One of the things I missed as a Red Sox fan was the 1967 season. I was only 3 years old at the time, so I don't remember it. I can only imagine the excitement of that magical summer.

The 1967 season really marked the beginning of Red Sox fandom as we know it. The Sox were a bad team for most of the 1950's and the first part of the '60's. They finished in 9th place in 1966. The only redeeming feature of the season was the fact that they beat out the 10th place Yankees.

The Sox weren't drawing them through the turnstiles in droves, either. They drew 811,172 fans in 1966, less than a third of a typical year now. Fenway Park was considered old and outmoded. Tom Yawkey, the Sox owner, was beginning to discuss plans for a domed stadium to replace Fenway with Boston city officials. Can you imagine that?

Even though I don't have any personal memories of the Impossible Dream Red Sox, that doesn't mean I don't know anything about them. I have read many books, of course, and there was the Impossible Dream record album.

Remember it? Ken Coleman narrated an album that featured the important moments of the 1967 season, from Billy Rohr's near no-hitter in Yankee Stadium to the last weekend against the Twins. It also includes the "Yaz Song", celebrating Carl Yastrzemski's Triple Crown season.

Of course, I had a copy of the vinyl album as a kid. I couldn't begin to tell you how many dozens of times I listened to it. Eventually, it became so scratched it became unlistenable. I don't even know what happened to it.

So, I was surfing around on Ebay the other night and I discovered that someone was selling copies (I think they're legitimate) of the Impossible Dream album on CD! I purchased a copy and it arrived today.

It's as great as I remember, even overlooking the 1960's era recording technology. So many of the great plays and excitement of that season are on the album; it almost feels like I was there.

I'll probably pick up the 1975 "Super Sox" album, too. I vividly remember that season, and I had that album as well, once upon a time. I'll post about it when I get it.