Kevin Millar played a key role in the Boston Red Sox’s run to the World Series in 2004. And as great as a moment that was for the 50-year-old former MLB star there’s one other moment he will never forget. In an exclusive interview with PopCulture.com Millar talked about the time he hit three home runs against the New York Yankees in July 2004.ย
“Personally, an individual moment was hitting three home runs against the New York Yankees in July,” Millar exclusively told PopCulture. “I was at a point where I was struggling a little bit, made an error in the first inning, I was getting booed at home. They were talking about trading me at that time for a Carlos Delgado to the Mets. And you hear all this rumbling now. When you get booed at home, that doesn’t feel good. I’m like, ‘Holy cow.’ And that night, I hit three home runs against the Yankees. It was pretty amazing. You got the first time you kind of got the cheer. The second home run and they were kind of like, okay. And then I tied it up in the eighth off Tom Gordon, and then you got the whole standing ovation.
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“And everybody was wanting me up [for a curtain call], but I’m like, no, I’m not going out there. Nuh-uh. They were booing me in the first inning!” he said, laughing. “But that was an unbelievable night. We ended up losing that game that night, so it wasn’t as good as it could have been, but three home runs against the Yankees at a time was pretty cool.”
Along with the three-homer game against the Yankees, Millar also looked back at a notable tradition from Red Sox fans. In the eighth inning, the fans at Fenway Park would sing “Sweet Caroline,” a tradition that officially began in 2002 after Dr. Charles Steinberg, who was the team’s executive vice president of public affairs at the time, suggested it should be played every home game, according to MLB.com.
“When I’m at first base, you’re throwing ground balls and here comes the eighth inning round, then you start hearing the song,” Millar said. “And by the way, that song, everybody starts head bobbing to it, the knees start going, you start clapping, you start singing, and then all of a sudden you realize the tradition of it. And it was so special because you had kids, you had moms, you had grandparents, you had dads, you had grandfathers, you had sons. It didn’t matter how old or what generation we’re in, you were singing that song and it gives you goosebumps, it really does, even talking about it.”
And to celebrate the tradition, Millar has partnered with Twisted Tea to launch a new flavor for Red Sox fans, which is fittingly called “Sweet Cherry Lime,” and Millar is a big fan of the product. “When we’re talking about the eighth inning in Fenway Park and they got ‘Sweet Caroline’ going on, there’s nothing better in any baseball stadium, and I truly mean that even not being a Red Sox homer,” Millar said. “But, and now we’re going Sweet Cherry Lime, da, da, da, but it’s a great tasting product. It’s fun, summertime, boys of summer are coming. I’m kind of a fake drinker, but when I say that, the stuff that tastes good is what I love. It’s a great-tasting beverage.”
