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Pregame ceremonies recap

Email|Link|Comments (2) Posted by David Lefort, Boston.com Staff April 8, 2008 01:51 PM

In case you missed today's pregame ceremonies from Fenway Park, here's a complete recap, courtesy of the Red Sox media relations department:

The ceremonies were kicked off with three videos recapping the most memorable moments from the 2007 season.

The recap videos were followed by a parade of flags in front of the Green Monster from 62 countries. The nations represented by these flags either count Red Sox Nation members as its residents or have citizens who have been in touch with the Red Sox front office via letters and e-mails. The countries represented were: Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

All seven world championship banners were ceremoniously unfurled on the Green Monster to the Theme from Jurassic Park, composed by John Williams, which was chosen because of its gentle yet celebratory grandeur. The 2004 and 2007 championship banners spanned the length of the left field wall.

The pregame ceremony featured an array of athletes from the Bruins, Celtics, and Patriots, who carried the world championship rings that were presented to the 2007 Red Sox.

Bruins
Johnny Bucyk
Ken Hodge
Don Marcotte
Johnny McKenzie
Bobby Orr

Celtics
Danny Ainge
M.L. Carr
John Havlicek
K.C. Jones
Bill Russell
Jo Jo White

Patriots
Tedy Bruschi
Kevin Faulk
Larry Izzo
Lonnie Paxton

Red Sox
Brian Daubach
Curtis Leskanic
Dave McCarty

The champions from each of the four Boston sports franchises were accompanied by one of the championship trophies that each of those franchises won.

The Stanley Cup: National Hockey League
The Larry O'Brien Trophy: National Basketball Association
The Lombardi Trophy: National Football League
The Commissioner's Trophy: Major League Baseball

The rings were presented in nine distinct groups in order: manager and coaches; trainers and clubhouse staff; catchers; starting pitchers; infield; outfield; bullpen; closer (Jonathan Papelbon); and the designated hitter (David Ortiz).

The rings for the manager and the coaches were given out as the Boston Pops played the Main Theme to the Magnificent Seven, originally composed by Elmer Bernstein, chosen to collectively represent manager Terry Francona and his team of six coaches.

When the Saints Go Marching In was played during the distribution of rings for the trainers and clubhouse staff.

The Main Theme to Superman, composed by John Williams, was performed by the Boston Pops when captain and catcher Jason Varitek, catcher Kevin Cash and former catcher Doug Mirabelli received their rings to represent Varitek's signature at-bat song Kryptonite by the band 3 Doors Down.

The Main Theme to Raiders of the Lost Ark, composed by John Williams, was played as the starting pitchers received their rings. The song was chosen to embody the 'go-getter' spirit of the pitching staff that was best embodied by the Indiana Jones character.

The 2007 infield received their rings to the tune of the popular James Bond Theme, originally composed by Monty Norman, representing their slick defensive and dashing offensive capabilities.

The 2007 outfield received their rings to the strains of the John Williams masterpiece The Throne and End Titles in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, which was selected because of its regality and splendor reflecting the myriad personalities of the Red Sox' spectacular outfield last season.

The bullpen from last season received their rings to the tune of He's a Pirate from the Pirates of the Caribbean series, which was chosen to appropriately represent the "pirate" theme that the bullpen went by the entire season last year.

Closer Jonathan Papelbon received his ring to his signature song, Shipping Up to Boston by the Dropkick Murphys. (Editor's note: No, he didn't dance)

Designated hitter David Ortiz, responsible for so many exciting walk-off wins during his tenure in Boston, received his ring to the Red Sox' victory song at Fenway Park, Dirty Water by the Standells.

The 2007 World Championship flag was hoisted by David Ortiz and Johnny Pesky in center field. The flag went up as the Boston Pops played A Hymn To New England, composed by John Williams and played as a tribute to New England, its people and Red Sox fans who have stuck with the team through good times and bad.

Members of the Electronic Systems Center and Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, assisted with the giant United States flag draped on the Green Monster. They were led by Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds.

The National Anthem was performed by members of the Boston Pops Brass Ensemble led by James Orent.

The flyover was presented by the 158 Fighter Wing 'Green Mountain Boys' of the Vermont Air National Guard. Four F-16 'Fighting Falcon' jets flew in and out of Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford for the Opening Day presentation.

The ceremonial first pitch was delivered by former Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner.

Buckner walked out to the closing credits theme from the movie Glory, composed by James Horner. The movie is based on the history of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment during the American Civil War and was one of the first formal units of the US Army to be made up entirely of African American soldiers.

The 2007 World Series championship ring is cast in brilliant white gold. The top of the ring has twenty-eight round brilliant-cut diamonds channel-set around the bottom of the bezel. On the top of the bezel, recessed in black letters, are the words "World Champions".

Centered on top of the ring is the Red Sox logo, (a pair of red socks) cast in brilliant white gold each set with four custom fitted natural rubies mounted on a diamond base crest depicting a baseball diamond. The diamond base crest is inlaid with fourteen princess-cut diamonds. The baseball diamond overhangs an inner bezel and is set on a field of four custom faceted synthetic blue sapphires.

The left side of the ring has "7th World Series Championship" in raised relief on a black background. Underneath is a depiction of Fenway Park with "4-0 Sweep" at the bottom of the panel.

There are two versions of the right side of the ring. For those players' who played on both the 2004 and 2007 World Championship teams, their rings have a panel with the recipient's name in raised relief on a black background above a maroon-enameled initial "B" between two World Series trophies. For those players who played only on the 2007 team, their rings have one trophy on the right and a maroon-enameled initial "B" on the left. For all rings, at the bottom of the panel in raised relief is the recipient's uniform number with the year "2007".

The inside of the ring is engraved with: "Boston Red Sox" and "10-28-07".

The ring features a total of 42 diamonds with a total weight of 2.33 carats.

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2 comments so far...

Sounds like a lot of fun. I just wonder if the cost the taxpayers incur for a flyover might be spent better elsewhere. Apparently there are thousands of these flyovers every year around the US at a cost of a couple hundred thousand dollars a wack. Seems like with the cost of fuel, the various military actions our young people are engaged in and the melting of the planet we might be smarter about how we spend tax payer dollars. I think opening day would still be a blast even without the jets.

Posted by just one patriot April 8, 08 04:05 PM

Right on, just one patriot. Great opening day; but, the show of force with the jets is excessive. I thought the fly over by the Hawk with a mouse in his beak was far cooler.

Posted by just another patriot April 8, 08 08:26 PM