It would be easy to suggest that Thursday night was Trevor Story's welcome-to-Boston moment.
The Red Sox' second baseman did about everything a baseball player could do in his team's win over the Mariners at Fenway Park, hitting three home runs, scoring five runs, notching four hits and driving in seven. Oh, and he also stole a base.
"Haven’t seen a kid in a while who is kind of old-school baseball," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "You go 0-for-4, go to the cage and stay there for an hour, hour-and-a-half. Guys do it differently. They go in the morning and they hit, work on their craft. He’s done it a few times. Other guys have done it following his lead, which is very important. Like I told him a few weeks ago, ‘Hey man, be you. You made a commitment with us and we trust you. These guys are really good but they still need people to help them out in certain areas. Your structure and the way you go about your business is impressive and it can rub the right way in this clubhouse.’"
But the results everyone witnessed Thursday night might have actually been a product of Story's original monkey-off-the-back moment four games before.
Even the most veteran players will tell stories of how they didn't feel totally comfortable with a new team until one big moment of acceptance. For instance, Torii Hunter once admitted that when he had felt uneasy throughout his initial days with the Angels after spending his entire career as a Twin. That was he had his moment in his new uniform, on his new team, in his new community - a game-winning grand slam eight games into the 2008 campaign.
Tuesday - two day before Story popped his three homers - the new Red Sox infielder admitted the night before may have offered a much-needed feeling.
"It was," Story admitted to WEEI.com regarding Monday being a turning point. "Just kind of given the circumstances of the game and how it was all going. Yeah, it felt so great. ... This town is special, man, and we care so much. You want to perform well for them."
He did just that.
But up until this week, the differences that come with switching markets, organizations and even grocery stores probably didn't hit home. Now it has.
"Yeah, there's a lot, a lot of different," he said. "Just kind of the things that don't really ... There's a lot different at the field, sure. But, you know, off the field too. Just little things like the grocery store, where to go. All of this is brand new. ... It's different."
Fortunately for the Red Sox, Story has sorted through the uneasiness and unknown. That was clear Thursday night.
"This is the best place, great atmosphere, unbelievable place to play every night," he said after the win. "To do it here is something I’ll remember forever."
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