On Feb. 12, 1981, Red Sox part owner and general manager Haywood Sullivan strode into the expansive press room of Fenway Park that was already packed with local media for what they thought was merely a hot stove luncheon.
As reporters sat down to eat their steak tips and hunter’s rice, Sullivan — though he may not have realized it — took the final few steps of a bygone era. Stopping briefly to gather himself, he cleared his throat and made a monumental declaration.
“I just found out five minutes ago that Fisk has been declared a free agent.