Low profile, big results for Bellhorn

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FORT MYERS, Fla. – Every team, even those celebrated for being stocked with flamboyant players and engaging personalities, has them.

They’re the quiet ones, the ones who don’t care about being caught up in the limelight. They may even prefer to avoid the spotlight.

Mark Bellhorn is one of the quiet ones. The Boston Red Sox second baseman almost makes himself invisible as he and teammates go through spring training drills, batting practice and games. You rarely hear his voice above anyone else’s and when you do, it’s usually because someone addressed him first.

Fortunately for Red Sox nation, Bellhorn’s bat was anything but quiet last season, especially during the team’s postseason World Series drive.

If it’s possible to do so, the 30-year-old infielder quietly batted .300 in the World Series with a game-winning home run and four RBIs in just 10 at-bats. In the American League Championship Series against New York, he hit .192, but after going 1-for-14 in the first four games, he delivered four key hits, the most memorable of which were a double in Game 5 and home runs in Games 6 and 7.

That capped a season in which he established career highs with a .264 average, 82 RBIs, 93 runs, and 88 walks (third in the AL). That’s the reason Bellhorn is back for a second season at second base one year after going into spring training looking at a utility-backup role.

“This year I’ve pretty much got the starting job and last year I didn’t know what my role was gonna be,” said the 6-foot-1, 205-pound switch hitter. “This year, I’m more or less getting ready for the season, but last year I had to prove myself in spring training and it was game time from day one.”

Bellhorn has solidified a position of potential weakness, at least offensively, for Boston the last few years. It’s ironic, considering he’ll be forming half of the Red Sox double-play combination this season with Edgar Renteria, his fourth different shortstop partner in the last two years.

“I’ve been lucky enough to play with some great guys and I’m sure he’ll be another one. Maybe I’m a little spoiled,” Bellhorn admitted. “Pokey [Reese] was great. [Orlando] Cabrera, Nomar [Garciaparra] and now him. Those are guys of a pretty high caliber.”

Bellhorn makes his offseason home in Phoenix now, but the longtime Oviedo, Fla., resident is actually a native New Englander. He was born in Boston Aug. 23, 1974.

“I was born there, but I only lived there two weeks,” he said. “I don’t know if that qualifies. I lived most of my life in Florida.”

Bellhorn, who grew up watching Atlanta Braves games, said this offseason was like no other in his pro career.

“I stayed in Boston for like three weeks and I was walking around and everybody knew me. I pretty much got a lot of stuff for free,” he said with a laugh. “But going to Arizona and still having some people notice me and knowing who I am was kind of different. That’s when I knew it was a different offseason.”

Bellhorn also attended the victory rally for the Red Sox in Portland earlier this year.

“Yeah, it was pretty cool,” he said. “I didn’t think that many people would be out there because it was freezing.”

What’s in a number?

He is widely regarded as one of the best defensive outfielders to ever play for the Boston Red Sox, among the team’s career leaders in several offensive categories, second all-time in games played for Boston, and an eight-time Gold Glove award winner.

Oh, and he’s also a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

So what does a guy have to do to get his number retired?

Dwight Evans admits he has wondered about that more than once.

“I don’t know about that. Does it bother me? Not really,” said Evans, now a Red Sox player development consultant in his second season. “Sure I’d love to have the number, but Manny’s done such a great job, I don’t begrudge him having it.”

Manny Ramirez was given No. 24 to wear when he signed with the Sox as a free agent on Dec. 13, 2000.

“That’s not a big issue with me. It was when they first gave it away,” said the 53-year-old Evans. “I don’t know why they did that, but again, I wasn’t in the organization at the time. I had gone to the [Chicago] White Sox to work in the minor leagues and then the [Colorado] Rockies to work in the big leagues.”

“Dewey” came back to the Sox as hitting instructor during the 2002 season, but was let go when manager Grady Little’s coaching staff was revamped.

The three-time American League All-Star played 2,505 games in 19 seasons with the Red Sox. He hit 251 home runs – the most of any AL player – from 1981 through 1990. His 605 extra-base hits in the 1980s were the most of any Major League player.

Evans, who retired in 1991, will celebrate his 35th wedding anniversary with wife Susan this year. The couple, who have resided in Lynnfield, Mass., for the last 29 years, were married when Evans was 18 and in his second year with the Sox organization after being drafted out of high school at age 17.

The Evans’ have a daughter (Kirstin), two sons (Tim and Justin) and four grandchildren ranging in age from 1 to 8.

“The 8-year-old is going to be a good athlete,” Evans said with a smile and a twinkle in his proud eyes.

Perhaps in about 15 years, Evans’ grandson will help the family reclaim No. 24. There’s no doubt his grandfather will help him however he can.

From intern to Italy

Baltimore Orioles media relations intern Mark Rangone had a good reason to be on hand at his team’s spring training games against Boston in Fort Myers and Fort Lauderdale Wednesday and Thursday.

Rangone is a Boston native native and longtime Sox fan (don’t tell anyone) who played varsity baseball for Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.

This is Rangone’s third spring working for the Orioles, but he won’t be remaining with the team through the summer as he’s heading overseas to Italy to play a second season of professional baseball for Oltre Torrente in April.

“The entire experience of trying to integrate yourself in a whole new culture and trying to play the game of baseball too, with all the problems you have with communication, was really interesting,” Rangone said of his experience last summer. “But I think this will be the last go-around for me.”

Rangone, whose great-grandfather was an Italian citizen, qualifies for dual citizenship, which allows him to play as an Italian and not take up one of three foreign spots teams can use on their rosters.

The pitcher/third baseman was paid the equivalent of $2,000 a month (U.S.) in euros last season, not bad when most other expenses are paid by the team.

“They cover living expenses and provide an apartment. They provide transportation and they gave me a cell phone too,” Rangone said. “I’m responsible for food, but most of the time they provide food while you’re eating with the team. It’s enough money where I don’t have to touch any here and I still have some when I come back.”

Despite the money, Rangone, who earned a business-accounting degree at Stonehill, will be concentrating on the business side of baseball as he continues working toward an MBA in sports management at Florida Atlantic University.

It’s the end of a long run that includes four years of varsity college ball, one summer of Cape Cod League ball (1999), and two summers of semi-pro ball in Moncton, New Brunwsick.

“That summer on the Cape was amazing,” Rangone said. “I had no business being on the same field with some of those guys like [former Sox draft pick and current Texas star] Mark Texeira and [2004 National League Rookie of the Year] Jason Bay with the Pirates.”