Bill Plaschke in today's Times reconstructs how the Standells, an L.A. garage band from the 1960s, showed up at Fenway Park before the second game of the World Series playing their one legit hit, "Dirty Water," for delirious fans. The Red Sox victory anthem has an honored place in Boston rock and roll history, all because of some lyrics written by the band's late producer Ed Cobb:

Yeah, down by the river
Down by the banks of the river Charles
That's where you'll find me
Along with lovers, muggers, and thieves
Well I love that dirty water
Ohhh, Boston, you're my home

Plaschke's Sports column talks to band members, among them a La Canada barber and a restaurant owner. Being from L.A., they have their showbiz connections. Drummer Dick Dodd was a Mouseketeer on Disney's "Mickey Mouse Club" in the 1950s, and Larry Tamblyn is the brother of actor Russ Tamblyn and uncle of Amber Tamblyn, the star of "Joan of Arcadia." Boston Magazine recently revisited the band too.

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