got to walk over to the mound and throw a pitch in front of a sold out crowd I realized I had truly made it. It was a dream come true.

Do you think it would be a different experience for you if you threw the first pitch for another team?

Simon: Absolutely. It would have still been a great experience, but nothing could have topped throwing out the pitch in Boston. Boston fans are unlike any other fans in the world. They love their team win or lose. Throwing the pitch somewhere else would have lack the energy of Fenway Park. That baseball field is filled with history and I got to become a part of that.

Who do you have to thank for making this event happen?

Simon: Sunday River made this all possible for me. They even game me 7 tickets to give to my family and friends. Also Red Bull was very helpful. They had a truck escort us to the game and provided us with an awesome after party at the Greatest Bar. All in all it was a perfect night and I am very thankful for the experience.

Simon and his mom at Fenway.