Nerding Out, Boston Red Sox Style

May 28, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox former player

throws out the first pitch before the game against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

When it comes to the Red Sox, most people dream of doing things like sitting on top of the Green Monster, or meeting team legends like Jim Rice or David Ortiz, but not me.

Sure, all of the things I mentioned above would make me very happy and would most likely put me in a state of awe that hasn’t hit me much in my young life. Well this week, I have an opportunity to have a mix of the every day Red Sox fan dream, as well as the Sox Nation nerd who has followed the team with a magnifying glass.

Working for the Sacramento River Cats, the Oakland Athletics Triple-A affiliate has been a tremendous experience and I hope it propels me to future positions with other clubs. I would never do anything that would jeopardize my career or cross any lines that we as professionals see every day. Not only do we never cross them, but the thought of tip-toeing is never in question as well.

But we do get to at least meet players from opposing ball clubs. This week, the Iowa Cubs come into town for four games and of course their main draw is former Red Sox legend Manny Ramirez. A man who has brought me so much joy in life, I would be honored to just shake his hand and thank him for what he has done for Red Sox Nation.

Then we get a bit deeper into Red Sox history. Lars Anderson and Ryan Kalish are currently on the Iowa Cubs roster, two former Sox players with interesting backgrounds involving the Sox. Anderson was a top-prospect for quite some time, but never worked out in Boston due to a log-jam at first and just not coming through in his chances at the Major League level. Kalish had an exciting stint with the Sox, providing some outfield help to the team in 2010 and 2012.

Weirdly enough the same goes for them as it does for Manny. I am happy to just get the chance to introduce myself and help them with whatever they need around the ballpark. They may not be aware of how much they have helped so many Red Sox fans around this country, but these guys give their hardest wherever they go and the fans always appreciate it, even if some aren’t so great at showing it.

This week will definitely be an intriguing one, especially for myself, though 20 year-old me would have had a heart attack when hearing all of this. If there is a Theo Epstein siting, someone may need to pick me up from the emergency room…