Emotional Day for Carlton Fisk

C O O P E R S T O W N, N.Y., July 24 -- The last time Carlton Fisk was soemotional he was leaping for joy after coaxing his 12th-inninghomer to win Game 6 of the 1975 World Series.

The stubbornly stoic catcher let his emotions get the better ofhim again Sunday when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall ofFame along with Big Red Machinists Sparky Anderson and Tony Perez.

“This ends a very emotional week for me,” Fisk said. “Incoming here to accept this honor, I had to look back at so manythings that I’ve experienced in my life to get to this point. Somany people have been there for me. So many things have happened.Its been a journey.”

Stopping several times to compose himself or dry his eyes, Fiskgave a rambling but moving acceptance speech in which he thankedeveryone from his parents to Curt Flood to Donald Fehr to theComiskey Park clubhouse manager.

A Teary — And Long — Speech

And — as he did as a player — he went on and on, speaking fornearly an hour even though the limit was supposed to be 15 minutes.

“You think about what you want to say and those you want tothank, but you can’t really gauge how you’re going to feel,” hesaid. “It’s obviously something I’m never going to forget.”

But nothing would be more appropriate for a guy who outlastedevery catcher who came before him, catching more games — 2,229 —than anyone else in history.

“I know I pushed the limits of how long I should play and howlong I could play, at the most difficult and demanding position inthe game of baseball, and at the highest level that it is played,”he said. “I feel I stayed true to my passion.”

Fisk, 52, played the first 11 years of his career with Bostonbefore leaving on bad terms and signing with the White Sox. Heplayed 13 seasons in Chicago before having a falling out there,too.

He was elected to the Hall in his second year of eligibility,and chose to wear a Red Sox cap into the Hall.