Mirabelli was to participate in exhibition game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but was taken off the list an hour before game time.In January 2008, Mirabelli agreed in principle to a one year contract to return to the Red Sox for the 2008 season. The deal was reported to have a base salary of $550,000 with incentives.His twelve-year career is marked with a .231 hitter with 58 home runs and 206 RBI in 566 games. He has become well-known as the personal catcher for knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. He was part of the Red Sox’ World Series Championship teams in 2004 and 2007.
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Ian,
Your website is really cool! So who is going to catch for Wakefield?
See you soon!
Mrs. Weeks
Ian, thought you might find this interesting: even though Wakefield has long talked about the importance of having Mirabelli as his personal catcher, it doesn’t appear anyone on the Sox spoke with Wakefield before the team released his favorite catcher and close friend. From Redsox.com (between the asterisks):
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“[I was] shocked, very shocked,” Wakefield said Saturday morning inside Boston’s clubhouse, the first time he spoke on the matter.
“I don’t know what else to say about it. I think I was on the field [during batting practice], and somebody came and told me that Dougie got released and I’m like, ‘What?’ I came in [to the clubhouse] and found out the truth. [Manager Terry Francona] called me in the office right after that and told me. I’m saddened by the whole situation, but it’s a business decision on [the team's] part.”
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The team certainly had no obligation to speak with Wakefield prior to releasing Mirabelli, but given that Wakefield 1) has thrown almost exclusively to Mirabelli over the last couple of seasons; 2) has struggled throwing to other catchers (e.g., Josh Bard); and 3) is a member of the starting rotation and will likely pitch at least 175 innings for the team, I am a little surprised that he wasn’t at least consulted by team management before Mirabelli was giving his walking papers.
I wonder if Wakefield will be as effective this season without Mirabelli?