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Ted's game for Opening Day

Senator Ted Kennedy, with Jim Rice at the wheel, acknowledges the crowd before the game at Fenway. Senator Ted Kennedy, with Jim Rice at the wheel, acknowledges the crowd before the game at Fenway. (jim davis/globe staff)
By Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein
April 8, 2009
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Maybe it was the recession, the rain delay, or the emotional first pitch tossed by Ted Kennedy. Regardless, Opening Day was a muted celebration compared to years past, and the early-spring chill didn't help.

Filling the shoes of Seal, who was supposed to sing the national anthem when he was in town Monday, were the Boston Pops and their leader, Keith Lockhart, just in time to promote their new "Red Sox Album."

While many Opening Day usuals were missing from the festivities - even the big shots have to work in this economy - familiar faces included Sox brass Tom Werner, Larry Lucchino, and limited partner David Ginsberg; former Patriot Steve DeOssie; Boston Culinary Group kahuna Joe O'Donnell, who sat with his mother, Teresa, in the Bank of America box; former sportscaster Bob Lobel; Longwood Events exec Jim Apteker, who spent game time with Richie Balsbaugh and singer Livingston Taylor; Union Oyster House owner Joe Milano; local music producer Chip Rives; PR personalities George Regan and Marlo Fogelman; Reebok's Paul Foster; talk host Mike Barnicle and his wife, Bank of America exec Anne Finucane; John Hancock VP Carol Fulp; writers Doris Kearns Goodwin and Richard Goodwin; singer Jonathan Richman; Mayor Tom Menino; Intercontinental Real Estate CEO Peter Palandjian; former gubernatorial candidate Warren Tolman; and Kennedy's grandkids, Teddy, Grace, and Max Kennedy.

Dropkick Murphy Ken Casey spent much of the game palling around with bandmates Scruffy Wallace and James Lynch, as well as Sox fanatic (and former 3rd Bass rapper) Pete Nash. Casey and Nash co-own McGreevy's on Boylston Street, where a lively Evan Longoria spent Monday night with some of his Tampa Bay Rays teammates.

Kay Hanley's manager Michael Creamer made the rounds with Wild Light manager Mark Kates, who was toasting the band's just-announced two-week opening stint for the Killers. (Wild Light is at Great Scott tonight, by the way.)

Moviemaker and super Sox fan Aviva Kempner couldn't make it yesterday but did drop us an e-mail expressing concern about the Sox playing on Passover. "Will they offer matzo at the stadium? Will [Theo] Epstein say the four questions at Fenway?" wrote Kempner, director of the documentary "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg."

For the record, Sox spokesgal Susan Goodenow tells us that reporters at tomorrow night's game will be offered matzo and that fans will be allowed to bring their own unleavened treats, if necessary.

Party misses some of its punch
A postponed Opening Day meant a few no-shows at last night's soiree at the David Yurman store in Copley Place. The kickoff event for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Hot Pink Party, which will be held in May, was supposed to draw Stacey Lucchino and her daughter Blair, but organizers were told the Lucchino fam would probably have to skip it to attend Opening Day festivities, although Linda Pizzuti, the soon-to-be Mrs. John Henry, was expected to escape her Sox duties early to stop by. Also on the guest list for the Yurman gathering were Hot Pink party chairs Elisha Daniels and Linda Waintrup (daughter of Ruth and Carl Shapiro) and foundation president Myra Biblowit, who is a close friend of foundation founder Evelyn Lauder.

Spacey in Hub orbit
After checking out the Huntington's production of "Two Men of Florence" over the weekend, "21" star Kevin Spacey stopped by Minibar with Ben Mezrich. Spacey chatted with Mezrich and his wife, Tonya Chen Mezrich, about the writer's latest project, a book about Mark Zuckerberg and his pals, who created Facebook while at Harvard. The book is already set to hit the big screen, with Aaron Sorkin adapting the screenplay and Spacey as a coproducer.

Garner adds 'Butter'
Just as Ben Affleck arrived in town on Monday, so did the news that his better half, Jennifer Garner, had signed on to star in a new film called "Butter." Garner will play a woman who develops a strange talent for carving butter. Yes, it's a comedy. Rumored to be directing are Gary Ross, of "Pleasantville" and "Seabiscuit," and Craig Gillespie, of "Lars and the Real Girl."

Helping out, by the book
The local literary elite have kept busy do-gooding these past few days. Andre Dubus III, Tom Perrotta, and Anita Diamant mingled at the Hyatt Regency on behalf of Jumpstart's "Scribbles to Novels" program. Meanwhile, WriteBoston recently hosted "Pros & CONversation" at the Boston Athenaeum with special guests Dennis Lehane, Alice Hoffman, Joseph Finder, Anita Shreve, and Boston poet laureate Sam Cornish.

Athletes give an assist
Celtics players Stephon Marbury and Brian Scalabrine got busy with paint brushes yesterday in Dorchester for Southwest Airlines' ASSISTS Clean Up Day, held in schools around Boston. The two spent the afternoon prettying up the Harbor School - which serves sixth to eighth graders - by painting a mural with Boston Breakers soccer teammates Heather Mitts, Amy Rodriguez, Kristin Luckenbill, Jennie Nobis, and Kelly Schmedes. The mural was designed by Harbor art teacher Joe "Mr. Z" Zaremba and his students. It's described as a mix of positive messages, the school's motto, and Celtics spirit. We assume that means lots of green paint.

Eating with the stars
It was a foodie fest at BanQ last night, thanks to a Boston appearance by Zagat guide guy Tim Zagat. On the guest list for the Boston Zagat launch party were restaurateur Lydia Shire, Suzanne Wenz of the Fairmont Copley, All Seasons Table owner Douglas Tran and designer Meichi Peng, Mary Catherine Deibel of UpStairs on the Square, BanQ owners Hemant Chowdhry and Mark Raab, local Zagat editors Eric Grossman and Naomi Kooker, and Richard Garcia of Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro at Patriot Place.

Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.

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