Rock Steady

Gulden's Mustard, 'Gansett, Frank Sargent tossing the first ball out on the field, the Buck Printing sign, John Kiley playing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch, Juan Beniquez, the Green Monster, Captain Carl, the Jimmy Fund, the bleacher bums... all delayed a day.

The Green Line trolleys were quiet yesterday on their runs past Kenmore, and Jersey street did not echo the calls of the peanut sellers hawking their goobers. No one was sitting atop the Windsor Canadian billboard either--mother nature and not the Boston Police had seen to that.

Beantown's Bosox baseball buffs had to sit at home another day before making the pilgrimage to Tom Yawkey's cozy corner of Kenmore Sq. as snow, sleet and rain postponed the Red Sox home opener against Baltimore.

The Fenway faithful will get a first live peek at the 1974 "New Look" Red Sox this afternoon. Assuming, of course, that yesterday's nor' easter doesn't decide to hang around another day. Over 30,000 are expected to be on hand to hear Rene Rancourt of the Boston Conservatory of Music deliver the National Anthem for the flag-raising.

It won't be quite the same old Fenway Park that the fans will be seeing today. In addition to Bob Bolin, Luis Aparicio, Cha Cha Cepeda, and Reggie Smith, some of Fenway's seats got the heave-ho this winter. The grounds crew removed the old wooden slats from the box seats and reserved grandstand seats and replaced them with bright red plastic numbers that undoubtedly will be more comfortable but not as classy.

While the Park acquired some new seats, the team came up with a new manager, a captain, a revamped pitching staff and Juan Beniquez among other new young players. Beniquez is one of the many surprises that freshman pilot Darrell Johnson has pulled this spring. Last season Juan was tried at short, where he tied an American League record for most errors in consecutive games. His throws had a knack for missing Yaz at first, and most folks were giving up on him as a major-leaguer.

Well, Beniquez is in the outfield now, as is captain Yastrzemski, and Johnson has made other drastic changes. Tommy Harper is the designated hitter, Mario Guerrero is at short stop, Cecil Cooper holds down first, and Bernie Carbo is in the outfield. The squad is hardly recognizable from last year, except that Rico Petrocelli and Carlton Fisk should be back in the lineup in last season's positions as soon as they overcome early injuries, and Doug Griffin will play second again.

Until Rico and Pudge are ready, however, Terry Hughes should take the hot corner and Bob Montgomery will squat behind home plate. All told, that makes for quite a different line up from what the fans usually expect to take the field in Yawkey's "country club."

Even the radio broadcasting crew has changed this season. Dave Martin is out and Jim Wood is broadcasting along with play-by-play vet Ned Martin. And Narragansett Lager beer, the beer with that "straight from the barrel taste," is back again as a sponsor for the first time since the famous '67 season. (Of course, old favorite engineer A1 Walker is back once again this year to the delight of his many fans. Some things never change.)

The Bosox rooters will get their chance to see if all these new changes meet with their approval this afternoon against the Orioles. If the hometown heroes win it, there will undoubtedly be a lot of reference to '67 and the Impossible Dream made by departing mob as they take that familiar route home through Kenmore Square.