Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 23, 1993 TAG: 9306230089
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHICAGO LENGTH: Medium
With his family, parents and friends present on "Carlton Fisk Night," he then squatted behind the plate and caught a pitch from Alex Fernandez for game No. 2,226.
Fisk, 45, called surpassing Bob Boone's previous record "a duty and not a destination."
"It doesn't happen like falling out of a tree," he said, "but it takes endurance and perseverance."
Fisk seemed to be aware that this might be the beginning of the end. There has been talk that the White Sox would release him after he broke the record.
"There were a lot of good games," he said, "a lot of ups and downs, and I played with intensity and enthusiasm but most important, I played to win."
Fisk received many gifts. The highlight came when Bo Jackson drove a gift motorcycle from his teammates onto the field.
Fisk's wife, Linda, received a diamond bracelet from the White Sox. Also present were his three children.
Fisk, who also played for the Boston Red Sox, hinted that he would choose to go into the Hall of Fame as a White Sox if elected.
"Black and white looks good," he said, referring to Chicago's colors.
Fisk said he would like to be remembered as "a player who liked to play and always did the best to help my teammates. That was always my basic objective."
The record was cherished for Fisk, a man with an aristocratic stride that went along with a sometimes acrimonious relationship with White Sox management.
In 22 seasons - the first 10 with Boston - he had compiled a page full of records, including 376 home runs, a record 351 as a catcher. He is the only catcher to hit more than 100 home runs and steal 100 bases.
Fisk is only the third catcher to hit at least 300 home runs, score 1,000 runs and drive in 1,000 runs. The other two were Yogi Berra and Johnny Bench, both Hall of Famers.
Fisk went into the game with 2,356 hits, 1,276 runs, 1,330 RBI and 128 stolen bases. He passed Bench's previous record of 327 homers by a catcher in 1990.
He joined the White Sox as a free agent in 1981 and helped turn around the franchise when the team won the American League West in 1983.
Roland Hemond, then the general manager, and team president Jerry Reinsdorf would laugh years later over the signing.
Fisk, who was then 33, wanted a five-year contract. Reinsdorf, then a new owner, questioned the idea. But Hemond said, "He'll give us at least three years and then we can eat the rest of it."
Fisk used to laugh at that, too. But he hasn't laughed in recent years. With every year and every contract there has been friction with the front office.
This year has been the most difficult. The White Sox declined to offer Fisk arbitration, later re-signing him for a lower salary.
Fisk knew he would be playing behind Ron Karkovice but expected more playing time than he has received.
When given the opportunity, he has not played well, batting .196 after Monday's game. He had thrown out only one of 21 runners attempting to steal.
by CNB