He always envisioned this moment, his first major-league at-bat –– one that happened to be against Oakland pitcher Brandon McCarthy. And Middlebrooks wanted to do nothing else, but to drill the ball into oblivion.
Instead, he walked on four pitches. It was a rare display of patience, considering Middlebrooks didn't draw his first base on balls of the 2012 season until his 36th at-bat in Pawtucket. But the rookie certainly didn't care about the buzz kill.
"It was unbelievable," Middlebrooks said of his debut. "Words can't describe it. Just coming here and playing in Fenway Park and with these guys, it was unreal."
As a whole, it was a night of firsts for Middlebrooks. With his first game, his first walk, his first hit, his first steal and first extra-base hit, the rookie lived up to all the pizzazz surrounding his promotion.
By reaching base three times in his debut, the third baseman became the first Red Sox player to achieve the feat since Morgan Burkhart on June 27, 2000. But even in the spotlight, Middlebrooks offered politically correct answers.
"This is everyone's goal –– to play here," Middlebrooks said. "But like I said, I want to do what I can to help this team win games while I'm here."
Despite the momentous occurrence, Middlebrooks couldn't escape the rookie hazing. Once Kevin Youkilis collected the ball in the dugout, the third baseman pretended to toss the youngster's memento into the Fenway Park stands.
Shortly afterward, Middlebrooks uncharacteristically swiped second base –– "I don't think I've ever run that fast in my life," he later said –– in a sequence that likely resembled his high school football days.
His days in Boston may be numbered –– for now. Whenever the Red Sox officially elect to start the Middlebrooks Era, the team will look back on Wednesday's game as the outing that catapulted his emergence.
"I wish we could be in there all celebrating, sharing the delight that he'd really have if this was a victory," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. "But it was a terrific game he played, nice defense, the walk, the hustle, the stolen base, he was one of the right-handed hitters to go with that cutter to right field. He did a really good job."
Despite the loss, Middlebrooks finished 2-for-3 with a single, a double, a walk and a stolen base. And it marked a promising debut for a promising player.
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