Mike helped us transition from the bleak winter to the hope of spring for many years. Happy to have had the opportunity to meet him. Rest in peace, legend.
RIP MikeF
- Thread starter BoSoxLady
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One of my very favorite posters over the years, not just for how smart and informative his spring training posts were, but also for his general joie de vivre. RIP, MikeF.
From Breakfasts at the Farmer's Market to games at City of Palms and beyond, we will miss our times with Mike.
We will pour out a bottle of REAL Vermont Maple Syrup in his memory
We will pour out a bottle of REAL Vermont Maple Syrup in his memory
Beautiful. You met us at that pub once when we picked up Deb and drove to VT to
visit Mike in the hospital. He was close to being given last rights and after we all visited, he recovered and made many more trips to spring training. We miss him so much.
RIP Mayor of Fort Myers
His spring training and other posts were what inspired me to go down to Spring Training in 2019 and 2020.
His spring training and other posts were what inspired me to go down to Spring Training in 2019 and 2020.
Damn. Nothing to add to what others have already said better, but at this time of year (and especially THIS year), missing those ST reports will hit a little differently. RIP Mike.
I'm terribly sorry to hear this. Like others, I always enjoyed his ST reports. He's SoSH royalty.
Every loss here at SoSH is a sad occasion. It's clear that many of you had a personal connection to Mike, my sincere condolences to you all.
This is everything I love about baseball and this place. Thanks for sharing and love and light to you and everyone lucky enough to know him who now feels his loss.
His ST reports were calls to come out from hibernation, the baseball season was on its way.
RIP MikeF
RIP MikeF
Very sad news. His ST reports were fantastic and clearly he helped build a community we all take part in.
I've been lurking here since 2001 and always enjoyed MikeF's spring reports; may he RIP, and best wishes to his family and friends. If there were a SOSH HOF, he'd be a first balloter.
Thanks, SS. I had landed there this morning, but there are no posts older than 2014 within the 10 pages of results that come up, and it doesn't look like any spring training reports are on there. Mike may have stopped doing it before then. Regardless, I remember the reports fondly, and am so grateful Mike took the time to do them for us. It is so greatly appreciated.
Man, I well up a little just thinking about those spring training reports. The joy and humor he took from the Red Sox just always put me in a good mood, and ready for a World Series season no matter what anybody else had to say.
Appreciate you, MikeF.
Appreciate you, MikeF.
RIP Mike - the King of Fort Myers - like many others have said his reports from Spring Training were one of the reasons I stuck around SoSH when I was new. My thoughts are with his family, both blood and those of you who are his family here.
RIP Mike. I have missed the Spring Training reports the last few years and thought of Mike. It truly was a pleasure to read his reports.
Mike F was our eyes and ears on the ground, he was invaluable to helping us understand how the team was coming together, and what the atmospherics were like. I’m sad to have lost a SoSH legend and a good Vermonter. Love from me and my family to all who loved Mike.
Spring training will never be the same without MikeF reports to read up on. My condolences to all of his friends and family.
Legend. One of the OGs that contributed a unique and indelible voice to the board that helped to create SoSH's personality.
RIP MikeF
RIP MikeF
Does anyone know how to find his old reports? Now would be a nice time for a trip down memory lane. RIP, MikeF.
I will echo others in saying his reports were the big excitement for spring training for me as a lurker all those years ago. It meant spring was just around the corner here in New England, and we could dive into the lineup minutiae and pitching decisions soon enough. Rest In Peace sir and condolences to his family and those that knew him.
It looks like some of his reports still live on in the old tapatalk website:
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/sonsofsamhorn/mike-f-s-spring-training-reports-f74/
On days like today in the early 2000 I’d be itching to read his reports.
edit: for that link it shows the last post/poster, just click and it will take you to Mikes OP.
It looks like some of his reports still live on in the old tapatalk website:
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/sonsofsamhorn/mike-f-s-spring-training-reports-f74/
On days like today in the early 2000 I’d be itching to read his reports.
edit: for that link it shows the last post/poster, just click and it will take you to Mikes OP.
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I'm so sorry for your loss. Like many have said, I never met Mike but always looked forward his spring training reports.
I've been lurking with one account or another here since 2000 or 2001 - I was living in Seattle then and terribly homesick. I splurged on the NHL package so that I could follow the Bruins and Bourque in Colorado but was missing out on all of the other Boston teams and found SoSH via Simmons, I think. I very rarely post here but have no words for the astounding quality of content, discussion, and knowledge here and am very lucky to have found it when I did - I feel, after all of these years, like I know many of you as ridiculous as that might sound.
I never met Mike, but looked forward to his reports every year - it signaled spring for me, a return to baseball and optimism and the wonderful camaraderie that he and those who knew him clearly shared. I am very sad to hear that he has passed and will miss his effortless enthusiasm for our Sox.
I never met Mike, but looked forward to his reports every year - it signaled spring for me, a return to baseball and optimism and the wonderful camaraderie that he and those who knew him clearly shared. I am very sad to hear that he has passed and will miss his effortless enthusiasm for our Sox.
Such sad news, and it sucks getting older around here some days. Cheri and the other spring training folks, Cumby, Lose, etc., my thoughts to all of you and Mike's family. His spring training reports were as good as anything you could find anywhere on the state of the team. The man loved him some Jimmy Pearsall, and may be one of the few SoSH'ers besides me that likes the tv show, NCIS.
I still use a line in daily life that Mike once said around here. "Close only counts in hand grenades and drive in movies" (everyone else has heard horseshoes instead). Whenever someone says horseshoes and hand grenades, I always reply "and drive in movies." Usually met with a look of confusion, but it works. RIP MIkeF, hopefully you can put in a word and get MLB back on the field soon.
I still use a line in daily life that Mike once said around here. "Close only counts in hand grenades and drive in movies" (everyone else has heard horseshoes instead). Whenever someone says horseshoes and hand grenades, I always reply "and drive in movies." Usually met with a look of confusion, but it works. RIP MIkeF, hopefully you can put in a word and get MLB back on the field soon.
Mike's post from Ft Myers was part of our spring training to get us ready for the season ahead, and he was good at it. My sincerest condolences to his family and friends, here and globally. Mike's contributions made this place special.
RIP Mike
RIP Mike
Here's one from March 2005 that Mike entitled "World Series redux." It brought a tear to my eye for myriad reasons - the discussion of young Hanley as a middle infield prospect made me particularly wistful:
You can feel the warm breeze DeJesus described.
Skrub posted some links upthread.
Very sad news. I had a blast watching the Sox in Ft. Myers and chatting with MikeF.
I started lurking here sometime between the Thanksgiving Day meal and the A-Rod "ALIVE" roller coaster. For many years, seeing his reports roll in helped soothe the jittery winter feeling that, somehow, maybe, baseball just wasn't coming back ever again. I never met him but definitely had a para-social relationship with him fueled by the joy and jealousy his spring training sojourns gave me. It's been nice to read in this thread all the reports that he was somehow even a better person than his reports made him sound.
RIP to him and my condolences to his loved ones. While I know it's not true, I'm going to let myself believe that the looming threat of baseball actually not coming back this year is because they need to dim the lights for Mike F.
RIP to him and my condolences to his loved ones. While I know it's not true, I'm going to let myself believe that the looming threat of baseball actually not coming back this year is because they need to dim the lights for Mike F.
Man, what a terrible day. It’s great that so many people have so many great memories of him. I hope that brings his family a small measure of comfort.
I’m one who stopped by to meet Mike at ST. He was gracious, kind and much more interested in learning about me than he was in being thanked for his funny, informative and at times irreverent ST posts. Those posts were a first robin of spring for me and I’m sure many others. Condolences to his family and his legion of friends. RIP.
Condolences to his family and to those on SoSH who were his extended family. Just as so many others here I lived spring training vicariously through his reports. Reading the posts about him by those who knew him personally makes me appreciate the hole his passing creates. Peace to all of you. And Godspeed and RIP to Mike.
So sad. I wish I had known him outside of SoSH, becasue I'd probably be a better person.
RIP Mike.
RIP Mike.
I’m not a heaven guy but I’d like to think those two polar opposites in personality (but both super guys) are hanging out tonight. There is absolutely no way that Stiffy hasn’t taken that place over by now, and can probably offer Mike a premium seat looking over us assholes.
MikeF was one of the people who made this place special when I first started to lurk on SoSH around 2002. Thanks for the passion and I am so happy he got to see four(!) World Series Championships before he passed on. Love to his friends and family
This is nice. I think that Mike would have liked the sentiments. RIP to a great one.
Was MikeF the one who came up with the long acronym about what some cartoon animal’s mother would say when you couldn’t say something nice about someone?
Damn it, the world needs more people like Mike, not fewer. Had a chance to catch a game with him down in Ft Myers many years ago. As you'd imagine, it was a great way to pass an afternoon.
When it came to signaling the coming baseball season Truck Day had nothing on Mike's first report from the Fort. Such fond memories of those days, it can't help but bring a smile even on such a sad day.
When it came to signaling the coming baseball season Truck Day had nothing on Mike's first report from the Fort. Such fond memories of those days, it can't help but bring a smile even on such a sad day.
The loss of MikeF to his family and friends is tremendous. I didn't know MikeF personally, but it saddens me deeply that I'll never read one of his reports from Spring training