Boston Red Sox: Daniel Nava Ships His Way Back Up to Boston

It’s very rare when a Triple-A player being called up to the pros gets much, press but in this case it’s well warranted. 

Daniel Nava was recalled by the Boston Red Sox after putting together PlayStation like numbers in Pawtucket. Prior to his call-up, Nava was batting .447 in the last 10 games with an OBP of .475 and an OPS of 1.212. 

For those that aren’t familiar with Nava and his Red Sox career, he created a whirlwind of headlines when he made his MLB debut with the Red Sox in 2010. In his first career at-bat, Nava hit a grand slam, (view it here) thus endearing himself to Red Sox fans everywhere.

Nava spent 60 games with Boston that year batting .242 in 162 at bats. In 2011, Nava spent the entire season at Triple-A, putting up pedestrian numbers; .268, 10 home runs, 48 RBI, 27 doubles and 2 triples in 121 games. I say pedestrian when you compare them to what Nava accomplished in college and the long road he endured before popping up on anyone’s radar. 

In a previous article, I wrote about Nava’s journey to Boston; 

"Nava’s 2006 senior season at Santa Clara University, was what you can call outstanding: a .395 average, 37 RBI, .476 OBP and .530 SLG.  Unfortunately for him, that did not get him drafted, setting off a chain of events, and a string of ups and downs culminating in taking the first pitch he saw in the Majors and belting a grand slam. 

"After leaving Santa Clara, Nava tried his hand at Independent League ball, specifically the Chico Outlaws of the Independent Golden Baseball League. 

"Despite not playing in 2006, in part to being cut by the Chico squad, Nava made the team in '07 and put together one of the best seasons in GBL history. In 72 games, Nava batted .371, with 12 home runs, 59 RBI, had an OBP of over .470, and slugged nearly.630.  Over one-third of his 95 hits went for extra bases.” 

Whether or not Nava can stay in Boston for the remainder of the season remains to be seen, but there is no quit in his vocabulary. His career has been unconventional to say the least but stories, like this are what gives hope to all those players toiling in the minors, and continues to make all the Independent alumni proud.

Devon is the Founder and Executive Director of The GM's Perspective. He is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals & Gateway Grizzlies. Currently, Devon is a Manager at a financial institution in Northern Ontario Canada, and can be reached at [e-mail]. You can follow The GM's Perspective on Twitter and Facebook. His full bio can be seen here.

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