I found what I think is the game that was a pivotal moment in Red Sox fandom, not for me, but for my little sisters.
Baseball Reference helped me find it. I could only recall that Yaz had hit two homers, it was at home, the Red Sox had slobberknocked their opponent, and I was in high school. I had fallen passionately in love with the Sox the summer of '75. The game I remember, per Baseball Reference, was two years later, on June 18, 1977, and the Red Sox beat the Yankees 10-4. Yaz hit 2 homers that day. I remember the first one especially, because Yaz ran the count to 3-0 on Mike Torrez and I explained to my little sisters, who were 14, 13, and 12 at the time and at their first MLB game, that Yaz wouldn't swing at the 3-0 pitch unless it was right down the middle. The Yanks had taken an early 2 run lead in the top of the first but Burleson and Lynn had opened the Red Sox frame with singles, and now with one out, Yaz had come to the plate. He had that upright stance, leaning forward toward the pitcher with his top half, that kids from Old Lyme CT to Old Orchard Beach in Maine knew how to imitate.
Now with a commanding count in his favor, I attempted to describe Ted Williams' hit zone graphic. I told them if Torrez put one down the middle, Yaz was going to smack it right there, and I pointed to the Red Sox bullpen from our centerfield bleacher seats. Sure enough, Torrez threw a get-me-over fastball and Yaz stroked a long drive that ricocheted off the bullpen back wall for a 3-run homer! The Red Sox now led 3-2 and my sisters thought I knew more about baseball than anyone alive.
Homers flew out all day for the Sox (5 in all), and I called another Yaz homer late in the game. It was a long walk back to the car and a longer drive back to Meriden CT but everyone in the car was happy along with being tired from watching a long day game (huh, only 2:38 per BB Ref) at Fenway in 90F weather (BB Ref again).
Holy $h!t I found a
video; check the 0:30 mark! Per the video, the Sox victory the night before had moved them into first place over the Yankees. Since Yaz would turn 38 later that summer on August 22 (my birthday too), the weekend sweep of the Yankees (9-4, 10-4, 11-1), in which he went 9 for 14 and hit 4 home runs, might have been his greatest late-career 3-game stretch.
p.s. Bill (Soupy) Campbell pitched 3 innings Friday night for the save, then 3.2 more innings for another save Saturday afternoon. I'm sure it was only Ferguson Jenkins' complete game victory the next day that prevented Zimmer from using Campbell for 3+ innings again on Sunday.