BASEBALL TURNS BACK THE CLOCK

Sweet sounds of 1918

Aramis Ramirez (left) of the Chicago Cubs and David Ortiz of the Red Sox wore replicas of 1918 uniforms during interleague play last weekend at Fenway Park. (Michael Dwyer/Associated Press)

May 27, 2011

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ONE OF the best moments of pure baseball bliss this die-hard Cubs fan has ever felt came at Fenway Park on Saturday.

As part of the “Turn Back the Clock’’ night, the electronic scoreboard, public address announcer, and blaring music were silent for two sweet innings. Baseball as it sounded in 1918. As dreamy fog rolled in from left field, the call of the ump, roar of the crowd, and crack of the bat were distinctive and musical. I salute the Red Sox for doing this, and endorse the sentiment expressed by Nick Cafardo that baseball doesn’t need shenanigans, distractions, and bombardment all of the time (“Does game time really have to be show time?’’ Sports, May 22).

Claude Walker
Chicago

Curses! Foiled again WHOSE BRIGHT idea was it to have Babe Ruth’s daughter, Julia Ruth Stevens, throw out the first pitch before Saturday’s comedy of errors against the Chicago Cubs, in which the Red Sox blew a 2-run lead in the eighth inning and lost 9-3? For one night only, she brought the Curse of the Bambino back to Fenway.

Paul Mange Johansen
Pittsfield