Millar grateful for two-year deal

DurableTear · February 20, 2003

By Peter Gammons

Special to ESPN.com

Feb. 20

Every day, Kevin Millar walks into the Red Sox clubhouse wearing his St. Paul Saints cap, his reminder of from whence he came.

Wednesday, in his locker, he found six Red Sox uniforms hanging side by side: numbers 5, 8 (Carl Yastrzemski), 9 (Ted Williams), 32 (Derek Lowe), 45 (Pedro Martinez) and 28(Doug Mirabelli).

"Guys were yelling, 'we can't get dressed until you decide what uniform number you want," Millar said. "Here, you want mine?' It was hilarious."

Tuesday, after driving his truck 16 hours from Texas to Fort Myers, the 31-year-old Millar had asked Casey Fossum if the Red Sox pitcher would mind trading him the number 15, which Millar has worn since high school. Fossum said he was happy to do so.

But other Boston players seized the opportunity to have some fun with their new teammate.

"This is incredible here, this is such a team of grinders and gamers," said Millar, who early Thursday agreed to a two-year, $5.3 million contract with a vesting option for a third year at $3.5 million. "After all I've been through, this seems like heaven."

It seems like heaven because after 3? seasons with the Marlins, even though he batted .311 the last two seasons, Millar was destined to be a part-time player. Then, for more than a month, he worked to get out of a two-year contract with the Chunichi Dragons because of his family's fear of him playing overseas at this point in time. Millar also feared the Dragons no longer cared about him and were threatening to keep him from playing baseball at all.

"That is over, thank goodness," Millar said. "After all this, to come to a place like Boston, where there are so many gamers and the park is full and we have a chance to win and it's clear that the club really wants me ? .

"I owe a lot of thanks to Gene Orza and Rob Manfred, as well, obviously, as my agents for standing by me in this. Not only can't I believe what's happened, but where I ended up at the end of this journey. But I'll always wear the Northern League hat. That's who I am."