The Clock Has Struck Midnight (Or Noontime?) For Eduardo Nunez

So as many of you already know, Eduardo Nunez was DFA’d today along with Hector Velazquez being optioned to AAA and Sam Travis being brought up to play with the big dogs. I for one understand the move, but it still hurts to see him go. Though Noontime was nothing close to an All-Star level player, or even above average to be quite honest, but he was a real glue guy in the clubhouse and developed really strong relationships with a lot of the guys (Xander, E-Rod, Raffi, etc.). Nunez will be missed for his personality and not so much his play due to the fact the guy gets thrown out on the basepaths 1,000 times a season (don’t look that up I already did for you and it is a true statistic). However there were some really great Noontime moments in a Sox uniform even though it hasn’t always been all sunshine and rainbows the last 2+ years. Let’s take a look at the 3 good things that standout to me the most from Eduardo in his time as a Red Sox:

3.) His first week with the Red Sox

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”>People will be talking about Nunez's first week with the Sox forever. Haha. <a href=”https://t.co/WUCKSEBcJX”>pic.twitter.com/WUCKSEBcJX</a>— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) <a href=”https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1150841184216133633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>July 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

I mean this man went full-blown video game numbers his first week in a Sox uni. A .469 AVG (nice)? A .500 OBP? A .875 SLG? I mean sweet jesus how the hell is this not talked about more. Absolute bananaland from Noontime. When we got him back in 2017 I remember watching him during this stretch and thinking the Sox got the biggest steal of the Trade Deadline. With Brock Holt being a mystery the whole 2017 season, Eduardo Nunez did play a key role in the success of the 2017 team and for that I am thankful.

2.) Pinch Hit Home Run at Fenway in Game 1

I mean this was just awesome. I remember watching him hit this ball and run the bases with his hand pointing to the sky and got some real flashbacks of Shane Victorino’s grandslam in the 2013 ALCS. Those were the two of the few times in my life where I felt like I was sitting in Fenway and just hearing the place go absolutely wild. That is the loudest I have ever heard Fenway in my life. Just an awesome way to kickstart the 2018 World Series run. (Also let us remember how insanely smart Alex Cora was in the 2018 postseason when it came to pinch-hitting and playing matchups).

1.) Diving Play to End the ALDS and Close Out the Yanks

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”>Crazy, stressful, insane. This is what October baseball's all about. <a href=”https://t.co/MLuoPyH0mP”>pic.twitter.com/MLuoPyH0mP</a>— MLB (@MLB) <a href=”https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1049868174110248960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

I remember having heart troubles in the last game of the ALDS because of how rocky Craig Kimbel was. Once I saw that slow grounder up the third base line I concluded Gleyber was going to beat it out, the bases would be loaded, and I was going to die of heart complications right then and there. But alas, Eduardo Nunez came flying in like a bat out of Hell, fielded the ball, threw across his body and got a little help from Steve Pearce to close out the ALDS in 4. This is the play I will always think of when I hear Eduardo Nunez’s name. Just an unbelievable play and a magic moment from a magic season.

Thank you Noontime for the good times, enjoy your ring and best of luck. Keep on giggling.