A Cranston, Rhode Island, man whose father can no longer attend games at Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox decided to bring the stadium home.
Michael Bisono said that since he was a child, baseball has been a bond between him and his father, despite him being a New York Yankees fan and his father, Antonio Bisono, 77, a die-hard Red Sox fan.
It’s been that way since he immigrated to the United States in the 1970s from the Dominican Republic.
“With the Red Sox, you see the Dominican players: David Ortiz, Manny Ramírez, Pedro Martínez; they were all Dominican, so they meant a lot to us, especially to my dad, who’s from the Dominican Republic,” Michael told NBC affiliate WJAR.
The pair used to visit Fenway every year when the Yankees played the Sox. But now, health concerns have made that more difficult.
“Last year, before the Yankees-Red Sox series, my father had a heart attack. He was hospitalized for five to six months and had to go to rehab, so it’s been a big burden on my family,” Michael said. “I wanted to honor him, and I was really sad that he couldn’t go to Fenway Park and enjoy the fun times we had, so I wanted to do something for him.”
Michael didn’t want to give up on the tradition entirely, so he came up with a special surprise.
About six months ago, he said he started planning how to build his own Green Monster in his father’s backyard in Cranston. The mini Fenway includes World Series signs, an old seat from the stadium itself, and old tables from the clubhouse.
He also hired someone to custom build a scoreboard identical to the Green Monster’s. He’s also added retired numbers, numbers of their favorite players, and other numbers with special meaning for the family.
Final touches included turf, memorabilia and photos of himself and his father at past games.
He pulled off the surprise by hiding everything at his brother’s nearby business until it was time for the reveal.
“For me, it was a beautiful tribute to a wonderful man. It was incredible when he walked out, the best feeling of my life. He said, ‘Do I deserve this?’ I said, ‘You deserve this and more. You deserve this and more,’” Michael said. “I don’t think anything can top that reaction when he saw it. It was like a kid reliving his childhood, a kid walking into Fenway Park for the first time and saying, ‘Wow, I’m really here!’”
When WJAR asked Antonio what he thought of his son’s effort, he burst into tears.
“I cried. I was so happy!” Antonio said. “Crazy. How beautiful!”
The stadium also included a television to watch games outside, but with cold weather looming, that’s been taken down for now.
“Many times when I check the cameras to see what my dad is doing, I see him sitting here, relaxing and enjoying himself,” Michael said. “This is something I wanted to achieve for him. Something he’d always remember and that we share. It’s our sanctuary, our favorite place to sit and talk about baseball; it’s our thing.”
Both Michael and Antonio said they hope to make it back to Boston for another game. But for now, they have something even more special.
“This is his Fenway Park, and baseball means everything to us, and he means everything to me,” Michael said. “In life, you don’t take any luxuries or money with you. What you take with you are your memories and the people you love when you leave. One of the most important moments I’ve ever had was seeing my father’s reaction. To me, it’s worth more than winning the Powerball.”