It seems like yesterday that Topsfield's Ben Crockett made his pro baseball debut for the Tri-City (Wash.) Dust Devils, pitching a scoreless seventh inning against Yakima (Wash.) on June 30, 2002.
He was fresh out of Harvard, a power-pitching right-hander who had turned down an offer from the Red Sox a year earlier to finish his degree before becoming draft eligible again. This time, he was taken in the third round by the Colorado Rockies and assigned to their minor league affiliate in Pasco, Wash.
The irony is that after five years in the Rockies system - including one start at Triple-A Colorado Springs - the 27-year-old Crockett is finally going to suit up for the Red Sox.
However, his uniform at Fenway Park will be a shirt and tie.
Crockett has formally retired as an active player to accept an internship in baseball operations with the Red Sox. His role will deal with scouting reports, player development and player personnel.
"It's a wide scope of things, all the stuff that goes on the field," said Crockett.
"I'm not going to play anymore. It was a tough decision, but at the same time a great opportunity for me to do something else that I have a passion for. I'll be able to stay in the game. This is what I always wanted to do once my career was over."
Crockett had been negotiating with Godo of the Italian Professional Baseball League, and also had an offer to return to the Somerset (N.J.) Patriots in the Class A independent league, which is managed by former Cy Young Award winner Sparky Lyle. But there was no contact from any major league clubs.
Thus, the one-time Masconomet Regional ace felt it was the right time to make the move. Godo was not going to lead to a major league affiliate; just a cultural enrichment, a chance to see Europe.
"I had contacted the Red Sox early in the offseason about a potential internship," said Crockett. "I put some feelers out with the intention of playing, hooking on with another organization. Feelers, for this year or next year, to figure out what I wanted to do with the next phase of my employment life."
Crockett spoke primarily with Kyle Evans, the Red Sox director of advanced scouting, and Amiel Sawdaye, assistant scouting director, and made them aware that he was still trying to get a job a player. He contacted some people he had connections with and others who were able to put in touch with some possibilities.
He was fresh out of Harvard, a power-pitching right-hander who had turned down an offer from the Red Sox a year earlier to finish his degree before becoming draft eligible again. This time, he was taken in the third round by the Colorado Rockies and assigned to their minor league affiliate in Pasco, Wash.
The irony is that after five years in the Rockies system - including one start at Triple-A Colorado Springs - the 27-year-old Crockett is finally going to suit up for the Red Sox.
However, his uniform at Fenway Park will be a shirt and tie.
Crockett has formally retired as an active player to accept an internship in baseball operations with the Red Sox. His role will deal with scouting reports, player development and player personnel.
"It's a wide scope of things, all the stuff that goes on the field," said Crockett.
"I'm not going to play anymore. It was a tough decision, but at the same time a great opportunity for me to do something else that I have a passion for. I'll be able to stay in the game. This is what I always wanted to do once my career was over."
Crockett had been negotiating with Godo of the Italian Professional Baseball League, and also had an offer to return to the Somerset (N.J.) Patriots in the Class A independent league, which is managed by former Cy Young Award winner Sparky Lyle. But there was no contact from any major league clubs.
Thus, the one-time Masconomet Regional ace felt it was the right time to make the move. Godo was not going to lead to a major league affiliate; just a cultural enrichment, a chance to see Europe.
"I had contacted the Red Sox early in the offseason about a potential internship," said Crockett. "I put some feelers out with the intention of playing, hooking on with another organization. Feelers, for this year or next year, to figure out what I wanted to do with the next phase of my employment life."
Crockett spoke primarily with Kyle Evans, the Red Sox director of advanced scouting, and Amiel Sawdaye, assistant scouting director, and made them aware that he was still trying to get a job a player. He contacted some people he had connections with and others who were able to put in touch with some possibilities.
"Nothing too serious happened," he said. "A friend said they were looking for a pitcher in the Mexican League, but I wasn't even contacted."
Crockett, who was 10 years old when he started in the Topsfield Little League with the Orioles and Dodgers, said he had no regrets about his five years in the minors.
"Obviously it didn't work out. It's a business, and I was unable to succeed and perform at the level I needed to," he said. "But I still had a great experience.
"Statistically, I had my worst year in 2004. A good second half at Visalia (Calif.), but the first half was atrocious. Throughout my career I was always making mechanical changes, and struggled to make some. I wasn't able to make things that probably would have helped my delivery."
He had his best year in 2003 in the Sally League at Asheville (N.C.), going 10-9 with a 2.49 ERA in 23 starts, covering 1511/3 innings. He moved up to Visalia at the tail end of 2003 and all of 2004 in the high Class A California League. He was 4-11 with a 5.56 ERA, pitched 1731/3 innings and made 28 starts. He also had his best strikeout-to-walk ratio (130 Ks, 36 BBs).
The following year, a promotion to Tulsa of the Double-A Texas League was plagued by a shoulder problem. He was 0-0 with a 7.36 ERA there in only 36 innings and worked one game at Triple-A Colorado Springs. The Rockies released him after the 2005 season.
"If I had pitched better in 2004, I probably wouldn't have had to worry about a job. I started well in 2005, then shot myself in the foot," he said.
He was a 10th-round pick by the Red Sox after his junior year at Harvard and was far apart in negotiations, opting to return to Harvard to complete his degree. After a strikeout-filled college career, Crockett was a third-round draftee by the Rockies.
"I was and still am a big Red Sox fan," he said. "I was the only one in the family who had an interest in baseball, but I converted everyone. Now they gravitate to baseball.
"This is absolutely special, to be with the Red Sox. It's great to get an opportunity in any major league organization, but the Red Sox are the Red Sox, the hometown team you dreamed about as a kid. Now I'm going to see the other side of baseball, behind the scenes.
"And it's nice that I don't have to be a Red Sox closet fan anymore," Crockett chuckled. "They even gave me a hard time about that in Somerset last season."
Bill Kipouras is a staff writer at the Salem News. He can be reached at 978-338-2615 or by e-mail at bkipoura@ecnnews.com.
