NEWTON, Mass. — Signs of diehard Red Sox support aren't tough to spot in communities all over New England, but one lifelong Sox fan's yard is adorned with something surprising.
Two years of blood, sweat, and tears towers above the shrubs in Bob Gaynor's Newton front yard -- 7 feet, 3 inches, to be exact. The 1,500-pound bronze labor of love the retired immigration attorney sculpted with his own hands is devoted to Dodgers legend Sandy Koufax.
But why?
"I said that guy's a hero. I did this because I appreciated what he stood for," said Gaynor.
He says make no mistake, he's a lifelong Red Sox fan.
"It's incredible I got the response I did. Everybody likes it," he said.
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Gaynor says this stands for a different depth of fanfare, a deep-rooted respect of the legendary lefty and MVP known for putting his Jewish faith ahead of baseball.
"I said gosh this guy is really true to himself," said Gaynor.
Koufax is known for sitting out Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of Atonement, something Gaynor wishes he had been courageous enough to do when he was once a football captain.
"I'm a high school kid and I don't have the guts to sit out a high school game. He's in the World Series and he sits out the World Series," said Gaynor.
After attending Game 1 of the 2018 World Series at Fenway, there are few questions about Gaynor's allegiance.
"If they win in LA, I can live with it. If they win in Boston, I can live with it even better," he said.
And as this living Dodgers legend towers in Red Sox territory during the showdown, Gaynor admits there is one way he'd shake up his loyalty.
"Red Sox. Unless Koufax shows up and starts taking warm-up pictures, I'm taking off Red Sox hat, discarding it all and I'm going to be a Dodgers fan.
Gaynor continues to anxiously watch the series from his living room, wondering if he'll be putting his tickets to Games 6 and 7 to use back here in Boston.
We asked if he has any future plans to sculpt a Sox player. He told us if he did, Big Papi would be a top contender.
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