OK, this is already more epic than I thought it would be...
The Brandon Phillips era has begun in Boston; the Red Sox decided to call him up on Labor Day following their bout with the Atlanta Braves during the day. So pretty much, we're guaranteeing that they never lose a game ever again. Just can't see it with such a LEGEND on the roster. Just not fair to the rest of the league, unfortunately for everyone else.
But you know what's even more absurd than having this guy on the roster? The fact that he is now the first player in Red Sox history to wear No. 0. That's right: he picked 0 to wear. That's a bold move, not many guys could pull that off--but Phillips is one of those guys where it's possible. He's been around for quite some time and has shown his is a competent big leaguer.
So one might ask themselves: why the hell did he pick that number of any? Well, because his first two options weren't open. He likes No. 7 and No. 44, but Christian Vazquez and Brandon Workman (the other, less good Brandon) have those numbers. So, according to MLB.com, Phillips just asked the team for the weirdest number they had (which turned out to be zero).
The 37-year-old isn't bound to get much playing time for the Red Sox this season, but his presence alone is bound to raise the team up to the next level.
And if you're wondering how he did in AAA this season, he played in 38 games and hit .302 with four home runs and a .824 OPS. That's pretty good, right?
Right now, he has 210 career home runs at the big league level--which means he has more homers than anyone else on the Red Sox roster.