Reprinted from The Connecticut Post © Copyright 2008
May 6, 2008
By William S. Paxton
NEW YORK — Craig Breslow won his World Series ring sitting on the sofa in Trumbull, Conn. He hopes to be an active participant the second time around.
The Yale graduate might have that opportunity this fall with the Cleveland Indians, who claimed Breslow off waivers in spring training from the Boston Red Sox and offered him the chance to continue living the major-league dream.
"So far I have no complaints," the Trumbull native said before Tuesday night's game against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. "Going into spring training, I was looking to make a big-league roster. I didn't know where I was going to end up, but to be in the big leagues is ultimately what my goal was, so in that respect, it has been achieved."
Breslow spent the past two seasons with the Red Sox on a two-way contract, but the majority of time was in Pawtucket, R.I., with the Class AAA squad. The minor leagues might not have allowed him to travel in style, but it did afford the former Trumbull High star a chance to earn a World Series ring.
"It was kind of unexpected," the 27-year-old pitcher said about receiving a ring. "I spent a couple days up there with them in the big leagues. If you are going to give (a ring) to every player that spent a day on the active roster, that's not a bad thing."
Even though he was a September call-up, Breslow did all of his work last season for the PawSox. He went 2-3 with a 4.06 ERA and earned a trip to the Class AAA All-Star game for a second straight season.
Breslow earned an invitation to camp with Boston this spring, but if he didn't make the 25-man roster, the Red Sox risked losing him to another club on waivers. Boston opted to keep Javier Lopez instead as its second left-hander in the bullpen, and that opened the door for Breslow to join the Tribe.
While pitching in Pawtucket and Boston had some perks, such as more frequent family visits to the ballpark, Breslow has no regrets about switching teams. In fact, he actually prefers the quieter atmosphere in Cleveland to Boston while not sacrificing the chance to play for a winner. "It's definitely different," he said. "I think that I am probably best suited for this type of environment. I'm the kind of guy who understands what I need to do and I prefer to kind of do it behind the scenes instead of having every movement I make in the spotlight."
His relationship with the Indians is still in its infancy, though. Breslow has only appeared in five games since starting the season with Cleveland, and has endured some lengthy stretches without appearing in a game. Recently, he went 13 days between appearances out of the pen.
"I'm happy to pitch in any role," said Breslow, who has a 3.00 ERA in six innings of work. "Obviously, there have been a number of days rest in certain occasions, and like everyone, I'd like to work. But at the same time, I understand there may be some time before I establish a role for myself."
The Indians are the fourth organization Breslow has been a part of since graduating from Yale in 2002 and becoming the first Bulldog since former Met Ron Darling to pitch in the majors. Breslow spent parts of three seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers chain and a season with the San Diego Padres before coming to the Red Sox in 2006. He signed a one-year deal with the Indians in March.
"It's year to year," Breslow said. "But if they choose to have me back for the next five years (I wouldn't say no)."
For now, Breslow is saying no to medical school and a job in the real world. He spent some time Tuesday with his 9-to-5 friends from Yale that now work in New York before he had to come to the ballpark.
"This past off-season, I started a charity event called the Strike Three Foundation (to raise money for childhood cancer research),"said Breslow, whose sister, Lesley Palange, battled cancer. "That's kind of reconnecting with (the medical world) a little bit, which was nice, and gave me an outlet from thinking about baseball all the time. But aside from that, baseball is where my mind is at."