Lou Merloni is a bit of a cult hero. He is still beloved by a certain contingent of Red Sox fans who greeted him with chants of “Louuuuu!” during his on-again, off-again stint with Boston.
On Tuesday, Lou proved his mettle once again, leading the PCL champion Sacramento River Dogs to a victory over the International League’s Richmond Braves. The game was the Bricktown Showdown, played in Oklahoma City, OK.
MLB vets marking time in AAA ball are often bitter and distant, but not Jolly Lou:
He seemed almost embarrassed by the attention and was even more self-conscious about the big “C” that had been stitched on the left chest of his uniform following Sacramento’s victory in the Pacific Coast League Championship Series.
“I’ll take it,” Merloni said. “It was an honor to wear the ‘C.’ We had an unbelievable year and we deserve this. It was a great year for everyone and I’m proud to represent this team and the city of Sacramento.”
Merloni drove in four runs and took home the MVP trophy, pictured above. Over 11,000 fans attended the Bricktown Showdown.
[photo: MiLB.com]
