Time for my favorite De Aza memory. The family and I were attending the game in the cheap seats on a Sunday -- bleachers just to the left of center... the spacing was so tight that the first row actually gets cutoff and the 2nd row is as close as you can get. There was a rain delay at the beginning of the game for probably an hour or so, but we got underway and baseball was to occur. Early in the game, the Sox give up a home run to someone who hit it dead center field. It bounced over the fence, off the ground, off the garage door, and back into the field of play. De Aza picks it up and I tell my stepson that he should go to the fence line and ask for it because De Aza is going to throw it into the stands. So my stepson (3rd grade at the time) moves up to the fence with his glove... De Aza does a little pump fake action on the ball to indicate it is coming up there. The ball sails up... it is right in line with the glove... this is going to be awesome, a legit HR ball as a souvenir! The ball reaches its apex and begins descent... looking a little short now... stretch that glove out! <clank> too late! It ricochets off the railing behind the fence in center and lays on the ground among the various detritus that inhabits such areas.

I told my stepson that De Aza tries his best, but his weak arm can't throw a guy out at home, so we shouldn't be suprised he can't throw a ball to a guy in the bleachers.