When I open a jar of peanuts, I think of a nice, warm, sunny day at Fenway Park. But it is different for me than for most kids, because my father played baseball for the Red Sox. When I go to Fenway Park, I can sit in the dugout and talk to the players.

As I start to eat my peanuts, I am reminded of one game when I sat in the Red Sox dugout. There were two outs in the top of the ninth inning and the Chicago White Sox were at bat. I could see Roger Clemens pitch his 95-mile-an-hour fastball toward home plate and I could hear the swish of Tim Raines' bat missing the ball for strike three. The "Rocket" strikes out the side and the crowd roars its approval.

My peanuts are almost gone. It's now the bottom of the ninth inning and the Red Sox are down 3-0. Luis Riveira steps up to the plate and pops out swinging at the first pitch. Next, Jody Reed grounds out to the second baseman. The home team's hopes look slim. The third batter of the inning is Wade Boggs and he hits a double off the wall. Mike Greenwell follows with a single up the middle. Men on first and second for the mighty Mo Vaughn. There's a 3-2 count on Vaughn and the pitcher throws way outside for ball four. Phil Plantier steps to the plate with the bases loaded. He swings and misses at the first two balls. Then White Sox reliever, Bobby Thigpen, throws a slow, hanging curve ball. Plantier swings the bat and you can hear the bat connect with the ball. The ball flies into the sky. It's going, going, gone and so are my peanuts! n