Autographed Photo of Red Sox Reliever Hideki Okajima


Item Number: 207

Time Left: CLOSED

Value: $179

Online Close: May 27, 2008 8:00 PM EDT

Bid History: 0 bids - Item Sold!

Description

Listen up Red Sox Nation!  Here is your chance to own a piece of history.  Remember game 2 of the 2007 World Series?

Anybody who's looking straight down at his point of release is a scary pitcher. When you throw 90 mph while you're looking somewhere else, that's called dangerous. Hideki Okajima is scary, and dangerous. Fortunately for the Red Sox, he's also just plain good. Okajima became the first Japanese pitcher to pitch in a World Series game, and he was well prepared. He came out of the bullpen in relief of Curt Schilling with one out, runners on first and second, and Boston clinging to a 2-1 lead, and proceeded to retire seven straight batters before giving way to Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who recorded the final four outs of the game.

"I have some experience in a big stage like this," said Okajima, "so I was confident out there. I felt real good." (...) "I pitched last year in the Japanese World Series," said Boston's lefty reliever, who pitched last season for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.

To think that Okajima was the afterthought from Japan on the heels of Daisuke Matsuzaka's signing. But since the beginning of the season, Okajima has proven to be every bit as important as Dice-K if not more. And in Game Two of the World Series, the largest stage he'll ever be in as a ballplayer, Okajima was outstanding with four strikeouts in two and 1/3 innings. For that, he's the hero of Game Two.

This is a Live Event Item.

Donated by

Boston Red Sox