Red Sox HRs and Helmets

[Crash Course]

I heard someone griping about this on the radio about 6 weeks back, and forgot about it - until I just saw a picture of Manny and Millar hugging on ESPN.com.

The gripe: Why is it that every time a Sox player hits a HR, when he touches home plate, he removes his batting helmet (just as him makes contact with the plate) and then carries it to the dugout, under his arm, like a football?

So, the questions:
1. Is this true, do they really do this?
2. If true, why do they do it? How did it start? Does it represent something?
3. As a fan, does it bother you? Or, is it just another thing players do - like the silly handshakes these days or the bash brothers thing of the late 1980's?

[Ytown Tribe fan]

I would bet that the fan was griping more about the frequency with which they hit homeruns than their actions afterwards.

Reminds me of the outfielder (can't recall his name) who use to keep his cap tipped up slightly so it would "blow off" when he was chasing fly balls. Maybe it was Willie Wilson, I'm not sure.

Whatever the BoSox are doing, it seems to be working. If I were a Yanks fans, THAT'S what I would be griping about, not some silly nonsense about some alleged home plate celebrations.

[captain_napalm]

Reminds me of the outfielder (can't recall his name) who use to keep his cap tipped up slightly so it would "blow off" when he was chasing fly balls. Maybe it was Willie Wilson, I'm not sure.

Wasn't it Willie Mays who used to do that?

Or were you being facetious, you sly fox? :D

[KCBOOMER]

As ugly as the Red Sox players are as a group I would insist they keep themselves covered at all times.

[RedSeat]

So, the questions:
1. Is this true, do they really do this?
2. If true, why do they do it? How did it start? Does it represent something?
3. As a fan, does it bother you? Or, is it just another thing players do - like the silly handshakes these days or the bash brothers thing of the late 1980's?
1. No
2. n/a
3. n/a, but I don't think what you're describing would bother me, if it actually happened.

[Crash Course]

Thanks Red Seat!