I Hate that the Red Sox are Retiring #26

I've said it before. There are any number of ways a team can honor a player. They can elect the player to the team's hall of fame. They can build a statue of him. They can name something after him. They can put a display up of his artifacts. Or, they can retire his number.

Retiring a player's number is an enormous honor. It's basically saying that the player was so important to the team, so iconic that you just can't imagine anyone else wearing the same number as he did. It just wouldn't fit. Wouldn't seem right. If someone else wore #45 this year, it would seem out of place. That's Pedro's number. Always will be. 

For some reason, the Red Sox have suddenly decided to retire #26 in honor of Wade Boggs. Here are the list of players who have worn #26 since Wade Boggs left the team. (Thanks to RedSoxDieHard for having the list all ready for me.)

Wes Chamberlain

Alejandro Pena

Lee Tinsley

Aaron Sele

Orlando Merced

Chris Snopek

Rob Stanifer

Sean Berry

Lou Merloni

Freddy Sanchez

Ramiro Mendoza

Scott Podsednik

Brock Holt

Not exactly a who's who of baseball immortality. If Wes Chamberlain was given the number just a couple years after Boggs left, it doesn't exactly fit the "can't imagine anyone else wearing the number" criteria does it? 

So, how can the Sox now decide that Wade Boggs was such an icon in #26 that it should be retired for him? 

They can't.

This just screams of a Carlton Fisk type excuse to have a ceremony and sell tickets. Sure, Boggs had great numbers when he was here. He deserves to be honored. Name the chicken stand after him. Or hang up another plaque in his honor. Or build him a statue. But, don't retire his number. After all this time.

It just seems pathetic.

Collecting the Sox: Star Wars

Is it me, or is Star Wars a bigger deal than it used to be?

I don’t know if it’s just another example of social media exploding the impact of everyday things into our lives. People on twitter need something to talk about, so it seems like whatever is going on that day is the most important thing in the world. Like a striped dress, for instance. Or is it that Star Wars has been around so long that expanding generations is stretching the impact? The one Star Wars geek who saw the movie 336 times in 1977 is now a 50-year old with two kids and a grandkid? So, what used to be one fan has become four? But, I don’t see that same thing happening with other movies. Maybe it’s the power of Disney? After all, if they can make obscure Marvel characters into mega-hits, imagine what they can do with something that already has a fan base.

Whatever it is, there is a lot more Star Wars stuff around these days. That, of course, means it has also snuck into Red Sox collecting. As I mentioned with Disney crossovers, it’s only natural for such dual marketing to have appeal.

Again, this is a pretty new thing. I don’t remember a lot of it happening over the years. In fact, the only Star Wars item currently in my collection is a Star Tours baseball from Disney World in my baseball collection. It’s not even a Red Sox item. But, that has changed. Last season, major league baseball really promoted the “May the Fourth” Star Wars festivities. (Social media turning a small clever day into a national holiday?) The Red Sox gave away statues of baseballs made to look like the Death Star. I don’t have one of these, and the prices they go for on eBay mean I probably won’t ever have one. (Those prices also show how popular Star Wars Red Sox items apparently are.) Which is one reason I’m going to be sure to get to the Star Wars Night game next year. I don’t want to have to go to the secondary market for the BB-8 baseball statue!

Along with the in-park giveaways, MLB came out with a Star Wars clothing line. There were several t-shirts available. They were made for every team, with just the logos changing on a standard design. Along with generic designs, there were some that were pretty clever. One of my favorites showed a picture of Han Solo, with the words “Boston scored first.” This was especially interesting to me because it referenced the debate among die-hard Star Wars fans over a change made to Episode IV. I was surprised that MLB assumed people would understand the reference. Just another example of how big Star Wars has gotten. If the Red Sox offer more of these shirts again this year, I’ll definitely try to add one to my collection.

Beyond that, I’m sure there are other crossover collectables out there that would appeal to Red Sox Star Wars fans. Do you know of any? I’m sure that there are even more in the works. Considering how often Mickey Mouse shoes up in Red Sox gear, I wonder if Darth Vader can be far behind. 

Do you have a favorite Red Sox Star Wars collectable?

Are You Getting a Promotion?

Red Sox tickets went on sale this weekend, as part of the Christmas at Fenway celebration. Included in those tickets were some games with promotional giveaways attached. 

Giving things away to fans brings mixed reactions from the fan base. On the one hand, diehards will say that you should be going to a game to watch the Red Sox play, not because you’re getting a free hat. I can understand that. I always thought Yankees fans should be offended that they sent a Beanie Baby to the Hall of Fame because it was given away at the game where David Wells threw his perfect game. They figured if it weren’t for the giveaway, not as many fans would have been at the historic event. Seriously? A stuffed animal was the only reason people were at the game? But, on the other hand, I can see how some games just aren’t as attractive as others. A Thursday night game in April is just not an easy game to get to. I understand that. It’s late on a work/school night. It’ll probably be cold. It might be rainy. It’s just a lot less fun than other games. So, if the Sox can get people to go to that game instead of a weekend game because of the boblehead, I can’t really blame anyone. I think it’s the “instead” portion of the last sentence that’s important. If I’m a fan looking to go to a game and trying to decide between Sunday against the Yanks, or Tuesday against the Rays I can see where the Sox would want as many people to pick that Tuesday game as they could. After all, Sunday against the Yanks will eventually sell. The other might not. And, in that case, it’s not like I’m only going to a game because of a bobblehead. I was going to a game anyway…it was just a matter of which one. 

My real concern when it comes to the giveaways, is I want them to be team appropriate. The Beanie Babies that the Hall of Fame got didn’t have a Yankees logo anywhere on them. They weren’t team collectables. They were just bribes. I don’t like that. I’m not even a big fan of slapping a team logo onto an established product. A Hello Kitty doll with a Red Sox shirt isn’t aimed at Sox fans. It’s aimed at Hello Kitty fans. I don’t need that.

Which is why I think the Sox have done a great job with their giveaways this season. 

Looking over the list, I see five bobbleheads. Four of them are active players (Mookie, David Price, Papi, and Xander). The other one is Jason Varitek, who is still a team employee. So, there you see the Sox using giveaways to support the current team, and enhance the experience. They’re not reaching for past legends. They’re not being quirky and giving away Paul Revere bobbleheads. It’s a team giveaway, promoting a team player. When I put one on my shelf, people know I went to a Red Sox game. Perfect.

The Sox are also giving away a team hat and player shirt. Again, perfect. Promoting and celebrating the team with the giveaways.

There are two other Ortiz giveaways that I adore. The first one is the bling necklace. It’s loud. It screams David Ortiz, and is absolutely garish enough that I could see him sporting one himself. Personally, this is my favorite giveaway, and one I will try to get my hands on. They’re also giving away a replica of Ortiz’s 2013 World Series MVP ring. While this one is falling back on past accomplishments, I’ll allow it because it celebrates the retiring Ortiz. If it was just another 2013 ring replica, I’d say they should get over the past accomplishments and start doing something in the present instead. As someone who has the 2013 ring giveaway, I’m looking forward to this ring as well. They were well done in the past, and make for a great collectable.

The Sox also have three giveaways that require a special ticket. For these, everyone who buys a ticket through the special ticket link gets the giveaway, as opposed to just people who line up the earliest. The Star Wars night is the one that grabs my attention the most. Although, that giveaway along with Grateful Dead night are the types of giveaways I don’t like as much. Am I getting a Red Sox item, or a Star Wars item? But, since Star Wars night is more of a universal thing, I’m willing to look away a little more easily and accept it. (Plus, I really want a BB-8 baseball statue.) The “Halfway to St Patricks Day” hat seems like an odd one. It’s just another hat. But, I suppose these three dates are more all-inclusive than the others. The Star Wars night includes characters in the park, and music being played. Grateful Dead night, if I remember, includes more tie-dyed patterns than usual. I’m assuming the St. Patrick’s Day night will include more green than you usually see at the park. More than a giveaway, it’s an event. It’s probably a lot of fun, without taking away from the game itself.

Which is really the key. If you want to encourage people to wear Star Wars Red Sox shits to the game, or dress like Darth Vader in a Red Sox cap, that’s fine. If you want to play only music written by John Williams during the game, that’s just great. None of that affects the product on the field. There’re still 27 outs for each side. They’re not disrupting the flow if R2-D2 makes some of the announcements. The giveaways don’t change anything.

It’s still the product on the field that matters.

Is there a giveaway you’re especially looking forward to?

Winter Meetings

Baseball's winter meetings ended up this week, and they were an exciting time as always. Sure, the Red Sox biggest splash came before they started. But, it was still a time of moving and shaking as the Sox made smaller adjustments. It's fun to see which players are going where, and which are coming here, and which are sticking around.

Those groups of players are perfect illustrated by a trade package I received from The Phillies Room recently. As is the annual tradition, I sent Jim my ten year old Phillies cards before they headed to the trash along with the rest of my 2006 cards. This year, I was also able to include some cards that his son, Doug, needed for a couple of his sets. So, the return package was a wonderful collection of contributions from the both of them. That's when I noticed that the cards perfectly displayed those groups of players that winter meetings are all about.

Some players you know aren't going anywhere.

Since Ortiz has said that this is his last year, the chances of him retiring as a Red Sox I'd say are, around, 100%.

Some players aren't going anywhere because they're the future of the team. Betts and Bogaerts are as close to untouchable as any player should be. They'll be stars for the Sox for at least another four years. Swihart could be moved. After all, the Sox have another young catcher. But, he'd take a pretty good deal to get it done.

Some players I'd like to see moved.

Frankly, I'm amazed Holt is still around. A young all-star that the Sox don't actually have a spot for? He should have been offered to every team, and moved somehow. Unless, of course, the Sox can find a sucker to take Pedroia. Then the Sox can play Holt at second. I'm actually glad they held onto Koji. But, I hope they at least looked into what they could get for an established closer...even an older one. With Kimbrel making Koji his set-up guy, I wonder if the Sox could make a swap.

Of course, to make moves, some players need to leave.

Whether it's fan favorites or World Series winners like these guys, or short timers like Wade Miley, seeing a player leave is always a little bittersweet.

But, the goal, as always is to win yet another World Series!

This cup is from Jim and Doug's trip to Fenway. Amazingly, it's a cup version that I didn't have before. So, it was very appreciated.

Of course, when you think of Red Sox World Series wins...

This one is the pinnacle. A great card celebrating the curse busting 2004 team, and its MVP. Ordinarily, a card like this would headline the package. But, since I included cards for Doug, he sent back the best "hit" in the package.

Look at that! An autographed minor league card of Doug himself! This definitely goes to the top of the heap, and is very much appreciated. Nice to see that his number matches that of the great Ted Williams. Wonderful choice.

So, another huge thank you to Jim, and especially Doug, for this fantastic package. It was a great way to celebrate Winter Meeting week in style!

Oh, and Happy Belated Birthday to Doug!

From the Pedro Binder

2000 Topps Strikeout Kings

Sometimes it’s hard to know what makes one thing better than another. The iPad has rounded edges. I read that Steve Jobs did that on purpose because it made it more inviting to pick up with one hand. If you can pick it up with one hand, you sense that it’s easier to use. Makes perfect sense. I never noticed that, though, until I read about it. Sometimes the best things can’t be picked out. They can just be felt.

I look at this card and think the same thing. 

On the surface, I can pick out several complaints that I usually have with cards. That Strikeout Kings logo is enormous and unnecessary. The picture it muddled with “K”s. While they makes sense considering the topic of the card, there sure are a lot of them! The name is written in foil, on the side of the card, facing to the left.

But, for whatever reason, the card just works for me in spite of all that. 

The way the logo matches the border color softens the visual blow. The Ks, while everywhere, are slightly muted. Somehow, the picture is still able to rise to the occasion. If someone gave me a description of this card, I’d probably gag at all the details. But, here on the card it just works. Sometimes, like the rounded edges of an iPad, it makes a difference even if you don’t recognize it.

Sometimes you just need to go by feel.