Carlton Fisk squares off against Gino Cappelletti in the first round of Boston’s Biggest Sports Legend tournament.
Carlton Fisk’s career began with a bang, when he became the first unanimous Rookie of the Year after hitting .293 with 22 homers and a .909 OPS in 1972. The Vermont native spent eight full seasons with the Red Sox. In 1974, he suffered a major setback when a home plate collision resulted in major reconstructive knee surgery. He was told he’d never step on a field again, but bounced back to hit .331 in 1975. That’s when his magic really kicked in. Fisk led Boston to the World Series and — in the defining moment of his career — rocketed a 12th-inning pitch down the left-field line at Fenway Park in Game 6 against the Reds. As Fisk moved toward first base and waved it fair, it miraculously bent and hit the foul pole to force Game 7. The Red Sox lost the game, but the team named the pole after him in 2005 — 24 years after he left the team as a free agent. During his Red Sox career, Fisk averaged 20 homers and 70 RBIs per season. He owns the 10th-best slugging percentage in club history (.481), caught a major league record 2,226 games over 24 career seasons and was an 11-time All-Star. He is one of just 16 catchers in the Hall of Fame.
Gino Cappelletti wasn’t born in Boston, but the Minnesota native became one of New England’s own through an unfailing work ethic and relentless drive to succeed. Cappelletti was a wide receiver and placekicker for the Boston/New England Patriots from 1960-1970, winning the AFL’s Most Valuable Player award in 1964. In his standout 1964 season, “The Duke” hauled in 49 receptions for 865 yards and seven touchdowns. He also made 25 of 39 field goals. The five-time All-Star was the Patriots’ all-time leading scorer until 2005 when Adam Vinatieri broke his record. Cappelletti was a standout in all facets of the game, and even played defense early in his career. He engineered kickoff returns, a fake field-goal touchdown and converted two-point conversions as a passer, receiver and runner. Cappelletti was one of the AFL’s top stars before the merger with the NFL after the 1969 season. He is a member of the Patriots’ All-Decade team of the 1960s and currently serves as radio commentator for New England games.
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