Yastrzemski's daughter-in-law, Ann Marie, said the Hall of Famer went to his doctor Monday complaining of indigestion and chest discomfort. The doctor referred him to Mass. General, and he was transported there by his wife, Nancy, and admitted for tests.
Yastrzemski has a long history as a smoker and has endured painful emotional losses with the deaths in recent years of his son and father, but friends said he recently appeared to be in good health. He followed his daily routine of fishing for striped bass in the Merrimack River as recently as Monday, Gordon said.
Yastrzemski, who turns 69 Friday, lives on the North Shore in the summer and spends winters in Florida.
Friends said Yastrzemski's health appeared to have improved after he stopped drinking beer - a habit that dated to his playing days - and overcame the trauma of his loved ones' deaths. They credited Nancy, whom he married in 2002, with helping him resolve the emotional pain.
Yastrzemski's son Michael died in 2004 at age 44 from complications following hip surgery. A year later, Yastrzemski lost his father, Carl Sr., who helped raise him on a Long Island potato farm before he moved to Massachusetts and retired as a Massport maintenance worker. The elder Yastrzemski died at 89.
"Carl had gotten through the emotional turmoil of the deaths and he also had lost about 20 pounds," said his friend, Dr. Murray Feingold, who saw him at "Yaz Day" last month at Fenway Park. "He said he never felt better."
The last player to capture the Triple Crown - Yastrzemski led the American League in batting (.326), home runs (44), and RBIs (121) in 1967 - he won three batting titles, seven Gold Gloves, and was an 18-time All-Star before he retired in 1983 as the all-time leader in games played (3,308), a record later eclipsed by Pete Rose (3,562).
Yastrzemski is best remembered in New England for his remarkable '67 season in which he won the Most Valuable Player Award and led the Sox to the World Series for the first time in 21 years.
What Yastrzemski lacked in natural ability he compensated for with a peerless work ethic. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1989.
