Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
"Growing up on a farm in Arkansas, my nearest neighbor was about a mile away. I really didn't have much in the way of playmates. I was a complete introvert. I had a great front yard. People would come to my front yard, friends would come over and play baseball, but I was too shy to ask if I could play.
“The Cardinals were really my world. I had a rich inner life."
His hero, of course, was Stan Musial.
"Stan the Man," Henry said. "He was our Ted Williams.’’
ESPNBoston | Henry on Musial: Baseball lost its finest man
One of the more memorable quotes from the excerpts from Terry Francona's upcoming book was him saying that he thought Red Sox ownership liked baseball, but didn't love it. If you read this post from Gordon Edes, it sounds like John Henry loves baseball, or at least did at one point.
Musial was one of the greatest players of all time -- his stats are unbelievable. The comparison to Ted Williams is an apt one. Musial hit for average, hit for power, and even took a lot of walks, something that wasn't appreciated back then. My grandpa -- a huge Yankees fan -- always used to say that after Ted, Stan Musial was the best hitter he ever saw. Sorry, Babe.
My favorite random note from that post: John Henry received a telegram from Stan Musial...in 2004. I honestly didn't realize telegrams were still possible.
ESPNBoston | Henry recalls moment with Weaver | Herald | Red Sox prospects relish opportunity
