MLB Notebook: Red Sox keep beating up on the bad teams, Cam Booser debuts, Rafael Devers avoids IL & remembering Dave McCarty

After giving up a leadoff triple, Booser faced none other than Pirates icon and former MVP Andrew McCutchen. He struck him out swinging.

“It was a pretty surreal moment,” said Booser, who allowed a run on one hit with the strikeout to cap Boston’s seven-run victory. “I tried not to look up and just kind of try to stay in the moment and then afterward try to take it all in. But yeah, it’s by far the best moment of my career. Something I’ll always remember.”

Booser has pitched well in four minor-league appearances with Triple-A Worcester this season, posting a 2-0 record with a 2.70 ERA, a 0.60 WHIP and 15 strikeouts across 6 2/3 innings. It remains to be seen how much he can help the Red Sox at the big-league level, but his status as a left-handed reliever bodes well for him on a roster devoid of lefties.

Here’s hoping the Booser train keeps rolling, because he’s going to be a fun guy to root for…

Devers avoids injured list (again)

It seems like Rafael Devers and the injured list have been engaged in a dangerous game of chicken in the early stages of this season…

But once again, the superstar third baseman emerged victorious in his battle with the IL as he avoided landing on the list following what turned out to be a bone bruise in his left knee. Devers missed his second straight game in Friday’s series opener at Pittsburgh, although fortunately his services weren’t really needed…

Devers was out of the lineup again Saturday and remains day-to-day. 

“I'm going to take my time to be ready,” Devers said Thursday. “When I feel good and when I feel 100 percent to play, that’s when I’m going to play."

(Oh, and this isn’t worthy of its own sub-section so I’ll toss it in here… the Sox acquired right-handed reliever Vladimir Gutierrez from the Milwaukee Brewers this week. The 28-year-old is in his third big league season between Cincinnati and Miami — he signed a minor-league deal with the Marlins in February and was added to the big league roster at the end of March, but was designated for assignment after just one game. 

I’ll admit, my eyes got a little big when I checked my email Thursday night and saw an email from the Red Sox with a subject line beginning with “Red Sox acquire Vladimir G” … alas, no, Vladdy won’t be playing for Boston anytime soon. He’d make a great Yankee Killer though, wouldn’t he…?)

Bidding farewell to an ’04 Red Sox 

Dave McCarty wasn’t a household name on the most famous team in Red Sox history, but he was certainly a bonafide member of the team. 

McCarty was on hand at Fenway for the celebration of the 2004 World Series team on Opening Day on April 9th. Not even three weeks later, the team announced that the former journeyman utility player had died at the age of 54 after suffering a cardiac event.

McCarty, a former No. 3 overall draft pick by the Minnesota Twins in 1991, played for Minnesota, San Francisco, Seattle, Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Oakland before making the final stop of his 11-year major league career in Boston.

He also cut his teeth locally by playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Cotuit Kettleers after playing college ball at Stanford. After his playing days, he served as a NESN analyst from 2005 through 2008. 

The first baseman/outfielder played a total of 118 games over three seasons with the Red Sox, with 89 of those games coming in 2004. He hit .258 with four homers and 17 RBIs that season, and his most memorable moment came on May 30th when he hit a walk-off, two-run homer at Fenway in the 12th inning to secure a 9-7 Red Sox win against Seattle. 

While McCarty was not selected to the postseason roster, he received a much-deserved champion’s welcome in his return to Fenway. As much as the Ortizes, Mannys, Pedros and Schillings will be remembered for the still-unmatched magic of that postseason run, it was guys like McCarty who were just as important in the grand scheme.

The ’04 Sox weren’t a group of blue-blooded baseball royalty (at least, not yet…). They were a collection of rag-tag, blue-collared baseball players thrust into the ultimate “David vs. Goliath” situation. And those “Idiots” pulled off the unthinkable as the ultimate underdogs, and guys like McCarty embody that perfectly. 

It was heartwarming to see him get a champion’s welcome and be celebrated with as much zeal as the headliners of that team. Multiple generations, mine included, will forever be grateful to McCarty for his role in the single-greatest title win in the history of Boston sports. You will always be a Red Sox, and forever a “Curse”-breaker and World Series champion.

We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Monica, and their two children, Reid and Maxine, in this most difficult of times. 

Rest in peace, Dave.