Fond memories, familiar faces flood Marlins Park for Beckett Day
MIAMI -- Jack McKeon remembers turning to pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal after Josh Beckett's scoreless first inning during Game 6 of the 2003 World Series.
They ain't going to touch him tonight.
So confident in how sharp his 23-year-old flamethrower looked, McKeon didn't plan on taking the eventual MVP out of the game in the ninth. Lefty Dontrelle Willis and closer Ugueth Urbina warmed up in the bullpen mainly for show.
"He loved the big stage, the challenges, the big games," McKeon said. "He loved it."
Beckett would tag Jorge Posada for the final out of a complete-game shutout, a 2-0 Florida Marlins victory over the behemoth New York Yankees, in the final World Series played at the old Yankee Stadium.
The Marlins welcomed him back for Beckett Day on Sunday afternoon.
Former teammates from that 2003 ballclub, including Mike Lowell, Alex Gonzalez, Lenny Harris and Juan Pierre, stood behind the mound before Beckett's first pitch to Ivan Rodriguez. They were part of the year he established his closest friendships.
#BeckettDay #Marlins #Pudge #worldseries #josh #beckett #MLB https://t.co/GNrpYVkEun
— Christina De Nicola (@CDeNicola13) June 28, 2015
Beckett, now retired at 35, spent his first five big-league seasons with the Marlins. The organization selected him with the second overall pick in the 1999 draft. He went 41-34 with a 3.46 ERA as a Marlin before being traded to the Boston Red Sox in 2005.
"It kind of all came together at Yankee Stadium, but a lot of it was the year and the guys," Beckett said. "That's what I remember. I remember grabbing beers out of clubhouses on the road and just going back to the hotel and there would be nine or 10 of us in a hotel room and all we'd do is sit there and talk about baseball. It was neat. That was a really different group of guys then I really saw for the rest of my career. I don't think baseball's the same as it used to be in that aspect of having true buddies on a team and being able to grab a 12-pack of beer and just go sit in a hotel room and talk about baseball. It just seems like baseball players in general get away from that. That wasn't the way it was. I don't know if it was the veteran guys back then that showed us that or what.
"We knew that we had something special, but I think we needed to be reminded of why we were brought here. Some of the early struggles were injuries and stuff like that. There was some shakeups, things who knows what would've happened if that wouldn't have happened. It was a good group of guys. We knew that we were good, we just weren't playing good at the time. Obviously it took off. I don't think anybody was that surprised that knew what kind of guys we had in here."
Heading into that life-changing Fall Classic start, Beckett had just 17 big-league regular-season victories to his name. Blisters had held him back from living up to the hype of the Spring, Texas, product.
That postseason, Beckett had a 1-2 record in five outings. In Game 3, he took a tough loss in a 2-1 ballgame, allowing both runs on just three hits with 10 strikeouts and three walks over 7 1/3 innings.
Many thought McKeon crazy for using Beckett on three days' rest. The septuagenarian saw a once-immature hot shot prospect blossom.
"I feel so strongly how much he was a part of that success," McKeon said. "... He was a warrior. People questioned why I pitched him on three days' rest. He's the only guy on that club that I would trust going on three days. He proved it. He was a competitor and a real fighter. I just had so much confidence in the guy."
Added Beckett: "I think it was only my second full year, so I don't know if it was a turning point but certainly helped me start that belief that every professional athlete has to have. You have to believe in yourself 'cause if not there's a lot of other guys. People call it cocky, arrogance, or whatever. But if you're a professional athlete you have to have that to be successful because everybody else does."
Beckett would become a three-time All-Star with the Red Sox, even winning his second ring in 2007. He earned American League Championship Series MVP. Injuries hampered him over his final three seasons (2012-14) with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
On May 25, 2014, Beckett tossed a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. He retired with a 138-106 record and 3.88 ERA in 335 games (332 starts). He posted a 7-3 record and 3.07 ERA in 14 postseason appearances (13 starts) to go along with a couple of titles.
These days, Beckett busies himself with fishing and golfing. He underwent rehab following neck surgery. He will eventually undergo left hip replacement surgery. Beckett doesn't feel the sense of urgency to return to the game... yet.
"I don't know," Beckett said. "Not right at this second. I look at some TV stuff and maybe do some of that commentating in studio stuff. I don't see myself inside a booth calling a baseball game right now. I don't think I can make it nine innings. I'm not really in a hurry to do anything right now."
You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.
