by Neil W. McCabe

The 2004 World Series Trophy, won by the Red Sox in last year’s historic Fall Classic, will visit Somerville April 12 for a very limi ted public viewing at the high school’s Brune Field House.State Sen. Charles E. Shannon, D-Somerville, announced March 8.

The Red Sox, in collaboration with Shannon and Timothy P. Cahill, the state treasurer secured the trophy for a public viewing and photo opportunity from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. 

The Red Sox Trophy’s Somerville stop is the third and final stop in a daylong swing through Shannon’s 2nd Middlesex District, the senator said.

Shannon, a long-suffering Red Sox fan, said, “I can’t wait for this day. I know a lot of people, like me, will feel like a kid again.

"As we have traveled around New England and across the country, the response to the Trophy from Red Sox Nation has been even more remarkable than what we could have imagined,” said Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino.

Lucchino said. "As we now turn our focus to sharing the Trophy with communities across Massachusetts, the Lottery is a fitting partner as an institution that does so much good across the state, pouring the hundreds of millions of dollars it generates each year directly into local communities and improving the quality of life for people across Massachusetts.”

Curtatone said, “Like every Red Sox fan, I’ve endured my share of torment over the years so this will be a moment to savor.  All of us in Somerville want to thank the Red Sox, Treasurer Cahill, and Senator Shannon for bringing the long-awaited trophy to our city.”

The mayor said, “Our only request of the Red Sox is to make sure this is an annual tradition.”

“Like the Red Sox, the Massachusetts Lottery is synonymous with success,” said Cahill, whose office oversees the lottery.

“We have one of the most successful lotteries in the country, and just wrapped up our best year ever. The more successful the lottery is, the more money that is returned to cities and towns across Massachusetts,” he said.

“We feel it makes perfect sense for us to hit the road with the Red Sox as they bring the World Series trophy to cities and towns around the state,” he said.
The Red Sox have been working to format the event to ensure the greatest possible exposure in a short 90 minute timeline, Shannon said.

After consulting with the mayor, it was deemed that the Field House would provide for maximum public viewing and interaction, he said.

All other stops that day in Shannon’s district are 90 minutes long, he said.

“I am very pleased to be a part of this event; the Red Sox are conducting most of these ceremonies at local high school so the kids can see it, and have a memory for a lifetime. Hat’s off to the Red Sox, and Treasurer Cahill, for making these moments happen all over the Commonwealth,” Shannon said.