Can we get Derrick White to Yankee Stadium on Thursday night?
The Boston Red Sox’ season is on the line in the Bronx as they face the New York Yankees in a winner-take-all Game 3 of their American League Wild Card series. And while White likely has other plans — his Boston Celtics just kicked off training camp — recent history suggests the Red Sox would benefit from the veteran guard being in the building.
Here’s why: White has been to three games at Fenway Park since the start of the 2024 season that have ended in Red Sox walk-off victories. Here’s the list:
- June 24, 2024: Walk-off win over the Toronto Blue Jays
- April 10, 2025: Walk-off win over the Blue Jays
- Sept. 26, 2025: Walk-off win over Detroit Tigers
(A recent social media post suggested White was also at a Red Sox walk-off win on May 14, 2024; while White did attend the May 16 game — a Red Sox loss to the Rays — there’s no video evidence of White in the stands on the 14th.)
“Yeah, I’ve picked good games,” White deadpanned to Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg at Media Day when asked about his remarkable luck at Fenway Park. “… It’s been kind of crazy.”
White had some company at that first walk-off win in June 2024, as the entire Celtics team was honored at Fenway Park shortly after winning the 2025 NBA title. Jarren Duran did the honors that night with the walk-off single that sent White and his Celtics teammates into a frenzy.
White was back at Fenway on April 10 of this season to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, then witnessed Trevor Story hit a dribbler to second base that allowed David Hamilton to score the winning run against Toronto.
White’s most recent trip to Fenway was by far the most memorable, however, as the Celtics guard was in the house for Ceddanne Rafaela’s dramatic walk-off triple against the Detroit Tigers that clinched Boston’s spot in the playoffs.
For White, the fun didn’t end with the final out; he actually wandered onto the field to watch the Red Sox celebrate their playoff berth, then managed to take a selfie with the Wally the Green Monster head costume that Boston players wear after hitting home runs.
“They were like, ‘We’re going to take you through the field’ so I could get to my car, and the celebration was going on, so I was kind of just staying out there, kind of enjoying it,” White explained to Forsberg. “Then I had to use the bathroom, and then outside of it I saw (the Wally head), so I took a selfie, really for my dad. And I thought it was funny.”
White’s father, Richard White, is a die-hard Red Sox fan who grew up in the Boston area, so he deserves a hat tip for inspiring some of White’s fandom. And while we’d imagine White isn’t heading to New York on Thursday night, perhaps he’d make an appearance at Fenway next week if the Red Sox are able to punch their ticket to the American League Division series with a win Thursday night.
If that happens, history suggests there will be drama.
