Cowboy up with Kevin Millar

It was 2004.  The Boston Red Sox were playing against the Yankees in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.  The Red Sox were down 4-3 at the bottom of the ninth.  Mariano Rivera was pitching and that’s when the pivotal moment of the game occurred.  He walked Kevin Millar.  The Sox sent sprinter Dave Roberts in to pinch run, setting up a cat-and-mouse game of stealing second.  When the dust settled, the crowd of Fenway Park stood in the stands to see Roberts sliding head first under Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter’s tag.

A lot has been written about this moment in sports, but there’s nothing like watching it:

The stolen base made the difference in Roberts ultimately being able to score on Bill Mueller’s single.  In any case, baseball history was made because what became known as “The Steal” led to the Red Sox taking the game and winning the championship.  Some say the moment marked the end of the Curse of the Bambino, a supposed curse that had afflicted the Red Sox since Harry Frazee’s sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920.

In an interview with Chad Finn on Boston.com, Millar shares, “Red Sox fans still come up and say, ‘Thank you guys for getting that monkey off the Nation’s back’ and Yankees fans come up and say, ‘Millar, you bum, we’re sick of hearing about ’04,’ though they don’t always put it that politely.”

Millar says he never gets sick of the Red Sox Nation contingents reliving that moment of 2004.  “That whole series changed everything in Boston forever. The Red Sox could win 20 more World Series, and that team will still be remembered not only for what we did, but how we did it. Everyone was a regular guy, we had no entourages or anything like that, we went out to the bars and had beers with the fans. We had fun, we loved talking baseball day or night so we could relate to the passion, and we understood what it meant to win here. We looked at the fans like three million family members.”

If you’re a fan of Millar and the Red Sox, being part of his 3,000,000-member family may feel exhilarating, or it may make you wish you stood out from the crowd.  Your opportunity has arrived with the opportunity to Meet Kevin Millar at Red Sox v Yankees Game + Airfare, Hotel, Autographs + More!

From the listing:

“Join former Boston Red Sox and host of MLB Network show Intentional Talk Kevin Millar, on field, as he and Chris Rose host the show live. The winner of the auction will get a signed 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series ball and signed Boston Red Sox Jersey by Kevin. The winner will then enjoy watching the Red Sox and Yankees play their first game of a three-game series in premium seats at Fenway Park.”

The package also includes a two-night stay at the Courtyard Boston Hotel, two round-trip tickets via Delta Airlines, early entry to Fenway Park to see “Intentional Talk,” and a meet-and-greet with Millar.  In Millar’s words on his video about the auction, “You’re gonna have prime time treatment.”

The proceeds from the winning bid benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.  This charity provides urgent funds for children in over 170 children’s hospitals in North America.

With a week left to bid on the package, 18 eBay shoppers have brought the price up to $1,026.  If you are tempted to join the fray, you can draw from Millar’s famous words for inspiration:

“It’s time for me to Cowboy Up.”