Aroldis Chapman will forever remember his first time at Fenway Park, even if it came in the dead of winter.
Chapman visited the venerable ballpark nearly 15 years ago after he defected from Cuba. The talented left-hander was in search of an MLB home and there was mutual interest at the time between the Boston Red Sox and Chapman.
And despite some inclement weather, Chapman still took to the mound that day to showcase his triple-digit fastball while Red Sox officials looked on.
“Yeah, I few a threw pitches. I don’t remember how many, but I do remember that it was very cold out there,” Chapman recalled through Spanish translator Carlos Villoria in a Zoom call with reporters Thursday, per team-provided video. “I think it was snowing in the bullpen. It was my first experience in this kind of weather.”
The Red Sox tried to warm Chapman up by having him meet a couple of franchise legends, including the late Luis Tiant, who also hailed from Cuba.
“One of the first memories that I have coming here to Fenway Park in 2009 was meeting David Ortiz,” Chapman said. “Also, (Daisuke) Matsuzaka, I met him and Luis Tiant, he took me out to dinner when I was here. So, those were my first memories in Boston.”
Chapman reportedly was “impressed” with the Red Sox after that visit, but it still wasn’t enough to sway him to sign with Boston. Instead, he took a six-year, $30.25 million deal to join the Cincinnati Reds.
Chapman pitched for six teams, including the Reds, in his career and will add a seventh to his resume in 2025 after signing a one-year, $10.75 million contract with the Red Sox this offseason.
It’s a full circle moment for the 36-year-old and it should be a bit warmer the next time he takes the mound at Fenway.
