“Now Back” to Red Sox/Senators Opening Day 1965

Now back to that 1965 opening game tilt in Washington D.C, which was won by the Boston Red Sox (7-2), against the Senators.

The President of the country, Lyndon Baines Johnson is in attendance and threw out the first pitch. He presumably rooted for the Senators.

Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy of Massachusetts stops by and tells Red Sox broadcaster, Curt Gowdy, he of course, is rooting for the Red Sox.

Seven home runs (six of the solo variety) account for all nine runs in the game.

Lenny Green hits two, Lee Thomas has the only one with men on, a 3 run “poke” for the game’s first runs, while Tony Conigliaro added a tremendous upper deck shot. The other Boston homer was hit by Felix Mantilla, who surprisingly hit 30 the year before and would hit 18 out, in 1965

Don Lock and Ken McMullen, the latter part of a big trade with eventual ’65 World Series champion, Los Angeles (Dodgers), that sent Claude Osteen west and Frank Howard east, and Don Lock homered for Washington.

There will be more from this game, please “stay tuned.”

Tony Conigliaro, pictured above, would go on to lead the American League in home runs in 1965.

Much is made and rightfully so, regarding what “might have been,” regarding “Tony C.,” however, he did accomplish quite a bit.