FORT MYERS, Fla. — Thanks to his 11-year Padres contract with a full no-trade clause, there’s virtually zero probability Xander Bogaerts ever performs for the Red Sox once more.
So, for the primary time since 2013, there shall be a Bogaerts-less Red Sox staff.
But not a staff with out somebody carrying No. 2.
Justin Turner, whom the Red Sox signed to a one-year contract with a participant possibility for 2024, would be the forty second participant in franchise historical past to put on No. 2.
It’s one of the crucial well-liked numbers in staff historical past; up to now, solely six numbers, none single-digit, have been worn by at the very least 43 gamers.
But with Bogaerts departing for San Diego, many Red Sox followers hoped the staff would retire No. 2 for Jerry Remy, hoping to immortalize him on the ballpark he cherished a lot.
The beloved player-turned-broadcaster, who died in October 2021, wore No. 2 for his total taking part in profession, which spanned three seasons with the Angels and 7 with the Red Sox. He found his second act in baseball when he retired and joined New England Sports Network and located success doing shade commentary for Red Sox video games. Despite a number of reoccurrences of lung most cancers, ‘The RemDawg’ spent over 30 years within the sales space, working video games till August 2021.
The Fall River native’s humor, ardour, and thick Boston accent are intertwined with among the biggest Red Sox moments, and he’s within the Red Sox Hall of Fame. After his passing, over 15,000 folks signed a Change.org petition to re-name Jersey Street in his honor, however not like retiring his quantity, the Red Sox would want permission from the town to make that change.
For a time, the Red Sox would solely take into account retiring a participant’s quantity if he had completed his profession in Boston and was elected to the Hall of Fame. But they’ve made a number of exceptions to that standards over time. For over half a century, Johnny Pesky was one of many biggest faces a franchise might ever hope to have, and never being in Cooperstown didn’t cease the Red Sox from including his No. 6 to Fenway’s right-field facade. Nor was David Ortiz within the Hall of Fame when the Red Sox introduced that he’d be the final participant to put on No. 34; they did that in his ultimate regular-season sport in 2016, and held the official ceremony the next summer season. Carlton Fisk, Wade Boggs, and Pedro Martinez performed elsewhere earlier than they retired.
At this level, the Red Sox say every potential quantity retirement shall be a case-by-case foundation.
In the meantime, Turner will put on No. 2, however opposite to public notion, he wasn’t actively making an attempt to get the quantity. “I didn’t really have a lot of options,” he informed reporters Thursday. “They asked me if I’d be okay with wearing No. 2.”
Regardless of the truth that Turner wore No. 2 early in his profession, the revelation that the Red Sox really supplied it to him gained’t go over effectively with followers. Based on the frigid reception at Winter Weekend, the sting of not holding Bogaerts isn’t going to minimize any time quickly; to many followers, providing No. 2 to Turner lower than two months after Bogaerts joined the Padres simply provides insult to damage.
Of course, that doesn’t actually have something to do with Turner, or it shouldn’t, anyway. And the newcomer is effectively conscious, not solely of what the quantity means, however how followers really feel about him carrying it. “I know, obviously, there’s some history there with Bogey and Remy,” he mentioned. He doesn’t eschew social media the best way a few of his teammates do. “I’ve read a little bit on social media, some of the stuff that comes about the No. 2, but I have worn No. 2 my entire life,” he defined.
Turner initially wore No. 2 with the Mets from 2010-13, the place he was teammates along with his new supervisor, Alex Cora. They overlapped in 2010, with Turner even pinch-hitting for Cora in a July sport towards the Giants.
Ultimately, each gamers ended up getting launched from the Mets, and Turner went on to spend 9 seasons with the Dodgers, whom Cora additionally performed for from his major-league debut in 1998 till 2004.
The quantity carries lots of that means, not just for Turner, however for his household. “I think I was born at 2:22 in the morning. My dad was was always No. 2, my cousin was always No. 2,” he mentioned. “I’ve worn No. 2 since I was four years old. I’ve never worn … well, my freshman year in college, I wore 23 because an older player had No. 2, and then I switched back to No. 2 and I’ve literally worn No. 2 pretty much every day of my whole life, so. My [social media] handle is @redturn2 because of No. 2, not because I’m a master double-play-turner.” Cue extra laughs.
Turner mentioned he needed to maintain carrying No. 2, going as far as to ask for permission, because the Dodgers had retired the quantity for Tommy Lasorda in 1997. He acquired amusing from reporters as he recounted, “The only reason I didn’t wear No. 2 with the Dodgers is cuz Tommy Lasorda said no when I asked him if I could, which I expected.”
Players don’t at all times get to pick out a quantity, and since Lasorda didn’t let Turner put on No. 2 in LA, the Dodgers assigned him one other legend’s quantity. “I had [this] same conversation with Ron Cey when I got up to the Dodgers and they put me in 10, which I didn’t choose, they gave it to me as well. And, you know, I wanted to go there and make Ron proud every day,” he mentioned.
Cey debuted with the Dodgers in 1971 and ended up staying for the primary 12 of his 17 major-league seasons. He put collectively six consecutive All-Star seasons between ’74-79, helped the Dodgers win 4 National League pennants, and was their 1981 World Series MVP. In retrospect, it’s becoming that Turner wore his quantity, as each are thought-about among the many finest third basemen in Dodgers historical past.
Turner is effectively conscious of what he’s gotten himself into in accepting the quantity, and he desires followers to know that he’ll be donning the jersey with Remy in thoughts. “Yeah, I’m excited to be back in No. 2,” he mentioned, “I’m excited to, you know, hopefully make Remy proud of what I do and what I accomplish. And I know a lot of guys have worn No. 2 before me, so, and it is a big deal. I don’t think I, I don’t take it lightly. I want to make him proud.”
Retiring a participant’s quantity is a tribute, however carrying it may be, too. Turner got here to that conclusion on Thursday. “The goal is to go out there and wear it and make [Remy] proud, and play the game the right way. And I know how beloved he is to Red Sox Nation, and would never want to do anything to disrespect the number,” he assured.
“Actually, I’m happy I get to wear it and represent him.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com