Red Sox Sign Mr. Nice Guy

The Red Sox came to terms today with free agent first baseman Sean Casey. They agreed to a one-year, $800,000 deal with the former Reds, Tigers and Pirates player.

Last year, in a poll of Major League baseball players, Casey, known in baseball circles as "The Mayor," was overwhelmingly voted "The Nicest Guy in Baseball." He's always had a rep for being a nice, chatty guy. Curt Schilling said Casey is "the nicest human being on the planet."

He figures to take over the backup first base position that Eric Hinske held last year, and should be the lead pinch-hitter off the bench. Casey hit .296 with the Detroit Tigers last season in 143 games, and is a career .301 hitter.

I'd love to see the Red Sox give him the number he wore in Cincinnati: 21. To the best of my knowledge, the last signiificant player of the team to wear that number was Mike Torrez, right?