In another sign that spring training is just around the corner, the Boston Red Sox celebrated truck day on Monday. The truck was to begin loading at 7 a.m. and was scheduled to leave Fenway Park for JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, FL around noon, beginning a 1,480-mile trip.
Joining this year’s Truck Day festivities are 30 Boston Public Schools students from the Young Achievers K-8 Science and Math Pilot School in Mattapan. The children will get a tour of Fenway Park, attend the sendoff of the equipment truck, and have lunch at the ballpark before heading back to class.
The equipment truck, which will depart from Fenway Park on Van Ness Street, will be led by a flat-bed truck carrying Wally the Green Monster, his sister Tessie, and Fenway Ambassadors who will be handing out JetBlue collectable baseball card schedules filled with prizes and tossing soft Red Sox baseballs to fans.
Load ‘em up! 🚛#TruckDay pic.twitter.com/jCaXPjDCoJ
— Red Sox (@RedSox) February 5, 2018
This will be the 20th straight year that Milford native Al Hartz will drive the 53-foot truck, which will carry an assortment of baseball equipment and supplies, including:
- 20,400 baseballs
- 1,100 bats
- 200 batting gloves
- 200 batting helmets
- 320 Batting Practice tops
- 160 white game jerseys
- 300 pairs of pants
- 400 t-shirts
- 400 pairs of socks
- 20 cases of bubble gum
- 60 cases of sunflower seeds
The celebration of Truck Day has been a Red Sox tradition since 2003 signaling the unofficial start of Spring Training. JetBlue, the official airline of the Red Sox, has been the presenting sponsor of the annual event since 2010. Moving services are provided by New England Household Moving & Storage.
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