Sox to honor 2004 team: May 28

[AlNipper49]

http://www.mlb.com/r/article?ymd=20140430&content_id=73874680&notebook_id=73874898&vkey=notebook_bos&c_id=bos

I can't believe that Lenny DiNardo wasn't front - and - center in this article.

 

[someoneanywhere]

I happily note that sonofabitch Leskanic is making the trip. 

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

I can't believe they dug up Millar. He's been such a shy, retiring type since he left town.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Yeah, but it's the 10 year anniversary! People might forget about them!
 
(I have no problem with this, just to be clear).
 
Damon coming back will be interesting. The Yankee years, and then the year when the Sox put in a waiver claim on him from Detroit and he refused to come back. I wonder what his reception is going to be.
 
Pokey's coming back as well. He never again played in the majors after the 2004 World Series (got hurt and missed the following season while with Seattle, then unexpectedly retired in ST with the Marlins in 2006, paving the way for Hanley to make that club). First time fans will get to see him in 10 years, unless they were going to Harrisburg Senators games.
 
Full list:
 
Johnny Damon
Trot Nixon
Kevin Millar
Mike Timlin
Jason Varitek
Keith Foulke
Derek Lowe
Tim Wakefield
Pedro Martinez
Abe Alvarez
Ellis Burks
Orlando Cabrera
Cesar Crespo
Lenny DiNardo
Adam Hyzdu
Ron Jackson
Lynn Jones
Gabe Kapler
Curtis Leskanic
Dave McCarty
Ramiro Mendoza
Mike Myers
Pokey Reese
Phil Seibel
Jason Shiell
Scott Williamson

 

[MrNewEngland]

http://www.mlb.com/r/article?ymd=20140430&content_id=73874680&notebook_id=73874898&vkey=notebook_bos&c_id=bos

 

 
 

 
Johnny Damon
Trot Nixon
Kevin Millar
Mike Timlin
Jason Varitek
Keith Foulke
Derek Lowe
Tim Wakefield
Pedro Martinez
Abe Alvarez
Ellis Burks
Orlando Cabrera
Cesar Crespo
Lenny DiNardo
Adam Hyzdu
Ron Jackson
Lynn Jones
Gabe Kapler
Curtis Leskanic
Dave McCarty
Ramiro Mendoza
Mike Myers
Pokey Reese
Phil Seibel
Jason Shiell
Scott Williamson

 
No mention of Manny.  
 
I've always had a man-crush on Manny so I hope he was invited.  A friend told me that he heard on talk radio that Manny wasn't invited - I want that to be typical BS made up on talk radio.  
 
The guy was a HUGE part of that team.  

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

that's like Mount Rushmore without Abe.

 

[pedro1918]

I find it hard to believe they wouldn't invite Manny.  I think that would be an extremely poor decision. 
 
I find it extremely easy to believe that Manny would miss it.

 

[pedro1918]

that's like Mount Rushmore without Abe.

 
 
Abe Alvarez is not on Mount Rushmore.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

I find it hard to believe they wouldn't invite Manny.  I think that would be an extremely poor decision. 
 
I find it extremely easy to believe that Manny would miss it.

 
Agreed.  There's no way this PR savvy front office would take the single biggest piece of goodwill in their history and risk sullying it over some petty BS.  There's no way they don't have an open door invitation to every one of The 25 to attend any function/celebration they hold.
 
I mean, how else does Millar find his way into every ceremony or celebration they ever have at Fenway?

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Yeah, but it's the 10 year anniversary! People might forget about them!
 
(I have no problem with this, just to be clear).
 
Damon coming back will be interesting. The Yankee years, and then the year when the Sox put in a waiver claim on him from Detroit and he refused to come back. I wonder what his reception is going to be.
 
Pokey's coming back as well. He never again played in the majors after the 2004 World Series (got hurt and missed the following season while with Seattle, then unexpectedly retired in ST with the Marlins in 2006, paving the way for Hanley to make that club). First time fans will get to see him in 10 years, unless they were going to Harrisburg Senators games.
 
Full list:
 
Johnny Damon
Trot Nixon
Kevin Millar
Mike Timlin
Jason Varitek
Keith Foulke
Derek Lowe
Tim Wakefield
Pedro Martinez
Abe Alvarez
Ellis Burks
Orlando Cabrera
Cesar Crespo
Lenny DiNardo
Adam Hyzdu
Ron Jackson
Lynn Jones
Gabe Kapler
Curtis Leskanic
Dave McCarty
Ramiro Mendoza
Mike Myers
Pokey Reese
Phil Seibel
Jason Shiell
Scott Williamson

 
Not sure if this is enough players, but there's a good chance they bring them in through the big door in CF for this event (that's what they did for the 100th anniversary).  If so, you can get up close for pictures or to give DiNardo half a pizza and a Bud Light  as all they'll have will be portable barricades to keep them safe from the throngs.
 

 
 
 
No mention of Manny.  
 
I've always had a man-crush on Manny so I hope he was invited.  A friend told me that he heard on talk radio that Manny wasn't invited - I want that to be typical BS made up on talk radio.  
 
The guy was a HUGE part of that team.  

 
Did your friend pass out at 31 Flavors after hearing this?  Unless Jack McCormick is doing the inviting, he's getting invited (and even then).
 

that's like Mount Rushmore without Abe.

 
 

 
 
Abe Alvarez is not on Mount Rushmore.

 
Beat me to it.
 

No Ortiz, huh?  Big timing us?

 

[DanoooME]

And I think Curt Schilling has an excused absence.

 

[Oil Can Dan]

What's Dave Roberts doing these days?  Surprised to not see him on the list.

 

[Jim Ed Rice in HOF]

What's Dave Roberts doing these days?  Surprised to not see him on the list.

Padres bench coach. They will be in AZ that night.

 

[Jim Ed Rice in HOF]

And I think Curt Schilling has an excused absence.

True enough. I have no idea how he's doing other than what I've seen on Twitter/Facebook but I wonder if he's more in the "I'll see how I'm feeling" category rather than an outright "I won't be there".

 

[WenZink]

Hmmm, Adam Hyzdu and Phil Seibel, but no Bill Mueller or Mark Bellhorn?
 
Bellhorn is the epitome of the fringe player that chooses the perfect time to have a career year.  He batted second, because reigning batting champ, Mueller, didn't feel comfortable in the 2 spot.  Bellhorn may have led the league in whiffs, but he came through with a .373 OBP and scored almost a 100 runs ahead of Ortiz/Manny.  Also one of the smartest baserunners I've ever seen.  I've heard he owns/owned a few Dunkin' Donut franchises in the Boston Area, and he is one of the few MLBers of modern times, born in Boston.  One of only a handful in history to hit homeruns in 3 consecutive post-season games.
 
I wonder if he's still pissed about being booed out of town the following spring?

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Mueller is the Cubs' hitting coach, so he won't be able to make it.
 
No idea about Bellhorn.

 

[smastroyin]

They offered no mac n cheese

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Bellhorn's busy winning golf tournaments.

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

Perhaps ol' Scheeling will make a surprise appearance, Willis Reed style.  I mean, he'd be the guy you'd pick to throw the first pitch, right?
 
Also missing from The 25:
 
- Bronson Arroyo
- Alan Embree
- Doug #1, "eyechart" Mientkiewicz
- Doug #2, "meatball parm" Mirabelli
- Youk
- (plus Manny, Bellhorn, Mueller, Dave Roberts, as previously mentioned)
 
And from other participation that year:
 
- Ramiro Mendoza (edit: whoops, attending)
- Brian Daubach
- Ricky Gutierrez
- Andy Dominique (11 PAs)
- Sandy Martinez (4 PAs)
- Earl Snyder (4 PAs)
- B. H. Kim
- Mark "Baked" Malaska
- Terry Adams
- Anastacio Martinez
- Pedro Astacio (8.2 IP)
- Jamie Brown (7.2 IP)
- Jimmy Anderson (6 IP)
- Bobby Jones (3.1 IP)
- Joe Nelson (2.2 IP)
- Frank Castillo (1 IP), though we know why he won't be there
 
And yet Abe Alvarez and his 1 GS / 5 IP, and Phil Siebel's 3.2 IP, made the cut.  Hell, Jason Shiell was injured all of 2004 and he's showing up with the 10th anniversary team?  I wonder who got invited and just declined, vs not getting an invite.

 

[WenZink]

Bellhorn's busy winning golf tournaments.

 
Thanks for the link.  Made my day!
 
I wonder if they give Bellhorn mulligans when he  swings and misses the golf ball?

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Mendoza will be there, he's on the list.
 
Daubach is managing the Harrisburg Senators this year, thus his absence.
Arroyo is pitching for the Diamondbacks.
Eyechart is managing the Fort Myers Miracle.
Youk is playing in Japan (only hitting .215, but with a 342 OPB, so he's still the Greek God of ..... Woks)

 

[RedOctober3829]

I was all over going to this, but now I'm moving out of my current place and June 1st is my move-in date.  Really wish I was going to be able to go.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Perhaps ol' Scheeling will make a surprise appearance, Willis Reed style.  I mean, he'd be the guy you'd pick to throw the first pitch, right?
 
Also missing from The 25:
 
- Bronson Arroyo
- Alan Embree
- Doug #1, "eyechart" Mientkiewicz
- Doug #2, "meatball parm" Mirabelli
- Youk

 
Arroyo's the lone guy left who's active in the majors.  Youk's in Japan.  Eyechart is managing somewhere (Twins system?).  Mirabelli is managing a high school team last I heard.  That's all I know.
 
I can't imagine any of these guys didn't get invited.  Some of them may simply not feel right attending.

 

[Laser Show]

I would be shocked if they didn't extend an invite to every player who received a ring

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

You'd think Mirabelli would show up, even if it meant he had to leave his high school team for an evening and get a police escort to Fenway.

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

Perhaps ol' Scheeling will make a surprise appearance, Willis Reed style.  I mean, he'd be the guy you'd pick to throw the first pitch, right?
 
 
And yet Abe Alvarez and his 1 GS / 5 IP, and Phil Siebel's 3.2 IP, made the cut.  Hell, Jason Shiell was injured all of 2004 and he's showing up with the 10th anniversary team?  I wonder who got invited and just declined, vs not getting an invite.

Considering his recent illness, yes, but I'm fine with Pedro.
 
I'm sure they invited all of the guys they could find.

 

[Oil Can Dan]

Youk is playing in Japan (only hitting .215, but with a 342 OPB, so he's still the Greek God of ..... Woks)

This was well done.

 

[CaptainLaddie]

I'll be pissed if Bellhorn isn't there.

 

[theapportioner]

They could include the missing players via hologram, Tupac-style.

 

[Leskanic's Thread]

I happily note that sonofabitch Leskanic is making the trip. 

 
Seconded.
 
I hope Bellhorn is able to make it, so he can join Foulke in getting the cheers they should have received in 2005.

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

I'll be pissed if Bellhorn isn't there.

 
He might prefer not to.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

Exactly.
 
From the acknowledgements in Ian Browne's Idiots Revisited:
 

 
The most shocking return call I received during this whole process was from Mark Bellhorn. Hardly anyone had heard from the quiet second baseman since his playing days concluded.

 

[Oil Can Dan]

 
He might prefer not to.

Also well done!

 

[chrisfont9]

I'll be pissed if Bellhorn isn't there.

According to wikipedia, he and his wife are expecting a child in June. So maybe that's the answer?

 

[DanoooME]

What about Nomar?  Does he get an invite even though he finished the season elsewhere?  He's probably doing some work for ESPN, but they might let him attend.

 

[absintheofmalaise]

Nomar is working on LAD TV broadcasts this season doing pre and post game shows. He also broadcasts games on their radio network.

 

[Al Zarilla]

Mendoza will be there, he's on the list.
 
Daubach is managing the Harrisburg Senators this year, thus his absence.
Arroyo is pitching for the Diamondbacks.
Eyechart is managing the Fort Myers Miracle.
Youk is playing in Japan (only hitting .215, but with a 342 OPB, so he's still the Greek God of ..... Woks)

Honorable Japanese master chef fall on short sword before using Chinese cooking implement. Actually, Wikipedia says they are used in Japan and are called chukanabe. Greek God of chukanabe don't make it though.

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

wokka wokka wokka!

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Honorable Japanese master chef fall on short sword before using Chinese cooking implement. Actually, Wikipedia says they are used in Japan and are called chukanabe. Greek God of chukanabe don't make it though.

 
You're ruining everything.

 

[chrisfont9]

Honorable Japanese master chef fall on short sword before using Chinese cooking implement. Actually, Wikipedia says they are used in Japan and are called chukanabe. Greek God of chukanabe don't make it though.

Now, if it were the Greek God of Chankonabe, that would be pretty cool. Not sure Youk can pull off the sumo topknot though.

 

[Hendu for Kutch]

They should warn Bellhorn that if he doesn't start showing up for this stuff, they're just gonna start pretending they brought back Todd Walker in '04.

 

[WenZink]

They should warn Bellhorn that if he doesn't start showing up for this stuff, they're just gonna start pretending they brought back Todd Walker in '04.

The thing I'll always remember about Walker is the game in YS in July '03, when they brought Byung-Hyun Kim to face the Yankees in a tie game (1-1) in the top of the ninth.  Remember that Kim was returning to the House of Horrors for him after the 2001 WS.  He loads the bases, gets a K, and then induces the perfect double play ball to Walker to get out of the inning.  Walker bends down, watches the ball go into the glove, then as he gets up to start the DP, he steps on his glove and it comes off of his hand.  I'd never seen that before and I'd played a lot of crappy baseball in my time.
 
Actually, if I remember correctly, the Sox had brought into ST, both Bellhorn and Tony Womack to battle it out for the second base position.  A year later, Womack played for the Yankees and in 350 PA's had an OBP of .276 with a SLG of .280 playing 2B as well as OF.

 

[Al Zarilla]

 
You're ruining everything.

Sorry.   

 

[Hank Scorpio]

It's so weird that only two members of that 2004 team are still active in the major leagues. It seems like it was just a few years ago, not so much ten years ago. Is this a sign I'm getting old?
 
Who would have guessed in 2004 that Ortiz and Arroyo would be the last men standing?
 
And who would have thought after the wonderful things Ortiz did during that 2004 postseason would he would be doing the same shit in the 2013 postseason? Part of me is going to die when he retires.

 

[WenZink]

.....
 
And who would have thought after the wonderful things Ortiz did during that 2004 postseason would he would be doing the same shit in the 2013 postseason? Part of me is going to die when he retires.

For me, it was the retirement of Yaz that nearly destroyed me.  I started following baseball in 1961 and saw him in his first game. Yaz was the one constant through 23 years.  And when he retired, I was 30 and realized half the guys in baseball were younger than me.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

For me, it was the retirement of Yaz that nearly destroyed me.  I started following baseball in 1961 and saw him in his first game. Yaz was the one constant through 23 years.  And when he retired, I was 30 and realized half the guys in baseball were younger than me.

 
I've already been through it once with Wakefield. I started following the Sox in 1995, when I was 13. It was Wakefield's first year. Seventeen years later, he retired, and I was almost 30.
 
The truly weird one for me was Jamie Moyer. I was four years old in his first major league season. When the Red Sox signed him before 1996, I remember criticizing the move on some other Red Sox forum (Masslive?) as he was "old for a pitcher".
 
Sixteen years later, he finally retired.

 

[EdRalphRomero]

I find it hard to believe they wouldn't invite Manny.  I think that would be an extremely poor decision. 
 
I find it extremely easy to believe that Manny would miss it.

 
Probability indicates that he will have at least one grandmother's funeral to attend. 

 

[AlNipper49]

It looks like our young stud Lenny Dinardo just got married.  (2012 "just" but whatever)
 
http://www.newgroundphotography.com/portfolio/weddings/the-club-at-barefoot-beach-wedding-julie-lenny-florida-wedding-photography/

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

It looks like our young stud Lenny Dinardo just got married.  (2012 "just" but whatever)
 
http://www.newgroundphotography.com/portfolio/weddings/the-club-at-barefoot-beach-wedding-julie-lenny-florida-wedding-photography/

 
Mon Dieu. He could have at least shaved for the occasion.

 

[dbn]

How did I not remember that Ellis Burks played for the 2004 Red Sox?! I loved that guy back in his first Red Sox tenure.