Fenway Unbelievable
Tommy Watkins may never get to stand on the grass of Fenway Park in a major league uniform, but for a day with the Rochester Red Wings, his season to shine is showcased in front of a sellout crowd on his field of dreams.

Jim MANDALERO
MinorLeagueNews.com

On August 26, 2006, Tommy Watkins died and went to baseball heaven, or so it seemed.

“Unbelievable,’’ is how the career minor-league shortstop described playing at Boston’s famed Fenway Park, his true field of dreams, before a sellout crowd of 33,394.

"There's so much history here,’’ he said. “At the beginning of the season I was at Double-A, playing once in a while. Now this."

Making it to Fenway Park as a big-leaguer is another dream for another time. For this day, Watkins was the starting shortstop for the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings in the nightcap of a “Futures At Fenway” doubleheader, playing with his club against the Pawtucket Red Sox in an International League game for the beantown faithful while the Boston Red Sox were out of town. It began with the Single-A Lowell Spinners taking on the Oneonta Tigers (See: “Hand Me Down Mound” ).

Before June, Thomas Gray Watkins had spent all nine years of his professional career below Triple-A and had not done a very good job at it: A .246 career average, just 18 home runs and a “high” of 47 RBI for Double-A New Britain in 2004.

Last year, he hit .229 in 116 games for the Rock Cats.

When this season began, the 5-7, 180-pounder was riding the pine at New Britain.

Watkins bears a stocky 180 pounds on a 5-7 frame, lumbering along like he’s a size 10 trying to fit into a size 9 shoe. His erratic fielding through the years often has been more Ozzie Nelson than Ozzie Smith.

At 26, he is getting too old to be considered “in the mix.”

Then, in June, a miracle happened. The Minnesota Twins promoted shortstop Jason Bartlett from Rochester and called on Watkins, who was hitting all of .218, to fill the void with the Red Wings. He was only expected to back up starter Gil Velazquez, but Watkins took off.  He belted two three-run homers in his first seven games, hit in 12 straight and raised his average well above .300

Velazquez injured his ankle on June 25 and Watkins took over as the starter. When Velazquez returned in August, Watkins remained the starter and was still hitting .280 when the Red Wings came to Boston.

“He should be an inspiration to every guy in this clubhouse,’’ Wings manager Stan Cliburn said. “Tommy hustles, he plays hard and he plays with passion. It’s what the game is all about, really.’’

Back in spring training, Watkins saw that the Wings were playing at Fenway. It seemed like a great time, for someone else.
“I was sitting the bench at New Britain,’’ he said. “I didn’t think much of it.’’

Watkins grew up in Fort Myers, where both the Twins and Boston Red Sox train. When he was 13, his All-Star team was invited to play at Boston’s complex.

“I was really looking forward to it,’’ he said.

Rain washed away that dream, canceling the day at Fenway Under the Palms, but on August 26, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky above Fenway Park.

With the game tied, he led off the eighth with a single off Craig Breslow and later scored on Garrett Jones’ single to give Rochester a 4-3 lead. It was nearly a perfect finish for Watkins, but in the bottom of the inning, Carlos Pena took Beau Kemp deep and Pawtucket went ahead 5-4.

Watkins provided the game’s final drama, drilling a Jermaine Van Buren pitch just in front of the Green Monster in left, where Trent Durrington hauled it in to preserve Pawtucket’s 5-4 win.

“I thought I had enough to get it out,’’  said Watkins, who went 1-for-5, “but he got the pitch in on me.’’

Still, you couldn’t wipe the smile off Watkins’ face as he stood on the lush Fenway grass one last time and took it all in.

“It’s hard not to be excited,’’ he said. “Look where I started the year, and look where I am now.’’

Unbelievable.