Number drama is not something that rears its head every spring training, but it was a talking point for a couple of Boston Red Sox pitchers this spring.
After a stellar rookie season, Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock changed from No. 72 to No. 22 in honor of Rick Porcello. But when Derek Holland, a seasoned veteran, signed with Boston, he requested and was given No. 22 without knowing Whitlock was already wearing it.
Whitlock ended up ceding the number to Holland, but not without Holland first getting some grief on Twitter. Holland made clear that he would let Whitlock have the number if he wanted it, but Whitlock explained on Audacy’s “Inside the Monster” podcast why he was so quick to give it up.
"I don't have Twitter or anything like that, so it was really weird," Whitlock said. "The next day I was in the training room and Holland came up to me and he's just like 'Bro, I had no idea 22 meant so much to you.' And I was like 'What do you mean?' And he goes 'Dude, people were wearing me out on Twitter.' I felt terrible. I was like 'Oh my god dude, I'm so sorry.' I kept apologizing to him and everything like that and he was like 'Dude, you're good.'
"For me, I always looked up to Rick Porcello because of who he was and everything like that, and it's the same way with Holland. He's a veteran, he's done the things, he's done that. So I look up to him in that aspect, so I would never want to get in the way of anything he wanted. If he wanted my dadgum parking spot I'd get on a bike and park way away from the stadium and walk in. He deserves that because he's done it before, he's been in the game. That is my mentality, I will always try to serve others, and especially people that have been in the game longer than me and is someone I can learn from."
Holland, 35, did not end up making the Opening Day roster and is beginning the campaign with Triple-A Worcester. Should he eventually get a call-up back to the majors, No. 22 will be waiting right there for him.
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