And then there's the Bellhorn look. With his long hair and sideburns, he could be one of the Sweathogs from ''Welcome Back, Kotter." Tom Werner could cast him in ''That '70s Show." We half expect to see him carrying a pack of Marlboros in the rolled-up sleeve of a white T-shirt.
Bellhorn plays the game without expression, prompting some fans to believe he doesn't care. They'd rather see a guy like Trot Nixon, spitting nails and smashing water coolers after striking out.
So Bellhorn stands almost alone as the Sox rumble through this giddy ride of the 2005 season. While most of his teammates walk on water around Boston, Bellhorn tiptoes on hot coals in the players' parking lot at Fenway Park. The harsh Hub might be getting to him. He's hitting only .162 at home, compared with .286 on the road.
The quiet second baseman with the often quiet bat played a big part in yesterday's 12-8 beating of the Phillies. He went 3 for 4 with a homer, three RBIs, and four runs. After the Sox blew an 8-1 lead, it was Bellhorn who put Boston on top for good with an RBI double to deep center in the eighth. Oh, and he didn't strike out.
He was not the most entertaining player in the Philly finale: that trophy goes to David Wells, who staggered through five innings, giving up 10 hits and five runs and entertaining millions with a base hit, an RBI, nimble fielding, and a hilarious sprint to cover first base in which he was beaten at the wire by fellow belly-bumper, Jim Thome. If there'd been a hamburger on the bag, my money's on Wells.
''Tie goes to the runner in my book," said Wells. ''That wasn't fun at all. I would have had him, but he broke his bat on the swing and the bat went by me and I had to wait for it."
Later, Wells added, ''We showed a lot of character in this one. We gave up the lead, then came out and put a four-spot on there."
Bellhorn's hit was the key blow. He already had a walk, a homer, an RBI single, and three runs when he came to the plate in an 8-8 game with Johnny Damon on first and none out in the eighth. In a very uncharacteristic move, he swung at the first pitch (computers must have tilted in Kansas) and cracked a double over the head of center fielder Jason Michaels.
