Grossman's father comes to see him play at Fenway

BOSTON -- When Rob Grossman looked at the Astros schedule and saw his son would be playing at Fenway Park this weekend, he knew he was going to have to be there.

Grossman, whose son, Robbie, made his Major League debut on Wednesday against Seattle and went 2-for-5 with two doubles, attended his first game at Fenway Park on Friday, with his son leading off and playing center field for the Astros. Grossman went 0-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.

"I saw the schedule and I said, 'I'm going. I have to go,'" the elder Grossman said. "It will send some tingles down my spine because it's just such a fantastic venue."

Rob Grossman, who grew up in Cincinnati as a Reds fan, lived in Boston shortly after graduating from the Miami University (Ohio), but never was able to make a game. Getting a chance to see his son play at Fenway made the wait worth it.

"This is a fantastic venue and I figured you never know how long these things last," he said. "I wanted to see him play here. It's such a historical park."

The Grossmans now live in the Houston area, so they'll be attending as many games as they can at Minute Maid Park.