When the Red Sox signed Mueller many fans wondered why. He quietly came on to the team and made a mark. In 2003 he won the batting title (and became the first player in MLB history to hit two grandslams in the same game – one from each side of the plate). In 2004, he became ‘one of the 25’, but not before having two of the most memorable hits in Red Sox history. It was his walk-off homerun against Mariano Rivera that July 24th that ended the "Arod/Varitek Fight" game…and, more importantly and often overlooked, it was his hit that drove in Dave Roberts after ‘the steal’ in the 2004 ALCS, to tie Game 4.
On the day of the parade in Boston to celebrate the World Series win, Bill Mueller wasn’t in Boston. He was at home celebrating the birth of his child. The entire day, all over the television and online, folks were wondering where he was, they wanted to say ‘thank you’…but instead of taking in all that, he was where he needed to be…and the fans missed him but understood.
The Dodgers, never one of my favorite teams admittedly, have given Mueller a job in the front office. For a guy nicknamed "Billy Ballgame" in the Red Sox clubhouse…nothing could be better suited for him. He’ll be a special assistant to Ned Colletti who says of Bill:
"He’s a very smart guy. He’ll be
involved with us in scouting, evaluating players, player development
areas, amateur draft areas. He’ll be a great sounding board for me."
Good luck in the new endeavor, Billy. Thank you for three years that will ensure your place in the hearts of Red Sox fans forever.
Billy is one of the good guys. Baseball will certainly miss having him on the field. I know I will.
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