Those guys at Fenway

Dennis Drinkwater (Boston.com)

I’ve been watching a lot of the All-Red Sox Network (ESPN) lately, and I’ve always wondered who those two guys always sitting right behind home plate at Fenway are.  One dude sits directly behind home plate, and the other dude sits a bit to the right, and looks quite a bit like my girlfriend’s father.  So I did some digging.

Mr. Directly Behind Home is Dennis Drinkwater, the president of Giant Glass.  Mr. Off To The Right is Jeremy Kapstein, a former baseball super-agent and now “Senior Advisor/Baseball Projects” for the Red Sox.

Jeremy Kapstein (AP)

I get a real kick out of these guys, especially Kapstein.  I can remember about one time he ever applauded anything that happened in the game.  I’ve never seen him eat a hot dog.  I remember once he drank some water.  He never flinches when balls are fouled back.  A real pro.  I remember after Manny Ramirez’s walk-off home run in last year’s ALDS, right when Manny made contact, Kapstein immediately got up and darted for the exit.  Gotta beat the rush.

Speaking of Manny’s walk-off, you can see Drinkwater’s face in the background here, and you can see Kapstein heading for the exit here (in the suit, back turned).

These guys are a somewhat different breed of fan than Pink Hat Guy, the guy often behind home plate at Wrigley.  I could only find this (not great) photo.  No one argues more vehemently with the umpires than him, and you can often actually hear him on the television broadcasts.  In fact, it might do him some good to calm down a bit.  But hey, he loves the Cubs, I love the Cubs, there you go…  His real name: Jim Anixter, president of wire and cable company A-Z Industries.  Reportedly he has launched a couple of unsucessful bids to buy the Cubs.