MILLAR AND THE ECK
Last week I watched Kevin Millar remotely from Austin, TX., join the broadcasting duo of Dave O’Brien and Dennis Eckersley from Fenway Park, during the Red Sox 6–1 victory over the visiting Oakland A’s.
What a pleasure!!!
Immediate chemistry and lots of fun.
Lots of laughs.
O’Brien, the lead play-by-play and quintessential straight man, has a sweet, melodic, silk-like voice and is widely respected, sporting an enviable resume.
Next to the other two, “milquetoast-ish,” would also aptly describe him.
But he’s good.
The 58-year-old Quincy, MA. native has been part of a number of notable broadcasts.
To wit:
–Called Mark McGwire’s 59th HR in 1998 (Radio);
–Called triple-OT college basketball game between Oklahoma State and Texas on January 16, 2007, won by OSU 105–103 and broadcast on ESPN2 alongside the late Rick Majerus;
–August 4, 2007 called play-by-play for ESPN’s broadcast of the SF Giants-San Diego Padres Game in which Barry Bonds tied the major league all-time HR record with #755;
–August 7, 2007 called the Giants-Nationals game in which Bonds broke the record with #756, which had been Hank Aaron’s for more than 33 years;
–October 13, 2013 called David Ortiz’ grand slam off Joaquin Benoit in Game 2 of the ALCS between the Red Sox and the Tigers for WEEI-FM (Radio);
–March 31, 2017 called the Mississippi State Bulldogs women’s basketball team’s epic upset of UConn in the Final Four, snapping the Huskies’ 111-game winning streak and advancing the Lady Bulldogs to the tournament’s championship game.
This is just a sample size, a snapshot.
O’Brien’s wide body of work is legit.
As is his voice.
The Eck?
Legendary on so many levels.
(See other pieces).
Hall of Fame player.
Hall of Fame-caliber color man.
So unique, revered for his language–his colorful word choice–documented before on these pages many times.
Eck is an institution; we should be only so lucky to ask his recently departed former teammate and broadcast partner, the late, great Jerry Remy for corroboration.
None needed, respectfully.
Millar?
The X-Factor.
In 1993, Millar began his professional career with the St. Paul Saints of the Northern League.
He was good, but not great: 63 G; .260 BA; 5 HRs; 30 RBI.
On September 20, 1993, Millar’s contract was purchased by the Florida Marlins.
During the 1994-’95 MLB strike, Millar became a replacement player, and as a result, was barred from membership in the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).
Shortly thereafter, he began to leave–what would become–an indelible imprint on the game.
His imprint.
From 1997-’99, during games encompassing several minor league stints, Millar set the record for most consecutive games reaching base with 71.
(Interestingly, future Red Sox teammate Kevin Youkilis tied this mark in 2003).
His contract was purchased by the Florida Marlins at the start of the 1998 season, and he made his major league debut against Pittsburgh on April 11, 1998, going 1–2 with a walk, upon entering the game as a pinch-hitter in the 6th inning.
Millar shuttled back and forth between Triple-A and the big club and played with the Marlins through the 2002 campaign.
His tongue, wit and upbeat nature accompanied him everywhere and always, making him a prized teammate, and it was with the Red Sox that he made his greatest impact.
Powerful, actually.
Following the 2002 season, the Marlins sold Millar to the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese Central League.
In order for the transaction to be completed, he first had to clear the waivers requested by Florida.
Boston stepped up and blocked the deal with a waiver claim, in a rather unconventional move.
Millar had signed a two-year $6.2 million contract with the Dragons in January 2003, but in an unprecedented deal brokered by MLB, Florida reimbursed the Dragons and the Red Sox paid the multi-million dollar sum to the Marlins in return for Millar.
On February 15, 2003 he was officially traded to Boston.
It turned out to be a very good thing.
Described by then-Sox GM Theo Epstein as “an outstanding right-handed hitter,” and as “one of the better unknown hitters in baseball,” Millar’s clubhouse presence and offensive production helped spark Boston to the 2003 ALCS and the 2004 World Series title, breaking an 86-year-old curse.
And he did it with style, panache and duende.
On September 11, 1918, the Boston Red Sox defeated the Chicago Cubs 2–1 to win the 15th edition of the World Series in six games.
It was the franchise’s fifth World Series win and third in four seasons.
A dynasty.
Flash forward to October 17, 2004–-86 years, one month and six days later.
The Red Sox had not only failed to win a single World Series since, they were on the verge (down 0–3 in games) of being ousted from the postseason by the arch-rival Yankees for the second consecutive year.
Millar took the lead.
Referring to his teammates affectionately as a bunch of “idiots,” he implored them to “Cowboy Up,” and get a move-on.
He continued; he’s never done.
Prior to Game 4, Millar was caught on camera numerous times advising reporters, along with his teammates, “Don’t let the Sox win tonight,” referring to the fact that Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling were scheduled to pitch Games 5 & 6, respectively.
Stirring the pot came easy to him, and still does.
Then he put his money where that flapping tongue inside his mouth was.
The Yankees led Game 4 by a score of 4–3, entering the bottom of the ninth.
Millar was tasked with leading off the inning and jumpstarting the Sox offense.
He wanted to do more than that.
“We’re down three games to none. We’re down in the ninth inning against the mighty Yankees and Mariano Rivera. I always joke around, and I tell people–but it was the truth–I was trying to hit a homer,” he said.
“At that point, your mindset is:
We’re at Fenway Park.
It’s 300 feet to left field.
I’m a pull hitter.
He’s a fastball pitcher.
I was (hoping) that he makes a mistake up and in and I was going to try to hit a home run and tie the game.”
Millar did not hit a home run.
Instead he drew a five-pitch walk that would cue one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history.
Millar had done his job.
Immediately removed for pinch-runner Dave Roberts, players in both dugouts, the 34,826 fans in attendance and the millions watching at home knew what was next.
Roberts was going to try to steal second base.
Despite lacking the element of surprise, he did just that, beating catcher Jorge Posada’s throw, and popped up at second.
In scoring position with nobody out.
Two pitches later, Bill Mueller singled to center field, cashing in Roberts and tying the game.
The Red Sox went on to win Game 4 in 12 innings.
They won Game 5 in 14 innings.
They never trailed in Games 6 or 7 in New York, becoming the first team in MLB history to come back from a three-games-to-none deficit to win a series.
In the 2004 World Series, the Sox made it a formality, sweeping St. Louis in four games, never trailing at any point in the series.
“It was just a bunch of guys that didn’t match up with the Yankees by any means,” Millar reflected.
“But we did as a team..”
Millar knew his role.
He knew what he was, and who he was not.
“I understood that we were a good team, and this series couldn’t end as quick as it was gonna end.
I wasn’t Manny Ramirez, or Pedro Martinez, or David Ortiz, or Curt Schilling.
My job was to find a way to get these guys to believe that we could come back, and it just kind of all randomly happened the way that it was scripted.”
Copy that.
Pretty much the same as his budding broadcasting career.
During one of his recent broadcasting appearances over the past several days, Crew Chief Ted Barrett was calling balls and strikes.
Barrett, a veteran umpire of 28 years, is a well-respected man of faith, and at 6’4’’ cuts a wide and imposing swath.
He also was a sparring partner of Mike Tyson in his younger days.
Millar found this out somehow, a testament to his investigative acumen.
Striding to the plate and walking away after a called third strike back in the day, Millar was inclined to think–and undoubtedly say–the same thing.
“Okay sir, uncle Teddy, whatever you say.”
Prudent.
Tune in for Kevin Millar’s next visit to the booth with Eck and Obie.
You won’t be sorry.
This piece was written by Mr. Kaplan in June 2022.]
