Red Sox among those wishing Williams happy 80th

LENOX – When the Boston Pops honored former conductor John Williams at his 80th birthday celebration at Tanglewood on Saturday night, several current and former members of the Boston Red Sox sent birthday greetings.Among those who wished Williams a happy birthday in video messages were current players David Ortiz, Mike Aviles, Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia; and former players Frank Malzone, Dwight Evans and Luis Tiant. All were recorded by the Red Sox video department, according to Sox spokesman Jon Shestakofsky.One of Williams’ pieces the Pops played Saturday was “Fanfare for Fenway,” which he and the Pops performed when the Sox commemorated 100 years at Fenway in April. (The Fenway celebration actually occurred closer to Williams’ actual birthday, which was on Feb. 8.) “Fanfare for Fenway,” described by the Red Sox in a release as “the maestro’s special tribute to America’s Most Beloved Ballpark during its centennial,” lasts just over three minutes. During the performance on Saturday, broadcast screens at Tanglewood showed concertgoers images of iconic moments in Red Sox history, including World Series championship celebrations in 2004 and 2007.The Sox players were part of a long lineup of people who wished Williams a happy birthday. President Obama and former president Bill Clinton both sent video tributes, while director Steven Spielberg appeared in person to salute the man who had composed scores for many of his films (“Jaws,” “E.T. The Extraterrestrial”), and singer James Taylor showed up to serenade Williams with “You’ve Got a Friend.”Williams served as conductor of the Pops for 13 years (1980-93). His music is also familiar to moviegoers, and the Pops played selections from just a few of the many films he has worked on, including “E.T.”; the “Star Wars” and “Harry Potter” series; “Schindler’s List”; and “Memoirs of a Geisha.”Also, in a timely performance, the US Army Herald Trumpets sent 14 members to play Williams’ “Olympic Theme and Fanfare,” just a few weeks after the 2012 Summer Games in London ended.As the Pops honored Williams, the Red Sox gave him further good news on Saturday night. Gonzalez hit a 2-run home run as the Sox defeated the New York Yankees, 4-1, at Yankee Stadium.Rich Tenorio can be reached at [email protected].