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Bronson Arroyo's first full season in the Major Leagues was a good one. The right-hander was 10-9 with a 4.03 ERA for Boston, and he established a new career high in strikeouts. He was also an integral part of the Red Sox's dramatic fight to a World Series victory, as the team triumphed over American League rivals the New York Yankees and swept the St. Louis Cardinals in four games to break Boston's 86-year championship drought. Arroyo topped off the dream season with another wish fulfilled, the issue of his first album. Released on July 12, 2005 (coinciding nicely with the 2005 All Star Game), Covering the Bases features Arroyo covering a batch of grunge and modern rock hits from his formative years in Key West, FL, and various minor league pitching assignments. "In 1997 I played in Lynchburg, Virginia for the Hillcats," he says in the liner notes for his version of the Verve Pipe's "Freshman." "That season I heard [this song] a hundred times and it became a favorite of mine." Arroyo was backed by professional session musicians on the album, which also includes selections from Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters, and Goo Goo Dolls, among others. But he's joined by fellow Red Sox Johnny Damon, Lenny DiNardo, and Kevin Youkilis on a run through "Dirty Water," the Standells classic that always marks a Red Sox win at Fenway Park. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide |
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