Unknown Heroes Pt. 42: Daniel Nava

- Just 4'8" and 70 lbs. in his freshman year of high school and grew to just 5'5" and 150 lbs. by his senior year of high school.

- A walk-on for his college baseball team but did not make the team and became the team's equipment manager.

- Signed with an independent team after going undrafted from college.

- His contract was purchased by a Major League team for $1.00.

- Hit the very first Major League pitch he saw for a grand slam home run.

- A major contributor for a World Championship team.

Seriously, this sounds like the kind of stuff you would see in a feel-good movie about a young man overcoming a bunch of obstacles to become a Major League baseball player.  A true underdog story.  But yet, all of these things actually happened to Daniel Nava, one of the more interesting baseball stories in a very long time.

Nava came up with the Red Sox as explained above and made his Major League debut in 2010, hitting a grand slam off of the Phillies' Joe Blanton.  It was his only home run that year but he played in 60 games and hit .242/.351/.360.  He was actually placed on waivers, but was not claimed, before returning to the Majors in 2012.  That year he was brought back as the Red Sox outfield was in shambles due to injuries and ineffectiveness.  Nava hit .243/.352/.390 with six home runs.

In 2013, he broke through, playing in 134 games and hitting .303/.385/.445 with 12 home runs, including a dramatic game-winning home run in the team's first home game after the Boston Marathon bombing.  He also performed surprisingly well defensively.

He had a less productive season in 2014, hitting .270/.346/.361 with four home runs and 37 RBIs and then continued to decline in 2015 before being placed on waivers.  The Rays picked him up and he has bounced around ever since.  But, his short Red Sox career and his fascinating story make him an Unknown Hero.  If Jim Morris can have a movie made about his career, Daniel Nava can too.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2013

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected.

Hey, I haven't done one of these in a long while.  Daniel Nava was always one of my favorite under-the-radar players, ever since making a huge splash by hitting a grand slam on the very first pitch he saw as a Major Leaguer.  He has such an interesting story, due to his size he was never really a highly sought-after player in high school, he walked on to his college team, then played in an independent league until Boston took notice and signed him for very little money.  He was always underestimated, yet he eventually proved that hard work pays off by making it to the Major Leagues.

In 2013, Nava had a terrific season, hitting .303/.385/.445 as a regular in the outfield and at first base.  His defense was very strong and he also contributed 12 home runs and 66 RBIs.  It was quietly a terrific season.  

Nava was never really a star on the team, and even had some trouble getting playing time over the likes of Jonny Gomes, who showed a flair for clutch hits, but when he was in the lineup, he produced.  He was an inspirational player who proved you did not have to be the most athletic person as long as you have a strong work ethic.  Daniel Nava will always be one of my favorite players for his brief time in Boston, and in particular for his contributions to the 2013 World Champion Red Sox.

A Tough Weekend in L.A.

Boston had been rolling and traveled to Los Angeles to take on the Angels.  Unfortunately this was not really a great weekend for the Red Sox as they lost two of three and certainly should have won one of those two.

07/05:  Red Sox 6 (54-34) Angels 2
Felix Doubront has been improving greatly over the last few weeks.  He still starts off a little shaky but then he calms down.  David Ortiz had a pinch hit home run in the 8th inning.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

FELIX DOUBRONT:  6.2 innings, 2 earned runs, 5 hits, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, Win.

07/06:  Angels 9 Red Sox 7 (54-35)
Boston lead 7-3 going into the ninth inning when, with two outs, the bullpen imploded, not being able to register the last out until the game was tied.  Alex Wilson and Koji Uehara take the blame on the pitching side, while Brandon Snyder threw the ball away to allow the last run to score.  After that, it was pretty clear the Angels would find a way to win and Josh Hamilton hit a two-run home run to wrap it up.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DANIEL NAVA:  4 for 6, 2 doubles, 2 runs, RBI.

07/07:  Angels 3 Red Sox 0 (54-36)
John Lackey pitched great again as his resurgence continues.  But the offense could not get anything going and Lackey took the tough-luck loss.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

JOHN LACKEY:  7 innings, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts, Loss

Boston Strong 04/20: Red Sox (12-4) 4 Royals 3

Today was a very emotional day.  It was the first game back in Fenway Park after the horrific bombing at the Boston Marathon on Monday.  Luckily I get Royals broadcasts here in Nebraska so I got to watch the incredible opening ceremonies honoring the victims and survivors of that event.  David Ortiz capped things off with an emotional speech, including an expletive.  That probably was not the most appropriate thing to do but it did capture the emotion of the moment.

The game was entertaining.  It started as a pitcher's duel between Clay Buchholz and former Ray James Shields.  Boston fell behind a couple of times but managed to come back.  David Ortiz returned to the lineup today with Jackie Bradley Jr. being sent down to Pawtucket for some more seasoning.  Ortiz drove in a run on a base hit up the middle that tied the game at one point.  The big blast came from Daniel Nava and Andrew Bailey saved the game.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DANIEL NAVA (1 for 2, 3 run home run)

04/08 Red Sox (5-2) 3 Orioles 1

Today was the home opener in Fenway Park.  Clay Buchholz (2-0) started the game and was very good.  He pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, walking four and striking out eight.  Joel Hanrahan notched his third save though he gave up a leadoff home run to Adam Jones.  Daniel Nava supplied most of the offense.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DANIEL NAVA (2 for 2, 3 RBIs, HR, 2B, BB)

04/03 Red Sox 7 (2-0) Yankees 4

Today went reasonably well for the Red Sox.  Of course they came away with the win behind a strong start by Clay Buchholz, who pitched seven innings.  The bullpen was a little rocky as Afredo Aceves allowed a three run home run to Vernon Wells, who always hits Boston hard.  Jackie Bradley Jr. had his first Major League hit, so that was the big news.  The offense was lead by multi-hit games from Daniel Nava, Dustin Pedroia, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Shane Victorino, and hitting machine Jose Iglesias.  There was not a lot in the way of extra base hits, just a couple of doubles from Jacoby Ellsbury and Nava.

PLAYER OF THE GAME:

DANIEL NAVA (2 for 3, run, RBI, 2B, BB, HBP)