By: Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb

Sitting in the night air at Fenway Park is one of the great joys of my life. Surrounded there by friends and family, all watching the team we love – the Boston Red Sox- play a sport we love, in a ballpark we love, in a city we love. Historic Boston, birthplace of American Democracy, the American Revolution and home to many of our nation’ s Founding Fathers and greatest patriots.

Darkness falls, the enormous floodlights flick on illuminating the baseball diamond. The evening continues accented by a cup of Bud Light and a hotdog, followed by some popcorn. Innings pass as the players take their turn at bat or on the field. If the Red Sox are ahead, all the better! Either way, time seems to float, it feels like the moments are suspended, a summer’s night that is the sweet stuff of which life is made. Already it’s 8:30, 9:00, 9:30 p.m., somewhere into the evening the seventh inning stretch arrives, as well as, the traditional playing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” 

Then slowly— anticipation builds — and about midway into the 8th inning, in the background – softly at first then louder- the music can be heard. The lyrics commence. “Where it began, I can’t begin to knowing – But then I know it’s growing strong…Sweet Caroline.. bah, bah, bah…” It seems as though the entirety of Fenway Park is swaying and singing along, smiling and laughing. “Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good…” Everyone is sharing what has become the anthem of storied Fenway Park, “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. The night air at Fenway and “Sweet Caroline” become entwined as one entity.

So, I can only imagine what it meant to Bostonians, because for those of us who are tried and true Red Sox fans and carry with us memories of the night air at Fenway & “Sweet Caroline,” nothing could have been more heartfelt than the solidarity shown by Major League Baseball teams which played the song this week at their home stadium games, in the wake of the terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15  – Patriots’ Day. It was especially moving as a show of support from archrival, the New York Yankees.

Neil Diamond tweeted, “Thank you NY Yankees for playing “Sweet Caroline” for the people of Boston. You scored a home run in my heart. With respect. Neil.”

The night air at Fenway Park & “Sweet Caroline” entwined as one; and now standing for the unity of a nation.

To hear Neil Diamond sing Fenway’s ‘anthem’ live on U Tube  visit newsandviewsjb twitter post added April, 2014