The permanent record shows that Markus Lynn Betts — soon to be adored by the Fenway masses simply as Mookie — made his major league debut for the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees on June 29, 2014.
He started in right field, batted eighth (right behind all-time fan favorites A.J. Pierzynski and Stephen Drew), and picked up his first major league hit in the fourth inning, a single off Yankees starter Chase Whitley. He finished 1 for 3 with a run in an 8-5 Red Sox win.
In that lost season for the Red Sox — what is it with this franchise and its habit of following up duck boat parades with broken-down jalopies of seasons?