Brendan Cellucci 'wants to finish season strong for Portland'; 'Knows' he has had consistent 2024
Your spot on a roster is never guaranteed in minor league baseball.
Portland Sea Dogs reliever Brendan Cellucci found this out after being sent back down to Double-A after a relatively good two game stretch for Triple-A Worcester. He gave up three hits and one earned run over four innings in his short time there, which certainly could've warranted a longer stay.
Regardless, Cellucci has since used that short stay to his advantage on how he approaches being back in Double-A.
“I think it might have a little with how good it felt to be that close to the majors,” Cellucci said about his confidence since coming back down. “It was a little bit of insurance and reminder that I can do this no matter where my journey takes me. That just pushes me even more now that I had a taste of it. I am sure it is the same way from going from Triple-A to the big leagues. Once you get up there you just want another taste of it and get back up there and get more. It creates motivation day in and day out, but I just have to be where my feet are at the moment.”
In Triple-A, clubhouses are typically filled with plenty of guys who have spent years in the major leagues. For a guy like Cellucci, you can’t put a price on the advice he got while in that clubhouse.
“Right when I got up there is when the Red Sox signed Sal Romano,” Cellucci said. “He said something to me that I will never forget. He told me that at the end of the day, accolades and stats will all be there and be forgotten eventually. What truly lasts over time is the relationships you make and the impressions you leave on people whether it’s the teammates you have or the fans you come across. I feel like something I have learned in my career is that it’s one thing for someone to watch me play and enjoy watching me play, but it’s a different feeling when I can make an impact on someone’s life.”
Over the last couple of years in the Red Sox system, Cellucci has typically struggled with the free passes throughout the season. He knows that’s his biggest roadblock at the moment on moving up the ladder in the system.
“I think the biggest thing is just walking less people,” Cellucci noted. “It is something I have to look in the mirror every day that it isn’t a battle where anyone is out there proving they are better than you, it is me looking in the mirror facing myself and be better than them every day. I am just trying to be better every day and not just excel at the Triple-A level, but even at the major league level.”
With September here, there are only a few more weeks left in the minor league season. How does Cellucci want to finish out the year?
“I want to finish the season out strong just knowing I have gone through the entire season being consistent in my performances all year,” Cellucci said. “That is something that I know I have struggled with in Low-A and High-A. Some days I would excel and others I would just run into trouble. This year, I have really been able to be consistently strong out there and be who I am. If I can finish the season out like that, I would be very proud.”
