The Real Tavarez

When Julian Tavarez joined the Red Sox I was sceptical. He had a reputation as being a hothead and he did not do much in his first spring training to dispute that. (Remember the Devil Ray fight?) Ever since that moment Julian proved to be a quiet and fun-loving member of the Red Sox. He handled the booing by fans in the middle of the '06 season when his setup role did not work out well. He became a solid starter at the end of that season and then filled in when a stater was needed this year. Tavarez did whatever the team needed him to do. He was not on the post-season roster but you could always see him on the top step of the dugout with a smile on his face cheering on his teammates. The Providence Journal had a great article today that shows the real Tavarez; the one the fans will miss if he gets traded. Here is a quote that shows you what kind of a guy he is: “I gave my best energy to the team,” he said. “I was keeping the team awake and cheering for the guys. I was really happy how things ended because that’s something you’re always working for in your career — to be a champion. A lot of guys play 17 years and never get a ring, so it’s my first one in 14 years and I’m just happy how things went in 2007.”