Masterson's sad to be going, but Red Sox teammates are even sadder
8:02 PM Fri, Jul 31, 2009 | Permalink
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By Daniel Barbarisi The Red Sox bullpen is a diverse group, from fiery Jonathan Papelbon to the Japanese duo of Hideki Okajima and Takashi Saito, intense Dominican Ramon Ramirez, the Boston-bred Manny Delcarmen, and the quiet, cerebral Daniel Bard. Masterson, 24, got along with them all. He was their advisor, their confidante and sometimes, despite his age, their leader. "When I came up, I had a lot of questions," said Bard, a rookie. "I didn't want to make myself look stupid by saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. He's a guy who's not going to make you feel stupid about anything, so I'd ask him: 'What do I do in this situation? Who do I talk to about this?' He just made the transition really easy." Masterson kept the entire group loose, and the other relievers know that the bullpen will not be the same place without his ever-present smile, and Masterson keeping them all sane, said Delcarmen. "The toughest job is seeing how I'm going to be myself, not seeing him in the bullpen. He just gets along with everybody. He's just an awesome kid," Delcarmen said. "He gives me a hug, and I just feel good about myself because he gave me a hug." Now that he is headed to Cleveland, along with minor leaguers Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price, in exchange for Victor Martinez, Masterson is already wincing at the thought of leaving men who he came up through the minor leagues with, like Delcarmen and Bard. "It's a bit of a surprise, but a few tears were shed as you get to know a lot of the guys in the clubhouse, and it's just an opportunity where we're going to have to build new relationships," Masterson said. The 2006 second-round pick made his major-league debut in April 2008 and immediately impressed with his versatility, maturity and charisma. And his sinker and slider, too. After manager Terry Francona brought Masterson in to tell him about the trade, he immediately got the Cleveland brass on the phone and personally testified to Masterson's interpersonal qualities. Masterson is the child of missionaries, and he makes no secret of his strong faith. He views his baseball career as a chance to impact people, and he plans to start immediately in his new home. "It still remains that it's a chance to impact lives in a positive way, whether on the field or off the field. It will just be a new venue in Cleveland, Ohio," Masterson said. Masterson was used as both a starter and a reliever in Boston, moving to the rotation when Daisuke Matsuzaka went to the disabled list earlier this year. The trade is a homecoming of sorts for Masterson, who spent much of his life in Ohio -- though that fact has barely sunk in for the reliever, who said the trade news took him completely by surprise. "I was born in Jamaica, lived in Indiana for about three years and spent about 18 years in Ohio -- the Dayton area, Beaver Creek. That's like two and a half hours from Cleveland. It's neat to be in the state, but I'll tell you, it's interesting, the head is probably spinning a little bit. But, hey, another great experience in the life of Justin Masterson." Ever one to find the bright side, Masterson was reflective about his time in Boston, and the group he was leaving, but positive about what might come next. "After giving hugs, trying to hold back a few tears for all the wonderful guys in this locker room and the coaching staff, it's going to be time to continue on with my career and hope to write a new page in the chapter and make a good go at it." It was tougher on his teammates, who are already conscious of the void that Masterson will leave. "I think I'm more down than he is about him leaving," Delcarmen said. "I didn't realize it would affect me as much as it did, to see a teammate go," Bard said. Even with Masterson shipping out to Cleveland, Bard's confident he'll be seeing Masterson's trademark smile again soon, despite the fact that they are now opponents. "He'll be at my wedding in January. Or, he'd better be there," Bard said. 
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