Editors' Picks: Most Notable Sports Moment of 2012

Your group of local patch editors weighs in on the standout sports moments of the year.

Editor's Note: The following is part of a special "end-of-the-year" series in which local editors from your nearby Patch towns highlight their favorites in various topics.   Jonathan Friedman - Editor, Attleboro-Seekonk Patch From my earliest days through college, I was a competitive swimmer. I was never good enough to be an Olympian, but I have a tremendous respect for those who are. And every four years, it is exciting to see swimming in the spotlight. Special kudos go to Michael Phelps, who looked like he had lost his magic when he didn't even win a medal in his first individual event, the 400 IM (first time since 2000 that had happened), but then regained it later in the week with spectacular wins in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly, while…

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Bobby Valentine Fired; Do You Agree With the Call?

The Boston Red Sox fired Valentine after an unsuccessful year at Fenway Park.

The Boston Red Sox have fired manager Bobby Valentine after the team experienced the worst season in decades. In fact, the 69-93 record was the team’s worst since 1965 and the first time the team has finished last in the American League East in more than a decade. Valentine’s one season at the helm was full of losses and run-ins with players. Valentine, who led the New York Mets to the World Series in 2000, followed Terry Francona, a fan favorite who was dismissed a year ago after taking the team to two World Series titles. We want to hear from you: Do you agree with the call? Was Valentine to blame for this year's horrible record? Who or what kind of manager would you like to see at Fenway Park? 

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Patch Book Club: 'The Teammates'

With the recent death of Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky, you can find out more about the man by reading David Halberstam's "The Teammates."

When you go to a bookstore, you can find "The Teammates" in the sports section, but the book about four Boston Red Sox could very easily be in the relationship aisle. With the death of Johnny Pesky last week, Bobby Doerr is the last of the four great friends and teammates still alive today. Doerr and Pesky were together at Fenway Park, both in wheelchairs, as the Red Sox celebrated the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park in April. Both Ted Williams and Dom DiMaggio proceeded their life-long friends in death. But in the "The Teammates," they will be four young baseball players coming from humble roots on the West Coast to find fame on the East Coast, while wearing Boston Red Sox uniforms in the golden days of the 1930-40s. If you want to know …

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Dedham Kids Celebrate Suess, Read Across America [PHOTOS]

Kids at Oakdale and the ECEC took time this week to celebrate reading.

  Dedham students took time this week to commemorate Read Across America in different ways. Oakdale Elementary students invited local Dedham celebrities to read books to them, and children at the Early Childhood Education Center had a chance to meet Wally the Green Monster from the Boston Red Sox. Local celebs like Dedham Police Chief Michael d'Entremont, state Rep. Paul McMurtry and Town Administrator William Keegan read books to Oakdale kids on Thursday - and answered a slew of questions from the inquisitive student body. Oakdale principal Holli Armstrong invited roughly 20 townfolk for a fifth year. Other participants included Riverdale Elementary School principal Doris Claypool, Greenlodge Elementary School principal Katherine Kiewlicz…

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