Boston writer Michael Connolly captures the magic of American’s return to normalcy after World War II in this intimate portrait of a city and the baseball team it loves. Fenway 1946 celebrates the city and the team and the spirit of that wonderful 1946 season in Boston—a season, as usual the broke fans’ hearts—as America returned to return to peacetime pastimes. And none was more American than baseball. Along the way he brings out the stories and personalities that made that year so special in the Hub. From returning veterans like Ted Williams and young Congressman John F. Kennedy and thousands of others and their families who worried while they were in Europe or the Pacific, the 1946 Red Sox season was a celebration. It was catharsis. It was what made American great. Husbands and sons were coming home to the open arms of a grateful nation. This included five hundred major leaguers who fought in World War II. The homecoming of America’s best sparked a spirit of collective pride from coast to coast—and New England was not exempt. For the previous five years, America sat around its radio listening to war reports. Now they would gather in the parlors to enjoy baseball once again. Baseball had always been a thread that connected the country--a sport that linked generations. Opening Day 1946 was a tangible reminder that the country was at peace – back to the way things were. Nowhere was this more relevant than in Boston. From Scollay Square to South Boston to the North End, veterans in their uniforms, kids with bats over their shoulder and housewives were talking about the return of Ted Williams and a roster that was considered the best in the league. Expectations were high – as always, at Fenway Park. Fans somehow knew this would be their year. The 1946 Boston Red Sox finished first in the American League with a record of 104 wins and 50 losses. And they wouldn’t disappoint (until October). ***** * In January of 1946, Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio, John Pesky and Bobby Doerr are released from the military and vow to come back as good as ever. * American and especially Boston are desperate for real baseball. In 1945, the Red Sox averaged only 7,814 fans a game at Fenway. In 1946, with Williams and the team back home, they played in front of over 33,000 in their last scrimmage game at Fenway Park before the season started. * Opening Day for the league was in Washington D.C. between the Senators and the Red Sox. President Harry Truman threw out the first pitch. Ted Williams went 6-12 in the series and was mobbed by Senator fans who rip his shirt off while he leaves the field. As he approached the dugout, Williams tossed his hat to a GI sitting in the lower box * The home Opening Day for the Red Sox at Fenway Park was an event for the ages. Before the game Marines re-enacted the flag-raising at Iowa Jima in center field. The first pitch was thrown out by Governor Tobin. Standing by his side was a local war hero, John Murdoch, who got a bigg