Carlton Fisk

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Fisk was born in Bellows Falls, Vermont, but according to Fisk, that was only because Bellows Falls had the nearest hospital to his hometown, Charlestown, New Hampshire. He was raised by his parents, Leona and Cecil, along with older brother Calvin, younger brothers Conrad and Cedric and younger sisters Janet and June. He grew up in Charlestown, across the Connecticut River from Bellows Falls. Fisk attended Charlestown High School, where he played baseball (under Coach Ralph Silva), soccer, and basketball. Because his family is from New Hampshire, he insisted that the organization remove from his plaque in the Red Sox Hall of Fame its characterization of him as a Vermont native. Fisk earned his longtime nickname, "Pudge", because he was a chubby youngster. He played on the Charlestown High baseball team, appearing at third base, catcher and pitcher for Coach Silva. Two of his teammates were his brothers Calvin and Conrad, who were drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and Montreal Expos, respectively, but never made it to the minors due to Calvin's being drafted and inducted into military service during the Vietnam War and Conrad hurting his arm. Since the high school baseball season was limited to 17 games annually due to the inclement New England weather, he also played in the American Legion baseball league in 1964, appearing with the team from Claremont, New Hampshire. In 1965, he played for the Legion Post 37 team in Bellows Falls that had won the 1964 Vermont State Championship. Fisk excelled at basketball. When he was a sophomore, he was a starter and helped Charlestown to an undefeated season and the 1963 New Hampshire Class M championship. His play in a 1964 high school basketball tournament in the Boston Garden drew the attention of Boston Celtics owner Walter Brown, who told a local reporter, "You have got to tell me—who is that kid?" Fisk had 42 points and 38 rebounds in the 1965 state tournament semifinal loss to Hopkinton High School. He was awarded a basketball scholarship by the University of New Hampshire, where he started for the UNH Wildcats while also playing baseball. He met his wife Linda Foust while at UNH. The freshman team that Fisk played for was undefeated for the 1965–66 season. In 1966, he played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Orleans Cardinals. In his sophomore year, the Red Sox drafted him in the

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Carlton Fisk's career occurred on the night of October 21, 1975, during Game 6 of the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds at Fenway Park. Leading off the bottom of the 12th inning, Fisk faced relief pitcher Pat Darcy and launched a ball down the left-field line. As the sphere began to drift toward foul territory, Fisk, running toward first base, turned and frantically waved his arms, hoping for the batted ball to remain fair. The image of him jumping and waving has since become one of baseball's most iconic visuals. The ball struck the left-field foul pole for a home run, giving the Red Sox a 7–6 victory and forcing a decisive Game 7. Fisk later told The Boston Globe, "It's still the greatest moment in my career." This play also altered how baseball was televised; NBC cameraman Lou Gerard admitted he had been distracted by a nearby rat and kept the camera on Fisk instead of the ball. That accidental focus shifted future coverage to prioritize players over the flight of the ball. Although Boston lost Game 7, Fisk's home run remains a symbol of clutch performance.

Reader's Guide

Fisk joined the Army Reserve in 1967. After a short stint of active duty at Fort Dix, New Jersey, where Fisk finished his initial training, he served as a member of the 393rd Service and Supply Battalion in Chester, Vermont, completing monthly weekend drills and two-week annual training periods until 1971. In 1967, Fisk played briefly for the Red Sox team in the Florida Instructional League, hitting .195 with 0 HR and 0 RBI in 47 at bats. In 1968, Fisk played for the Waterloo Hawks, the Red Sox' Class A affiliate in the Midwest League. In 62 games, Fisk hit .338 with 12 HR and 34 RBI. Fisk played 28 games for the Red Sox in the Florida Instructional League in 1969, hitting .245 with 4 HR and 19 RBI. He then played for the Class AA Pittsfield Red Sox of the Eastern League, where he hit .243 with 10 HR and 41 RBI in 97 games and 309 at-bats. Finally, he made his major league debut, appearing in 2 games for the Boston Red Sox in 1969. In 1970, Fisk played for the Class AA Pawtucket Red Sox, where he batted .229 with 12 HR and 44 RBI in 93 games. Fisk played for the Class AAA Louisville Colonels of the International League in 1971, hitting .263 with 10 HR and 43 RBI in 93 games, before being called up to the Boston Red Sox. Fisk was once again called up from the minors at the end of 1971 and earned himself a place on Boston's 1972 spring training roster. As history would have it, Fisk broke into the major leagues (to stay) early in the 1972 season. Boston manager Darrell Johnson, whom Fisk credited for making him a major leaguer, taught Fisk how to be a leader and a field general for the team. Playing with abandon and all-out aggressiveness was one thing, channeling energy intelligently was another. "Johnson taught me to think about all the important facets of the catcher's role, the things that help pitchers in various ways and those that let your teammates know you want to win," he told an interviewer in 1973. On September 12, 1971, Fisk hit his first career home run off of Detroit's Les Cain at Tiger Stadium. In 1972, Fisk batted .293 with 22 home runs, and a .909 OPS. In addition, he led the American League with nine triples (tied with Oakland's Joe Rudi), and was the last catcher to lead the AL in this statistical category. His play earned him both the AL Gold Glove and AL Rookie of the Year awards. He was selected unanimously for the latter award, becoming

Did You Know?

• Fisk was the first player to be unanimously voted American League Rookie of the Year in 1972.
• At the time of his retirement, Fisk held the record for most home runs all-time by a catcher with 376 (since surpassed by Mike Piazza).
• Fisk still holds the AL record for most years served at the catcher position (24).
• Fisk was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.