Jim..I have a question that I want to “Ask 14″. How did you get your #14?
Derek C.
Sent via Facebook

I got my number 14 because the guy working in the clubhouse guy gave it to me.  There is no story about growing up idolizing Ernie Banks or Bob Cousy.  The organization gave it to me and I was stuck with it.

I think that the sentimentality and superstition with jersey numbers is a recent trend.  Back when I played you didn’t see players so tied to their jersey numbers, I don’t even remember the first time I saw a player sign an autograph and include his jersey number with his name.

I remember that when Trot Nixon was coming up to join the big league club, he wanted #7 in honor of  Mickey Mantle and they gave it to him.  My thought is that if you’re a good player and confident in your ability, you can make the number you are given famous on your own.

I remember a game that I was watching on TV, and something happened that I never seen before or since: Rick Burleson was batting and got into an argument with the home plate umpire.  Players cannot touch the umps, but they cannot touch players either.  The home plate umpire finger-jabbed Rick, and you came out and picked up the umpire right straight up and layed him on the ground. I would love to hear your thoughts on this game.

- Darrell G. From Sanford, ME

Rick Burleson was the ignitor for a lot of the great Red Sox teams I played on in the 1970’s.  He was the type of guy who would yell in the dugout or the clubhouse and get the rest of the team fired up.  He wasn’t afraid to mix it up with opponents or umpires and we loved him for it; because of this attitude we called him the Rooster.

The game you are talking about was during the strike year (I think) and Rooster was up, John Shulock was the umpire, and I was on deck.  Shulock made a call that Rooster didn’t like and they started jawing back and forth.  It started to escalate and as I was trying to seperate the two of them when all of a sudden Shulock explodes and tries to charge at Rick.  I was in front of him with my hands on his shoulders and mid-charge he starts to fall over.  This is when I picked him up off of the ground, to keep him from falling, and told him not to worry about Rick, this is just his personality.

Today, Rick is a hitting coach in the minor leagues and, from what I hear, still has the same passion that ignited teams in the 1970’s and 80’s.  He came up here for a few days last year and we had a great time reliving some of these old memories.

Congratulations to the newest additions to Red Sox Nation: Reymond Fuentes, Alex Wilson, and David Renfroe.  Any thoughts on who or what the Red Sox will pick up today?

Also, congratulations to Ruben for winning last week’s trivia contest.

The MLB Draft starts tonight at 6PM and I am asked every year, usually after the draft, for my thoughts on different players.  The problem is that it is so hard to tell how amateur players will perform at the professional level.  In basketball and football, the players are essentially playing the same game, just against an elevated level of competition.  But in baseball you have to account for the fact that these kids are going to start using wooden bats instead of aluminum, different stitching on the baseballs, pitch counts, and significantly longer seasons.  Given those variables, it’s just too hard to predict how a certain player will perform in the future.

With that being said, the success that the Red Sox have had in the draft is that much more impressive.  MLB.com did a great article about the decisions to draft Dustin Pedroia in 2004 and Jonathan Papelbon in 2003 show how the research and preparation of the front office has contributed to the team’s success.  I tip my cap to the Red Sox braintrust because I don’t know anything about the players who will be drafted tonight, just like I didn’t know anything about the players who were drafted with me in 1971.

When the Yankees come into town tomorrow night the Red Sox will have to deal with a team that is far different than the Yankee ball-club against which they went 5-0 in April and May.  The Yankees are hitting much better than they were at the beginning of the season; Alex Rodriguez is healthy and playing the way we have expected him to, Teixeira is hitting, and Jeter, Damon, and Posada continue to be productive.

The Yankee’s pitching staff is the same, but when the team is scoring runs the pitching tends to be more effective; pitchers don’t like working from behind.  They have some holes in the bullpen, but I don’t anticipate the Yankees making a significant move such as sending Joba Chamberlain back to the pen.  If the Yankees are competing, you can be sure that they will make a move to find someone that will provide stability in the bullpen.  The Red Sox could sweep the Yankees in this series, but it will be a much more difficult task than before.

A lot of people have been asking me about my trip to the hall of fame; the things I liked, the most impressive artifacts, etc.

The trip is more than just a visit to the museum prior to the induction ceremony; it’s more like an orientation to the Hall of Fame museum and induction experience.  I was given a timeline and tour of where I will be during the induction weekend.  I was also given some coaching on how to handle the events of the day and the elements that make a successful speech.  I am competitive, but I will not compete with Pudge Fisk for the title of longest induction speech.

The tour of the museum was fantastic and I was able to see a lot of artifacts that are not available to the public.  It’s hard for me to pick out a favorite item because I saw so many rare and historic pieces.  I saw bats that were used by Ty Cobb and Lou Gehrig, a contract signed by Babe Ruth, and the original uniforms from the Negro Leagues.

Ok, answer this question and you will win yourself a FREE copy of the Red Sox Memories DVD.  Just like yesterday, please use the comments section to answer.

The MLB draft is next week.  What year was I drafted? Also, name two other Hall of Fame players that were drafted in that same year.  Finally, what was I doing at the time I was drafted?

Like yesterday, the answers may be found on this website.  Good luck.

Congratulations to Chris Torrey who is the winner of the Red Sox DVD for being the first to correctly answer yesterday’s trivia question.  I’ll give away another DVD today at 2PM so check back then.

Here is your chance to win  a copy of the Red Sox Memories DVD.  This DVD contains footage and commentary on the greatest moments in Red Sox history and it can be yours for FREE if you are the first to answer the following question (please use the comments section and not email):

In 1986, my hat came off during a game at Yankee Stadium and was stolen by a fan in the crowd.  I wrote about this event for Ask14 and mentioned that one of my teammates was the first person on the scene and  parted the crowd to find the guy who took my cap.  Who was this player?

Since I mentioned thatI posted an article about this event, you may want to read that post before answering.  Good luck.