As I watched David Ortiz’s grand slam last night, the first thing I noticed was the cop raise his arms in triumph. Almost instantly I thought that it would be an image we’ll be seeing for years and years:
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 13: Torii Hunter #48 of the Detroit Tigers tries to catch a grand slam hit by David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox in the eighth inning of Game Two of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park on October 13, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Getty Images
That’s the Getty Images version. Stan Grossfield of the Boston Globe got an even better one.
ESPN Boston caught up with him after the game. His name is Steve Horgan. He’s been on the Boston police force for 27 years. His beard is a playoff beard in solidarity with the Red Sox and their beards. After the game he met Sox owner John Henry and ESPN Boston snapped a photo. Pretty cool stuff.
Not gonna lie: As soon as the excitement of the moment died, I wondered whether the cop would get in trouble for cheering like that. I mean, god, that would be awful, but in a world where ushers in ballparks and media and any number of others working a game in an official capacity aren’t supposed to cheer when they’re on duty, it wouldn’t be terribly surprising if we heard later that the guy was reprimanded or something. Tell me you can’t imagine the whole thing playing out too: the initial controversy, the backlash, the guy becoming a hero of fans and radio hosts and things. Followed by the retraction of the discipline? It would be a total drag, but in a world where un-fun folks seem to pop out of the woodwork, it wouldn’t be shocking.
Thankfully that’s not happening. His boss was nearby too and, according to the story, told him he’s not to shave his beard. And, presumably, Horgan stands in that same position for Red Sox games for the foreseeable future.