Doesn’t it seem like good teams always have these quirky anecdotes and strange team-bonding experiences?
Well, this year’s Red Sox team, which is one win away from advancing to the ALCS, has no shortage of chemistry. And while their beards probably stand as their most recognizable symbol of unity, there’s another good luck charm in the Red Sox’ clubhouse that is flying under the radar a bit.
Jake Peavy purchased a little Indian statue during the Red Sox’ West Coast road trip near the end of August. The Sox had just lost two of three to the Yankees at Fenway Park, and Peavy sensed that the club needed a pick-me-up. In stepped the statue, which Peavy apparently had a conversation with before purchasing on his way to the park one day in San Francisco.
Because the story of the good luck charm is so elaborate, so unique and so awesome, let’s just have Peavy tell it. Here’s what Peavy told the media in St. Petersburg on Monday.
“We went through a rough stretch there where we lost two of three in Toronto. We had to go home for just a weekend series. Things got ugly there Sunday night and we ended up losing the series to the Yankees. The guys who travel with us on a daily basis understand that the travel was ridiculous.
“We went out to San Francisco, and things were just kind of it wasn’t that same attitude. And the travel had kind of worn us down. I was walking to the field on the day of my start and walked past a smoke shop, a tobacco/liquor store, I guess — something to that effect.
“And I’m Indian, my heritage is American-Indian. And I walked by and saw just in the glass window this fellow looking at me. And I looked at him and he looked at me. And I just kept walking, I took a few more steps, and I kind of looked back and he was still looking at me. And he said, ‘Am I not one of the boys? Look at me, I’m your people.’ I said, ‘You know what, you are one of the boys.’ I did a U-turn and I went in and asked how much he cost. There was no price tag on him. I told the guy there was a price tag on everything in life.
“We did some negotiating, and I carried him on to the ballpark and brought him in. We had some guys banged up at the time. Came up with some elaborate story about how he had some healing spirit, so he started in the training room, getting some guys right. And he made his first appearance that night in San Francisco, or that day, and we ended up losing that game that I pitched.
“And we had a serious team talk with him, and told him if he didn’t show up tomorrow with a little bit better attitude and show us his powers, then we were going to have to lose him on the plane ride to L.A. But he showed up in a big way, Douby (Felix Doubront) pitched well that day, and we took him to L.A. He showed up for us there in L.A, we won that big series, he got on the flight back with us.
“His wardrobe has grown. I don’t know if you know, but he’s holding some cigars in his hand, and those are celebratory cigars, when we do hopefully reach our goal, we’re going to smoke those cigars that he’s got in the box. But now he’s got a couple of jerseys on. He helped Jacoby [Ellsbury] get back from his injury, because Jacoby has got some Indian in him. They had a good talk. He got Jacoby back for us. He’s got a beard now, he grew out a beard to get on the same page as the rest of the guys. There he is, chief. He’s going to ride on my Duck Boat if we win the World Series.”
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Photo via Instagram/RedSox
