Featured Articles

Red Sox adopted mascot charges for pictures

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Red Sox pitchman Pedro Martinez's human good luck charm, Nelson de la Rosa, may be only 28 inches tall, but he's no mental midget!

The diminutive Dominican, whose had the run of Fenway Park because he's Petey's pal - the clubhouse, the locker room, the dugout - also could be found during the past three games in the concourse collecting cash from Kodak-happy fans!

``I was just walking by to grab some food and his photographer was holding him up,'' said die-hard fan Kevin Schiffman, 24, of Hull. ``I asked if he could pose with me, and I was told it would cost me $10 but he'd do it for $5.''

Well, talk about your blue-light specials! But Pedro's bambino knows you gotta strike while the iron - or the Red Sox - is caliente!

``I'm wicked superstitious, so I've been carrying the photo around because before I took the photo with him we were down in Game 4 and after I snapped it, we were up,'' said the Cranberry Printing & Graphics sales exec.

A little effort for BIG return!

Pedro's pocket-sized pal, who appeared with Marlon Brando in ``The Island of Dr. Moreau,'' became a cult figure with the team this season. Johnny Damon's on board with Nelson as a good luck charm, but we're told manager Terry Francona was frightened of the little guy the first time he saw him!

``It totally freaked Terry out when he saw him sitting in the clubhouse,'' said Someone Who Knows. ``He thought he was a doll - until he moved!''