From a two-time World Series champion to a successful realtor: Exploring former Red Sox catcher Doug Mirabelli's career

Doug Mirabelli was part of the 2004 Boston Red Sox team that won the franchise's first World Series in 86 years. As such, the odds are strong that he will always be remembered in Beantown.

A catcher, Mirabelli was selected in the fifth round of the 1992 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants. Nevertheless, it would be a few years before Mirabelli would make a mark in the big leagues.

During his first five years in the MLB, Mirabelli struggled to break through. The 2000 season was the most games he ever played, and even then, he only recorded a .230/.337/.370 slashline with six home runs and 30 RBIs.

In 2001, Mirabelli was traded from the Texas Rangers to the Boston Red Sox to replace injured then-catcher Jason Varitek. It was not until 2002, when Red Sox catcher Scott Hatteburg left to sign with Billy Beane's Oakland A's. that Doug Mirabelli got his first real shot in Boston.

That season, Mirabelli began to work with knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. The wielder of an elusive pitch, Wakefield soon began to favor Mirabelli behind the plate when he was catching. Interestingly, 2003 was Mirabelli's best hitting season, as he hit .258/.307/.448 with six home runs and 18 RBIs.

After he departed the Red Sox to the San Diego Padres in 2006, his former team soon called him back. Apparently, new catcher Josh Bard was having serious difficulty catching Tim Wakefield.

When his plane touched down at Logan Airport at 6:48 pm, the Massachussetts State Police were waiting for him, and they escorted him to Fenway Park so as to catch Wakefield's 7:13 pm first pitch.

While his career was not average by any means, Mirabelli plays a different game now. He now works as a real estate agent in Traverse City, Michigan. Hopefully, he does not have to deal with as many breaking balls in his new line of work.

Doug Mirabelli is an unsung hero of dynastic Red Sox

In 2002, Mirabelli's first season catching Tim Wakefield, the knuckleballer put up a 2.81 ERA alongside an 11-5 record.

While most who remember Wakefield's brilliance will tend to forget Doug Mirabelli's role, he was always in the background. Now a real estate agent, one can only wonder if Mirabelli is ever stopped and recognized on account of his playing days for the Boston Red Sox.