Peabody's Mickey Ratte Has Been a Huge Red Sox Fan for 65 Years

For 65 years, Mickey Ratte has been closely following her favorite ball team. You might even call her a "huge fan." She remembers how, as a 12-year-old girl, she would listen to the Boston Red Sox games on the radio with her parents at their home in Peabody.

Now, as a resident at Brooksby Village (a retirement complex off Route 114 in Peabody), she continues to watch every game and even gets involved in planning pep rallies for her beloved Red Sox as well as the Patriots when Super Bowl time rolls around.

“I loved watching Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr,” says Ratte. Her favorite was Doerr. “These were great men who were not about the publicity but about their team. They were so exciting to watch. I also loved Larry Doby, who played for Cleveland at the time, but I loved his stance.”

Ratte also remembers watching games with her father, who would always say at the end of each season: “Wait till next year, never give up.” Unfortunately, dad didn't live to see the curse broken and died the year before Boston won the World Series in 2004.

“My dad never saw them win a pennant or a World Series, so I am so thankful I have been able to see that happen,” she says.

“I have watched them for years and have gone through the ups and downs,” says Ratte. “This year’s team is very exciting and the beards have been a fun addition. Big Papi’s Grand Slam the other night was unbelievable.”

Ratte recalls how as an eighth-grader in Peabody, she asked her principal for permission to start a girls' softball team -- the boys all played sports after school but not the girls. He said "yes" and so the girls started to play.

Ratte has also taken in many games from the stands at Fenway, and now attends at times with her son and grandson. She says she and her son have also gone down to Fort Myers, Fla. for spring training and have their own collection of autographed baseballs.

And, as you might expect, Ratte has some fellow diehard fans at Brooksby, such as Cliff Brown. Brown has likewise been a big fan for years and has the Red Sox memorabilia to prove it -- autographed baseballs (one from Carl Yastrzemski) and a piece of the Green Monster.

So with the Red Sox preparing to host the first game of the World Series again Wednesday night at Fenway Park, Ratte, Brown and their fellow fans at Brooksby will be getting pumped up with another pep rally for the start of the series.

Both residents and staff at Brooksby are holding a pep rally Wednesday morning, complete with a Red Sox spirit contest, trivia, sing-a-longs and more.