Christian Elias, who is retiring as the Green Monster Scoreboard Operator at Fenway Park after 26 years, talked to Henry Santoro. Below is an extended interview Santoro did with Elias earlier this week where he talks about his role inside the scoreboard, meeting with players, what really happened with Manny Ramirez, and how he'll close out his career this season with Red Sox Nation.
Henry Santoro: After 26 years of being the scoreboard guy behind Fenway Park's famed green monster, Christian Elias is making like Big Papi and calling it quits after this season. It's a pleasure to welcome Christian Elias to WGBH. Good to see you.
Christian Elias: Thanks Henry! Glad to be here.
Santoro: I'm glad that you're here. Why the decision to make this season your last?
Elias: Well it was something I wrestled with for a long long time and being in the scoreboard at Fenway Park has become such a big part of my life. The decision really didn't come easy but with my regular job at Live Nation also a lot of summer nights and really two little girls at home Madison 7 and Avery 3, it just felt like the right time. Just something inside me my instincts told me. You know, I've been there, I've done that. Been a wild, great experience but just time to move on.
Santoro: How did you land that job and how old were you?
Elias: Wow. You know Henry it was so long ago I'm not sure I can remember but I'm going to give it a shot. You know, I remember I grew up in Belmont. And like any local kid you know their dream was to be on the field at Fenway Park any way they could. And so I originally tried to be on the grounds crew. And I remember the Red Sox coming back to me and saying well there's no room on the grounds crew but would you like to be the scorekeeper? And I really, you know as big a baseball fan as I was and am never really paid attention to who was inside that famed manual scoreboard and my first reaction was kind of, you know- wrinkled my nose and went, really? And I said OK I'll do it and I'll just kind of muster through for one summer even though that really wasn't what I wanted to do and here we are, about over 1800 games later and I'm just so grateful for the experience and it's just been a wonderful ride.
Santoro: You told the Globe's Stan Grossfeld filled in a tremendous piece that the paper put out on you that you don't even have to look out your little window anymore you know what's happening on the field. How is that possible?
Elias: You know it's just experience- the sounds of the game are very distinct and the sounds of the crowd. and We're situated on the field, in left field we're most left fielders in other ballparks are actually standing- we're that close to the action because obviously the wall is so close to home plate at Fenway.
Santoro: And any other ballpark you'd be on the field.
Elias: We'd be on the field- we'd probably be where the left fielder is playing most of the time. So you get used to the sounds of the game. We can hear things maybe some fans can't: the outfielders talking with each other, the umpires. And then also there's the tradition of the music and the seventh inning stretch and other things that come into play. So when you've done it as long as I have, I could just kind of close my eyes and score keep a game if I had to.
Santoro: That's incredible.
Elias: It's never come to that though.
Santoro: The Fenway scoreboard, of course is a manual board meeting that you have to physically handle the numbers, slide them into place so that the fans can follow along with what's happening by looking at the Green Monster. Have you ever gotten it wrong?
Elias: Oh, how long's the show Henry?(laughs) I mean over the years I can tell you countless times. I started in my late teens and it was a different time back then.
Santoro: There was there was no texting there was no cell phone.
Elias: No cell phones. We had one phone, a rotary dial phone back there for a while and it was just connected to the control room and someone would call down the scores between innings. We also used to have to change the pitchers for all the other games which I can't even imagine doing that now- we don't do that anymore. But it was a different time back then so we certainly had a lot of fun. And yes, we made our share of mistakes. A number upside down here, a rain delay for a game in a dome there and things like that among others. But it's all in good fun and scorekeepers make errors as well as the players.
Santoro: This weekend is the weekend that the Red Sox are honoring "Big Papi" as he gets ready to hang up his cleats for his last and final season with the Sox. Do you have a favorite David Ortiz, Christian Elias story?
Elias: You know, to be honest I don't and I think the reason for that is because of what time we get there the scorekeepers get to the ballpark and where we're situated, our communication and our relationships are more with the visiting players than the home team because the Red Sox are done taking batting practice by the time we get there. Not only that, one of the great things about the scoreboard and the tradition and the history is that the visiting players are really interested in seeing the scoreboard so they come out to us. And so over the years our friendships and relationships- not that the Red Sox players haven't been friendly and great with us- it's just our paths end up crossing more with the visiting players. One of the cool things is the players will come back and mostly young players and they'll say you know so-and-so said the first thing I needed to do when I came here is come back and see you Chris. That's wonderful that that tradition is being passed down from generation of player to player.
Santoro: You've had a fair amount of bonding with a number of left fielders and center fielders.
Elias: Yeah, I mean over the years, all the players have been just extremely nice to us. We've had a great relationship with Brian MacRae of the Kansas City Royals whose father was a manager and a great player in his own right. And then of course,it started with Mike Greenwell coming back into the scoreboard between innings. Now I don't know if Yaz or Ted Williams did that- that was before my time but I know the gator did and he did it often and he would always talk baseball. We had a lot of fun with him and he'd come in between innings and other ballplayers have come in.Dan Gladden and Juan Gonzalez of the Rangers and then of course we're very kind of closely associated with Manny and some of his shenanigans and histrionics and things like that. So I have a warm spot in my heart for Manny and certainly miss him. He was a lot of fun and we kind of had a really nice unique friendship.
Santoro: Are you and Manny Ramirez the only two people who know what happened behind the scoreboard that time when he snuck in there during a game and all of a sudden a little puddle of something leaked from under the green monster?
Elias: Now I don't know where you're getting your information not because of the warning. I Henry. I think that that might be legend. Manny came back there hundreds and hundreds of times but the one time that seems to have showed up on everybody's radar, was a time where he just came in and you know, I think we gave him a little snack and we were just chatting as usual. And Terry Francona, usually when the manager comes out there making the pitching change. And so we see that we think we have five to seven minutes or however long it is for the pitching change and Manning would come in take a seat and you know, we would do what we do.
Santoro: Take a seat or take a leak?
Elias: No. He would take a seat. Seat. S, S-E-A-T.But ironically this time Francona did not lift the pitcher and he left and it goes back to the sounds of the game then we heard a big roar in the crowd. And so the only thing we thought was that somebody was a fan was running on the field because that would be the only explanation for the roar of the crowd at that particular time. Little did we know, the pitcher was basically in his windup and Manny and I both sort of yelled an expletive and he ran out there and it became kind of a big story of what he was doing that particular time there. But I can assure you that time we didn't really have time to do anything except a quick hello and then he was bouncing up and back out in the left field.
Santoro: I call that room, that scoreboard room that you work in probably the most unique office in the city. It's like a fort in there.
Elias: It is and you know and I was trying to figure this out I'm getting a little nostalgic here as my career comes to a close. Exactly trying to figure out how many games and how many hours I've actually spent back there. So it's a place I've probably spent, you know most predominantly a part of my life back there. It is a fortress- it's great. You know it's. And days like today where it's a little chilly and windy, we were actually protected from the wind and stuff. And I can remember some hot, hot July and August afternoon games over the years and especially when I was younger having gone out the night before. Those are some long days. But it is a unique office and you know I'm just so proud and grateful that I've been able to call it or be a part of it over the last you know quarter century. It's just been a wonderful ride and I'm always very protective of that space.
Santoro: Inside that Green Monster is a quote from Tom Petty. Now I happen to know that you're probably Tom Petty's biggest fan, so that quote is there for a reason isn't it?
Elias: It is. You know, there were so many great quotes to choose from. I didn't feel "ven the losers get lucky sometimes" would be appropriate so I came up with another one "the waiting is the hardest part". I'm not sure exactly when I painted that in the wall. It could have been one of the numerous rain delays over the years and stuff but I think it was for the Red Sox won in 2004 And so I indeed and I'm a huge fan of Tom Petty's music and the man himself in the band. And I know that Tom seen some of the quotes inside the scoreboard and he played Fenway Park in 2014. All the players get a big kick out of those quotes. I think I also painted "running down a dream" and "it's good to be king" and things like that and the players really get a big kick out of it in their eyes kind of light up when they see the quotes. And so oftentimes I feel as much like a curator in a museum as I do a scorekeeper and that's been a really fun part of the gig.
Santoro: I also happen to know, Christian Elias, that you have a tattoo on your upper leg showing allegiance to your favorite life long baseball team. Can you tell us about that?
Elias: Well (laughs) you know, I'd like to say that I'm really just a fan of baseball have a passion for the game. But it is true. I was brought up a Yankee fan and do love the Yankees. But, you know I don't think that's really the story here. I really do love baseball and to have worked over 1800 games, I think you have to. And I'm going to miss it. I mean there's no question about it. I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss the people, I'm going to really miss the game because some of the stuff pre-game and post-game, you know in the traffic and crowds and stuff I won't miss. But what I will miss is having the best seat in the house, you know in a legendary ballpark and being able to watch the game I love from such a unique perspective and that, that I will miss.
Santoro: And finally Chris, how do you plan to leave your mark back there? What will be your final statement on that wall?
Elias: You know, I don't know. Over the years we've been able to pencil my name in and stuff like that. I think maybe what might be appropriate is after the last game, whenever that may be, I think I'll take my family my wife and my kids in and I think maybe the four of us will all just sign our names one last time- maybe take one family photo and then walk out together and close the door and move on to the next chapter. I think, I think that might be a nice way to go out.
Santoro: Christian Elias is after 26 years retiring from being Fenway Park's green monster scoreboard guy. Chris thank you so much for coming in. It's time now for you to sit in the stands with the rest of us.
Elias: I look forward to it. Maybe you and I can take in a couple of games together. Thanks for having me.
Santoro: Love to. I'm Henry Santoro. This is WGBH.
