While Red Sox fans await news on the potential acquisition of Johan Santana, the Red Sox on Thursday announced a signing of a somewhat lesser note. Backup catcher Doug Mirabelli will be back in the fold for another year, again serving as Tim Wakefield’s personal catcher.
“You almost have to pinch yourself to believe it,” Mirabelli said yesterday, drinking from a celebratory bottle of champagne. “I barely hit .200 and to anyone with eyes you can see that my bat speed is roughly that of a sloth’s. True story: when I take some batting practice against Wakes, I can't get around on his fastball! 68 mph with the wind behind it! I can’t run, my fielding continues to slip…put it this way: what do I do well? And yet through a miracle, I mean, like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, I keep getting signed by the Red Sox so they have someone to catch their number five starter! What a country! They could bring back Millar and he'd catch better than me. And he's a better cheerleader."
While no one in the Red Sox front office will take credit for the Mirabelli signing (each of them say it was someone else’s idea) Call of the Green Monster has confirmed that not only will Mirabelli be a member of the Sox next, but he will also be paid.
“I’m loving life,” said the ebullient catcher. “How could you not?”
bill@callofthegreenmonster.com
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