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12TH ANNUAL
FLEET BOSTON
OLDTIME BASEBALL GAME
Held Wednesday, 17 August 2005, in Cambridge, MA
 Once
again a large crowd was on hand at St.
Peter’s Field, Sherman St., North Cambridge on Wednesday, 17
August to watch some of greater Boston’s finest amateur baseball players
in the 12th Annual
Fleet Boston Oldtime Baseball Game. This year’s game was played under
perfect summer skies as a fundraiser for
the Lupus Foundation of New England.
The glittering array of old-style
flannel uniforms worn by the players is one of the prime factors in making the Oldtime Baseball Game so special.. Used just once a year for the Oldtime Baseball Game,
the uniforms represent such long-ago teams as the St. Louis Browns,
Philadelphia Athletics and Brooklyn Dodgers. Negro League teams are represented by the Kansas City Monarchs, Baltimore
Elite Giants, Homestead Grays and Ethiopian Clowns. Even long-ago minor-league teams are represented,
including the Alaska Goldpanners, San Francisco Seals, Oakland Oaks and Roswell Rockets.
Brendan Grant Tribute at the Oldtime Baseball Game
During the summer of 2001,
the Greater Boston sports community was stunned by the tragic death of Belmont native
Brendan Grant, a 19-year-old baseball player who had just finished his freshman season at
American International College. While playing left field for his Belmont Senior Babe Ruth
League team on June 27, Brendan suffered fatal injuries when he collided with his center
fielder in a game against Arlington.
Each year, a Belmont High School graduate represents Brendan at the
Oldtime Baseball Game. From 2001 to 2003 it was Holy Cross standout
Matt McEvoy, and last year and this year it is Billy Watkins who was a member of the
Franklin Pierce baseball squad and who is now at Framingham State. Billy was wearing a
1967
vintage St. Louis Cardinals uniform, which is a replica of the one worn by
Steve Carlton when the '67 Cardinals beat the Boston Red Sox
"Impossible Dream" team.
Though Brendan never played in the Oldtime Baseball Game, he was a posthumous selection to
the 2001 game. In a pre-game ceremony in 2001, a commemorative banner was unveiled in left
field, containing Brendan’s name and his uniform number from his days at Belmont
High School – No. 1. The Brendan Grant banner will remain on the left-field fence for
each edition of the Game.
In addition to the special ceremony that was held in Brendan's honor at
the 2001 game, other honors included his picture
being featured on the 2001 program cover, a short write-up
within the game program, opening
ceremony remarks in 2001 by his Father, Casey Grant, and the
aforementioned banner on the outfield fence that is to be displayed at
each year's game. Many were on hand to enjoy this tribute in 2001.
Additional details are also
available from last year's
2003 event or for the story
on the 2002 game. Further information
on the event is available on the Old
Time Baseball Game website.
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