Our FN Interview With Red Sox Hero Kevin Millar

Millar At Fenway This Year  (FenwayNation Photo)

FenwayNation was thrilled to recently interview one of the most iconic Red Sox players ever—Kevin Millar. Kevin is partnering with Allstate Insurance for a fund-raising promotion surrounding this weekend's NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. He'll be roaming the stands awarding trophies to fans who make good catches on foul balls or home runs—you know, showing "Good Hands In The Stands" (get it?). Every catch will trigger a donation to Boys Town, the Omaha-based charity that helps at-risk kids.

We asked Kevin a wide range of questions about his terrific career—for example, was he really trying to 'go yard' on Mariano Rivera in the 9th inning of Game Four of the 2004 ALCS? Yes, he was! Said Kevin, "I had homered off Mariano before, and you know you're going to get a hard cutter. So, I wanted to slow everything down, get on the plate and try to pull it over The Monster." Of course, the at-bat resulted in the most important lead-off base-on-balls in Red Sox history.

We also asked Kevin if having a relative as a major-leaguer (his uncle is former White Sox catcher Wayne Nordhagen) helped him in adapting to the bigs. He told us how his "Uncle Wayne" was a hero of his—an inspiration going back to his early teens. He also talked about how he traveled to Spring Training with Nordhagen. Interestingly, they both ended their careers in a Chicago Cubs uniform. We also asked him about watching his former Marlin—and future Red Sox—teammate (Édgar Rentería) make the final out of the 2004 World Series right before his eyes. Kevin said it was a little weird, but he was just so focused on the enormity of the win—it could have been anybody tapping the ball back to Keith Foulke. Of course, it was not lost on Millar that his buddy Rentería was wearing Babe Ruth's number three.  Kevin also talked about the thrill of playing in Boston for three magical years—and taking aim at that inviting wall in left.

Be sure to watch the NCAA College World Series and see if you see Kevin making some fans happy!