The Gonz Show: Sean Casey
Renowned for being the nicest guy in the game, the new Sox batsman proves his generous spirit by humoring John Gonzalez.
- Photo by Michael Ivins/ Boston Red Sox.
Former big leaguer Phil Nevin once said you get so close to people when you talk, they think you're going to lick their face. I'm just warning you, I charge $250 an hour.
That's not a bad rate!
»Signed a one-year deal in February to play first base for the Sox; previously played for the Indians, Reds, Pirates, and Tigers
»Was designated the "friendliest player in baseball" last year in a Sports Illustrated players' poll
»Helped found Labels Are For Jars, a Lawrence organization that feeds the hungry
You have such a reputation for being friendly, you're often called "The Mayor." Careful—if Menino finds out, every day will be street-cleaning day on your block.
[Laughs.] I don't need that. I like to sleep.
You two should have a foot race to decide who keeps the title. I hear you're a slow runner, so he'll have a chance. Loser moves to Lowell.
Nah. He can stay the mayor. I'll just stay in the background.
Have you ever been ejected from a game?
Twice. The first time, I argued a call, and I came back to the dugout and another player said something to the ump. [The umpire] was like, "Casey's gone!" It was a case of mistaken identity. The other one was a bench-clear in 2003 against the Phillies, when I was with the Reds. Someone threw a punch at Adam Dunn, one of my best friends, and I retaliated.
Sean, I want to like you, man, but I grew up in Philly. That hurts me.
Well, I ended up on the bottom of the pile with [Phillies catcher] Todd Pratt pounding away at me, so he probably got the best of me in the end.
The Pirates traded you to Detroit for Brian Rogers, a guy who pitched in the majors for about 35 seconds. That would be like Boston magazine trading me to Los Angeles magazine for a subscription renewal card. Did you take that personally?
[Laughs.] Not really. You said Brian Rogers, but I didn't even remember who I was traded for. I just know I was traded to the Tigers and we ended up in the World Series.
How often do you get "Casey at the Bat" jokes?
A lot. They're pretty lame. Yeah, you gotta come up with something more original than that. Absolutely.
By the way, how does Boston compare with Mudville?
