Danny Jansen: the new Rick Aguilera?

Yesterday, Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen made baseball history, becoming the first player to play for both teams in one game.

Jansen was at bat as a member of the Blue Jays during a series in June at Fenway when the game was postponed due to rain. In the meantime, Jansen was traded to Boston, and found himself catching for the Sox yesterday when the game resumed.

History for Danny Jansen

He becomes the first player in MLB history to play for the both teams in the same game

(via @mlb, @nesn) pic.twitter.com/hvnZoRax43

— ESPN (@espn) August 26, 2024

An interesting sound byte for sure, and it got me thinking of what might have been the closest thing we had to that prior to yesterday.

Back in 1995, the Red Sox got closer Rick Aguilera from the Twins at the trade deadline while we were playing a set in Minnesota. So Aguilera literally walked from one clubhouse to another, changed uniforms, and was sent to strike out his former teammates less than 24 hours after the deal was sealed.

It was a move that didn’t sit well with Rick’s teammates, particularly Kirby Puckett:

On paper, it made sense. The Twins were scraping the bottom of the barrel and the Sox were in second place in the AL East. Aguilera was one of the best closers available and the acquisition filled a glaring hole in our bullpen. Unfortunately, Aguilera couldn’t save the Sox from shitting the bed in the postseason, getting swept away in just three games by the Indians in the ALDS.

That winter, Aguilera bolted back to the Twinkies, kindly referring to his time with the Red Sox as one of the worst things that ever happened to him. So there’s that.

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