Carlton Fisk is a former professional baseball player. In his sophomore year of college, the Red Sox drafted him in the first round of the January 1967 amateur draft, and his athletic future was set. Fisk gave up his dreams of basketball glory. "I could never be a six-foot-two power forward and play for the Celtics," he said.
Fisk played in the MLB as a catcher from 1969 to 1993 for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. He was the first player to be unanimously voted AL Rookie of the Year in 1972. Fisk is best known for "waving fair" his game-winning home run in the 12th inning of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. At the time of his retirement, Fisk held the record for most home runs all-time by a catcher with 351. He has held several longevity-related records, including the record for most games played at the position of catcher with 2,226 (later surpassed by Iván Rodríguez). As of 2021. Fisk still holds the AL record for most years served behind the plate. Fisk was voted to the All-Star team 11 times and won three Silver Slugger Awards.
Thirty years later, the video of Fisk trying to wave the ball fair remains one of the game's enduring images. Game 6 is often considered one of the best games played in Major League history. Fisk was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
