While he was on the Red Sox, I always had a soft spot for Embree, regardless of how well or how poorly he pitched.  So with the Sox in the playoffs (and the Yanks OUT) I was reflecting on that wonderful October in 2004 and remembering what a big part of that team (and the 2003 team!) Alan was – and I decided to dig up Five Fun Facts about him!
*Â He was on the inaugural roster of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998 along with (among others) Bryan Corey and (Who is) Karim Garcia.
*Â While with the San Francisco Giants in 2001, he allowed 4 home runs in the same inning against the Atlanta Braves – becoming the first pitcher to do so since 1963.
*Â As a rookie in 1992, his salary was $109,000.
*Â In 2002, nine days after he was traded to Boston, Embree got two saves in one day – one in each game of a double-header against the Toronto Blue Jays.
*Â In 2005, when the scoreboard at Yankee Stadium showed that the Red Sox had just been swept by the White Sox in the ALDS, Embree, along with other Yankees players, cheered.
That last one took me a long time to get over given that Mike Timlin, one of the teammates Embree was close to, was the losing pitcher on the mound in the ninth that day. There’s still a little sting when I think about it, but I’m in a generous mood today so I’ll let it pass.
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