The late Dick Drago was a former Red Sox pitcher; who knew he had deep ties to Rhode Island
The bullpen phone has rung for the last time for former Red Sox relief ace Dick Drago, who died in Tampa on Nov. 2.
The Boston Globe reported his death was from complications following surgery. He was 78.
I knew Dick for some 50 years, and considered him my best friend.
In the 1970s, in the days before the multi-million dollar player contracts, I ran a sports marketing company in Boston. We arranged autograph sessions to give players a little extra money in exchange for showing up at a mall or a car dealership.
I met Dick there and we hit it off immediately.
Dick’s time in Rhode Island
Later, he began spending the summer and early fall with me in Providence. He would come up in June when the heat got too much in Tampa, and would stay until the beginning of November.
He drove up alone initially, but after a few years I’d fly to Tampa, and we’d return at a leisurely pace. We planned a different route every year. I was into history and Dick was into music but as is often the case with friends, those interests rubbed off on each other.
He was also an excellent cook who enjoyed experimenting in the kitchen, trying new foods and recipes. (My own favorite kitchen appliance is the microwave, so his visits were a culinary blessing.)
