When Pawtucket Red Sox outfielder Josh Reddick made his major league debut with Boston on July 31 at Camden Yards, it brought a smile to the face of his father, Ken, for more reasons than one.
“The funny thing about playing at Camden Yards is my dad told me when I got called up that, when he was growing up, his father took him to that ballpark and it was the first major league ballpark he went to,” said Reddick. “Coincidentally, it happened that it was the first major league ballpark I played a game in.
“I thought that was kind of neat to hear that.”
Reddick got his first major league hit off David Hernandez on August 1, and the next day, belted his first major league home run off Brian Bass.
Enter Coincidence No. 2.
“Brian and I have the same agent,” related Reddick. “So, of course, my agent called me that night and asked ‘Why did you have to hit (a home run) off one of our guys?’
“I said it’s funny because you told me about facing him when I was here and I had a feeling that it was going to be Brian that I hit my first home run off. And it worked out that way.”
Indeed.
In nine games with Boston, Reddick hit only .188 with one homer and two RBI. But Boston’s 17th-round pick in the 2007 draft admittedly learned lessons that should hold him in good stead.
“The biggest thing I learned up there was, as a new guy, to keep my mouth shut and sit back and learn about how those guys carry themselves in the locker room and in the game,” he said. “I want to build on that.
“When I got sent back down to Pawtucket, they always tell you not to get that big-league head syndrome. That’s what I’ve been trying to work on. I don’t think, in my opinion, I’ve been that type of guy because I’ve never been a guy to get a big head and get lazy on the field.
“Plus,” continued Reddick, “you have to go out there and get ready every day like you should and perform at your best every day.”
Even though Reddick has been hitting below The Mendoza Line with the PawSox, manager Ron Johnson isn’t the least bit concerned.
“He’s taken an unconventional path to this level – Double A to the big leagues to Triple A,” said Johnson. “He had a little bit of success and they liked what they saw of him.
“Young guys like Josh are going to struggle. He’s only 22 years old. He’s very athletic. He’s an upbeat guy. He’s going to make some aggressive mistakes and some mental mistakes but we’ve got to deal with it.
“One thing that impresses me about ‘Red’ is he’s got tremendous life in his bat.
“The ball jumps off his bat when he hits it in BP. When you take BP on a big league field and those guys hit the ball – Red hits the ball like that. Plus, he plays all three outfield positions. He’s aggressive. It’s going to be fun watching him develop.”
Reddick nearly developed a case of ulcers on July 31, after the Portland Sea Dogs finished a red-eye bus ride to Harrisburg, arriving at 3 a.m.
He was awakened around 11 a.m. by the dulcet tones of manager Arnie Beyeler who told him to get a haircut (Reddick had a Mohawk), shave and “dress nicely.”
“I didn’t know where I was going because I remember asking him if he knew and he said ‘No,’ ” explained Reddick. “The first thing that went through my mind when he told me to pack my bags was trade. I knew Boston was really interested in Victor Martinez so that was the first thought in my head – I’m going to Cleveland.
“It was eating away at me inside. (Beyeler) just told me to pack and be ready for another phone call.”
When that call came around noon, Beyeler informed Reddick he was heading to Baltimore to join the Red Sox.
“I didn’t know if I was going to get activated,” said Reddick. “I thought I was just going there to be an emergency guy.
“The worst-case scenario was you go up there, stay in a hotel for a night and you drive back. The best-case scenario is you get activated and stay up there for a little bit, so it worked out for me in that scenario. But, all-around, it was a very nerve-wracking day for me.”
Reddick, admittedly, was surprised bordering on stunned.
“I signed as a 2007 guy and it was amazing to get that kind of news so quickly,” he said. “Growing up, you’re that little kid in the front yard dreaming I’m going to be in major league baseball when I grow up.
“How many people get to wake up in the morning and actually say they’ve been there? Now, I can do that.”
Unlike in another day and age, when rookies were treated with disdain by veterans, the Red Sox virtually embraced Reddick which made for a smooth transition.
“Everybody was very welcoming to me,” he said. “Nobody was one of those bad guys you hear about, giving me that rookie treatment. I think it helped being in spring training with those guys. It got some of the nerves out of the way. They came up to me instead of my having to approach them and told me ‘Congratulations’ and ‘We’re glad you’re here.’
“They made me feel as comfortable as possible – even the All-Star guys. The only one who joked about anything was (Dustin) Pedroia and that’s just how he is. He’s a locker-room crack-up. When you get MVP and Rookie of the Year, I guess you have the stature to do that.”
Good point.
While Reddick felt comfortable in the Red Sox’ clubhouse, the reception the team and he received at Camden Yards (a.k.a. Fenway Park South) was unlike anything he could have imagined.
“When I first got a start, I never realized how crazy the ‘Nation’ really was,” he said. “That was different. You always hear about it but you never really know until you experience it when you’re in other places.”
Places Reddick hopes to visit on a more frequent basis in the future.
