It was June 16, 2001, and Hadlock Field was buzzing.

The crowd, which included Portland Sea Dogs fans as well as the Florida Marlins’ owner, John Henry, was anticipating the Double-A debut of 21-year-old right-handed pitcher Josh Beckett.

The hype began in 1999 when Beckett was the second overall draft pick after Tampa Bay chose Josh Hamilton. Although Beckett was coming out of high school, the Marlins signed him to a $7 million major league contract, half of it as a signing bonus.

He was cocky. In a pre-draft story in Baseball America, Beckett proclaimed, “I’m the best, buddy … you’ve got to have some arrogant bones in your body, especially to be a pitcher in the major leagues.”

Two years later he was in Portland.

In that first game at Hadlock, Beckett struck out eight of the first nine batters.

Beckett made 13 starts for the Sea Dogs (8-1, 1.82) before reaching the majors. He never returned to the minors, except on rehab appearances.

When I first met Beckett in spring training of 2002, I saw the talent and witnessed the arrogance, not to mention the foul language, which made for an editing nightmare for those taping his interviews for TV and radio. But Beckett didn’t care what you thought of him, and fans didn’t care what he said as long as he delivered.

Red Sox fans first cheered Beckett when he beat the Yankees in Game 6 of the 2003 World Series, denying New York another title (a little consolation for Boston after the Yankees and Aaron Boone beat the Red Sox in the ALCS).

Then Boston, with Henry as its owner, traded for Beckett. He delivered the Red Sox the 2007 World Series title, saving Boston with two clutch wins in the ALCS.

Beckett stayed with Boston. His last contract was a four-year deal from 2011-14 for $68 million.

Beckett was 30 years old in 2011 – an interesting aside as the debate to signing older pitchers to long-term contracts continues.

Looked like a good deal when Beckett was 11-5 with a 2.54 ERA through August 2011. But he made only four starts in September after missing time with a sore ankle. Boston went 1-3 in those starts. He gave up six earned runs in each of his last two games as the Red Sox collapsed.

The news after 2011 got ugly with confirmed rumors that Beckett and other pitchers were eating chicken and drinking beer in the clubhouse during games they didn’t pitch.

In 2012, Beckett further enraged fans when he played golf a day after missing a start because of a sore lat muscle. His response was that what he does on his off day is his business.

Beckett was traded to the Dodgers late in the 2012 season. His record for the final three years of his contract: 8-14, 3.89 ERA in only 35 total starts. He looked good this year with a 2.88 ERA in 20 starts, including a no-hitter in May.

But his last start came Aug. 3 before going on the disabled list for the third time this year for a sore right hip. The injury turned out to be a torn labrum and will require surgery. Beckett, now 34, his contract up, said he will retire.

“I just don’t see me going through that rehab and coming back to pitch at this point in my life,” Beckett told mlb.com.

It was a memorable career, of which Portland fans got a glimpse 13 years ago.

STARTING PITCHING will continue to be a topic for Boston Red Sox fans until the rotation is filled out with free agents and/or trades. The Kansas City Star reported that the Red Sox are the frontrunner in obtaining right-hander James Shields, possibly the No. 3 free agent among starting pitchers this offseason behind Jon Lester and Max Scherzer. The newspaper didn’t say who was declaring Boston the frontrunner and also said others teams were in the mix.

Shields, who will turn 33 in December, may be cheaper than Lester and Scherzer, and he appears durable (over 200 innings in each of the past eight years). But do you count on him continuing that trend or will the wear and tear come into play soon?

MOOKIE BETTS was named to the Baseball America all-rookie team as a second baseman, beating out players like Joe Panik of the Giants, Jonathan Schoop of Baltimore and Kolten Wong of St. Louis. Betts batted .291 (.812 OPS) in 189 at-bats.

 

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