This is tough. I'm going to go with my Roger Clemens ringer t-shirt from 1989-- which is one of those heinous cartoon caricature things where the person's head is 10x bigger than their body. He's got a Sox cap perched on the top of his giant cranium, and of course it says ROCKET on there as well.

I don't have much stuff, admittedly... although I do have a light blue Sox cap (almost as bad as pink) that my grandma got me for Hanukkah. That's pretty lame. And for embarrassing, I'd easily go with the picture of A-Rod right above the head of my bed... although, admittedly, Tek's about to punch him, so that's okay. And I covered up his face with another piece of paper anyway.

I think I have to go with the seven pictures of Jacoby on my wall, though. >.> Five were cut out from newspapers, one was a Globe poster, and the other I printed out.

I personally don't think it's embarrassing but my husband, the yankee lover *spit* does. I have Julio Lugo's sock. It's pretty freakin awesome, I think!

TG--

That is pretty embarrassing. Wow.

I don't really have any memorabilia, which is a whole other stage of lame, I think.

I've just never been into the memorabilia scene, I guess. I have the Boston Globe front sections from the day after the 04 and 07 World Series. I have an Ellsbury tshirt and a lucky cap. That's it.

I think I need a Lowell shirt going into this season though. 46 shirts get you branded a pink hat everywhere you go; also, mine is WAY too big for me.

Funny you should mention that -- this offseason I *finally* converted a friend of mine to the Red Sox, and immediately tried to find her a favorite player so as to hold her attention. Her criteria were: tall, great player, stunning looks. Of course I steered her towards Jacoby -- and gave her my Ellsbury shirt I got back in June, because ain't no way I'm wearing that now. It's sad, but true: Ellsbury shirts are the new pink hats, I guess.

Also: Kim totally deserves a medal for having the patience to marry a Yankee fan.

I don't think I have anything incredibly embarassing.
Maybe the silliest thing I have is a box of Red Sox tissues I keep in my car. (My car is Sox-themed, though. Steering wheel cover, 3 bumper stickers, a decal... oh and it's red. And its name is Sock.) The box is all smashed up but I refuse to toss it.

How about one of the *bright* pink hats? I wanted a light pink hat because I like a *little* pink now and then, but I got the bright pink hat. I was focused on getting one with the larger "B" and totally missed the color. Now with "pink hat" being a pejorative term, it sits in the closet. Never mind that I got it at Fenway, at my first game there, on my birthday...

At least I have two blue hats to wear (but I often wear the non-fitted hat because it has the opening for my pony-tail--how *girly* is that???? ;-)

Jules--

It's okay, I only have non-fitted caps because of the hair issue. I think it's acceptable for girls, as long as they don't do that thing where they don't wear an elastic and just use the hat to make a ponytail. That looks way stupid.

I completely forgot:

I have a Wally Christmas ornament, plus my free never-twirled towel from WS game 2.

I don't have enough red sox stuff yet to have anything embarassing, of course I'm sure to remedy that problem on my first trip to Fenway! :) (One must buy enough Beckett pictures to properly cover a wall!) But, I do have one jersey back from when I was a Braves fan that might qualify for at least awkward and maybe a little embarassing.

My mom actually got a Braves jersey air brushed for me with Kevin Millwood's name and # (poor guy didn't have his own jersey's back in 98-99). It's a nice shrit, but it almost looks like the guy that airbrushed it had a seziure while doing it. The name is all crooked and there are big spots of gray all over the #'s. But, I still wore it with pride!

Awww - that's actually quite sweet! I can see how it might be a tad embarrassing to wear, but only a tad - and the story behind it more than makes up for it.

Margaret--

My husband bought me a fitted hat and it's quite nice, but is so uncomfortable with a ponytail. I agree, use an elastic to give yourself a ponytail *then* put the hat on.

I still have an old SF Giants t-shirt that I wear when I'm painting or working on the house (usually wear on old Sox hat, too). That always makes my husband laugh. lol.

Totally off subject...
I was so upset with the A's website when tickets went on sale because it constantly choked when I tried to get tickets for May so I gave up. Yesterday, while procrastinating at work (like I am now, goodness I *hate*--really *hate*--writing documentation!!!!) I thought I'd try the A's again. Guess what!??!? I still got great seats to the Friday night game! So, any Sox fans in Northern CA, tickets can still be had. I was so surprised!

I don't have any memoribilia except for...Ok, I'll admit it, a 3 Youk jerseys (home & away & home 07 World Series so the number is uniquely tied to its owner at the time) and a Youk T-shirt, for when it's too hot for a jersey. Wow, that's really embarassing. How did you get me to admit this?

But wait, there's more...
I've never really cared about autographs but I do like any excuse to be near the boys, and then the autograph becomes a souvenir of the event. Anyway, back in Nov or Dec I heard that Jacoby was going to be at the FYE just a stroll from my office. As much as I love him as a player and as a kid, for whatever reason I don't swoon over him like most girls, but c'mon, he's a Red Sock, he's awesome, and I wanted the MLB World Series DVD anyway, so I figured, why not? and bought it and had him sign. Then just before Christmas I heard that Youk was going to be there, so yeah, I'm there. By then the NESN 07 DVD had come out, but rather than get that, I bought another copy of the MLB DVD - and you recall the picture on the cover - so that Youk could sign his butt.

So... weird question-- obviously, for some people, it's a chance to meet the boys (like fc said)-- but can someone explain why autographs are so popular? It's someone's illegible signature. I know this makes me sound like a huge party pooper, but it is something I never, never understood.

That being said--I was not shocked at all when I saw what Ellsbury's signature looks like. Everything he touches turns to pretty.

I used to love Johnny Damon (and then I dumped him for 'Tek in '05) so I've got tons of memorbilia focused around him. I've got a bobble head, a framed baseball card, and a picture on my wall. Even though I hate him now, I don't have the heart to take all of the stuff off my walls and shelves.

Margaret - maybe it's "He touched this"?

A Hawaiian shirt with Mariners logos on it.

And enough Mariners minor league gear that I could probably wear a different shirt each day of the week and still not run out, which is more unusual than embarassing, I guess.

A hawaiian print shirt? AWESOME.

And I agree- minor league gear isn't embarrassing (at least, I hope not since I have shirts from the PawSox, Sea Dogs, Clearwater Phillies and Round Rock)... certainly not as embarrassing as a hawaiian shirt. :) Which minor league team?

Everett (WA) AquaSox, mostly. I've been known to wear AquaSox gear to Mariners games -- you get a lot of parent club gear at minor league games, not so much the other way around!

Texas Gal! I have that same Clemens t-shirt! lol...

First of all, AquaSox is a cool nickname. One of these Curveballs, I'm totally going to ask what everyone's favorite minor league nickname/mascot is.

Secondly, I sometimes wear my Sea Dogs hat to Sox games as a filtering device. If a guy doesn't know the hat, he's not getting anywhere with me. Or if he does the wave - that's the kiss of death as well.

Thirdly, I cannot believe someone else has the same old school Roger shirt. Twinkies!

I have a fair amount of memorabilia (mostly t-shirts) and I think the most embarrassing is that I have last year's Papelbon lunchbox from Red Sox Kid Nation. Yes, I admit it, I lied about being under 12 to get a Papelbon lunchbox. But it's an awesome lunchbox.

A Papelbon lunch box! I want one! LOL, and I'm *quite* a bit over 12!!!

Hmm...I don't have too much embarrassing Sox stuff. I do have 4 framed photos on my bedroom wall: Manny, Tek, Ortiz, and one of me with the '04 Trophy. People seem to think this is odd....I don't get why.

Baseball-wise, I still have an autographed 8 X 10 photo of David Justice when he was with the Braves. I NEVER had autographed anything as a kid, but I somehow managed to buy this because Dave Justice was my childhood hero....and then I found out he beat his wife (and it was Halle Berry!!!), and seriously that was one of the most disillusioning moments of my entire life.

I hated him after that, and actually saw him play at my very first Red Sox game in 1999 (it was my first time in Boston!). He was an Indian then and the Sox won and he played horribly and I couldn't have been happier. I was also glad when he became a Yankee, as I always am when players I hate join that club (Sheffield, A-Rod, etc).

:::sigh:::

But I still have that photo, hidden away somewhere, which is the embarrassing thing. Looking at it makes me cry inside.

I have that lunchbox! From Kid Sox Nation, right? I love it.

What does that say about me that I'm a grown-ass gal, and my Papelbon lunchbox is not the most embarrassing piece of Sox memorabilia I own?

(for the record: Cubs wise, I have a Snoopy "Bleacher Creatures" tshirt from when I was 10, and Phillies wise, I have a stuffed Phanatic - from that Build-A-Bear shop inside the CBP)

Rachel - As a Clemens idol worshipper, I feel your pain when it comes to watching your childhood hero take a nosedive.

Yep, from Kid Nation. I'm not embarrassed about owning it, more about how I came to own it. But not so much that I wouldn't do it again. (I wonder who'll be on the lunchbox this year!?)

Actually, it might be surpassed by my Red Sox beanie baby (it was a gift!!!!!).

Rachel- I totally feel your pain. I too was a David Justice fanatic. When other girls my age had the posters of teen idols on their walls, I had David Justice posters plastered everywhere.

Then they ceremoniously came down once he became a pig. But oh well. Live and Learn.

(Infact, I may have to change my most embarrasing item to that David Justice baseball that I'm sure is somewhere buried in the abyss that is my closet!)

Red Sox Ice Cream! Although I don't technically own any anymore. We ate it. The chocolate bits are shaped like the sox logo and it has cool names like Green Monster Mint and Fenway Fudge.

And I have to admit that I love buying things with Red Sox on it. I'm a scrabble and dominoes-holic so I had to get the Red Sox versions. Plus I bought the witch-hat after you showed it on your blog.

Oh and I'm eating Wheaties now because Beckett's on the box.

I keep forgetting to get my Wheaties! are they still around? I don't spend much time in the cereal aisle.

so i dont really have anything that embarrassing

just lots of beckett pics and a card from when he was with the marlins oh and yeah i have the wheaties to. and my friend got me the red sox monopoly for Christmas.

but the most embarrassing i have i can never get rid of and its my pride for sharing the same birthday as mr. beckett.
i mean come on how amazing is it to share the same birthday as your fav. player from your fav. team. it rox but i get told how much of a nerd i am for being that psyched about it.

None! I own nothing embarrasing. If it is Boston Red Sox, it cannot be lame. ;-) Unless I had something Clemens, but to be honest, I didn't even like him when he played for us.

how about a neon redsox windbreaker circa the early 90s...i don't know what possessed my parents to purchase the monstrosity. a 5/6 year old did not derserve that!

...I have the Bronson Arroyo cd...*hangs head*

I also have a shitload of player tees and a shit load of 2004 Red Sox memorobilia...and a good chunk of 07 stuff. but the last two things aren't that embarassing. The Bronson thing...yeah that's pretty bad.

I also have an old ratty Padres shirt from like 1998 or so which I wore all the time. but it was only because it brought me good luck in school. :P

Wait, I have a worse one: my Damon shirt. I hate it and yet I can never get myself to throw it away.

I'm still trying to convince myself that his evil twin killed him and signed with the Yankees under his name. >.>

Well, I'm not embarrassed by any of my stuff. However, my mom thinks my inflatable Fenway park is bad. It's cute, and unusual.

Tied for most embarassing...I teach English and I have a Red Sox bulletin board in my class. It's huge and all the Yankee fan teachers and students hate it. It's hard to put an English class spin on a Red Sox bulletin board...but mine is awesome.
Then there's my bed. I'm a Cowboys fan and my husband is a Washington fan...our comforter was hand made and is half Cowboys for my side of the bed and half Washington for his side of the bed...complete with matching pillows.

I still have a the yearbook from 1986... it's tattered, but I still love it.

As for embarassing, my Jet BLue voucher that I had Ellsbury sign, and a stuffed Wally that sits on my bed from Build-a-Bear in Fanueil Hall.
My co-workers also enshrined my cubicle with Red Sox pictures when I was on vacation, I still haven't taken most of it down. It keeps the sanity.

i have red sox gardening gloves! i do not have a garden! ;D

Lets see...Wally stuffed animal, team calenders for every year since 94, an assortment of Xmas ornaments, holographic souvenir cups from Fenway, and a Damon shirt that I save for "special" occasions, namely times that involves cleaning with bleach or another corrosive chemical.

I do have an Ellsbury shirt and would be embarrassed about that...but the two games I wore it to were Sept. 2nd and Sept. 11th...and he hit HR's both times. I don't think I would wear it now without a jersey or jacket over it though:-P

Meg, I was at that Sept. 2 game, too! It was awesome, but SO hot--we were well back in the bleachers so I couldn't really see anything, either. :P

MUST. HAVE. INFLATABLE. FENWAY.
NEED. INFLATABLE. FENWAY.

UGH! My sister has a Damon shirt. I keep asking her why she's keeping it...probably the cost! I got a Cooperstown Collection #27 Carlton Fisk shirt. I prefer the retired numbers so they'll never change. During the 2005 season I had the 2004 Champions logo and that Last Supper picture taped to my office door.
I remember the first baseball card I saw was a Mike Andrews in the late sixties! Even as a six year old I thought he was so cute! Now that's embarrassing.

I'm only slightly embarrassed by the amount of clothing with the number 33 on it in my closet. (there are some Beckett and Papelbon also, but nowhere near the same amount)
I have Tek's home, away, home BP, away BP, alternate, and St. Pat's jerseys and I think all the styles of player tees available for him.

My dogs also have sox shirts, but those only have 00 on the back. Believe me, though, if they made player shirts for dogs, they'd have Tek also.

i own a bret boone t-shirt.

I have one of those 3" McFarlane figures of Curt Schilling on my desk at work. It is the same size as a Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) that I also have there. My coworkers ask me if Curt and Belle are dating.

I also have a 6" figure, same player, but in Arizona uniform and at home...next to my Scott Kazmir doll action figure. I need to put up the Sailor Senshi next to them, then my desk will be all set. ;)

Piney61!! I also own that Bronson Arroyo CD...and 2 or 3 of the songs are on my iPod....and I actually listen to them. So my shame is far greater.

sigh....

I've got like 3 pictures of Josh Beckett on my wall above my desk. One of them is from a newspaper, the other is from the globe, and the one next to it is the Wheaties cereal box. I've also got the SI commemorative edition with the regular copy and the hardcover on display for random urges to look through Boston history.

well, I have an Ellsbury shirt that I actually wear in public...
now that I know I'm being labeled for it, I feel slightly inclined to *not* do that anymore..
::sigh::

I also have a tote bag that says "I -heart- Big Papi".
I do not use it in public.

I wouldn't worry about being labeled. Wear your shirt. I'm going to wear mine. I don't know any of those people judging me so what do I care?

// i have red sox gardening gloves! i do not have a garden! //

jennyA, that's almost poetic

I guess the most embarrasing thing i have is a pair of boxers with baseballs on them my G\f got me right before game 4 of the ALCS this year, she said "for luck". well, they havent lost since! I also have a Phillies Rally towel from their first NLDS game this year. it was great to keep the sun off my neck at that game! I also have a "It ain't over until the Big Papi swings" bumper sticker from the sept 14th yanks sox game at fenway. Looks kinda out of place in PA though!

As for "cool" stuff i have my ticket stub that Beckett and Papelbon signed for me (oh yea and David Riske. does that bring the value down?) , and a Nixon 05 Opening Day Jersey with the WS patch on it from 04 (So noone mistakes it for a JD Drew Jersey)

Well I guess the only Sox thing I own is the Wheaties box with Josh on the front that will remain unopened for eternity!

I have so much D-backs stuff though that I'm sure some of it must be "embarassing." Like a plastic rattlesnake rattle that is taped to the top of my tv or an inlatable d-back airplane that was once part of a hat that now hangs from the ceiling (I don't know who was in charge of marketing back in te day but seriously, who would wear an airplane on their head?!) I aslo get crap about my lunchbox, which was a Panda Express giveaway at a game but it has the d-back logo on the bottom!

And pretty much all of the now-ancient purple and teal memorabilia is hard to look at.