Red Sox coming to Maine next week
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- The Boston Red Sox will bring their World Series trophy to Maine next week, and the team�s representatives are going to cover much more ground than originally envisioned.
Gov. John Baldacci announced Thursday that the Red Sox will visit Portland on Friday, Dec. 17. The following day the trophy will be taken on a road trip with stops in Presque Isle, Bangor and Augusta.
The Red Sox were originally scheduled to come to Portland on Nov. 3, but the visit was postponed due to a scheduling conflict.
Baldacci said the Red Sox �saved the best for last� after bringing the trophy to other New England states. Details, including which players are coming, were not immediately released.
�It will be the largest rally Portland has ever seen,� predicted Portland�s marketing and communications manager, Liz Darling.
Darling helped plan the New England Patriots Super Bowl rally this past April, which was attended by an estimated crowd of 45,000.
�We�re anticipating this to be larger,� she said.
Previous rallies in New England have featured one or two players. Pitchers Alan Embree, Mike Timlin and Bronson Arroyo have appeared in various rallies, as have third-baseman Kevin Youkilis and outfielder Trot Nixon.
Red Sox minority owner Les Otten of Newry brought the trophy to Maine in November and made a television appearance with it.
The Red Sox won the World Series in October with a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. It was Boston�s first World Series title since 1918.
�The extensive tour in Maine shows that the owners recognize how important the fans are to the success of the team,� Baldacci said Thursday. �The Impossible Dream has come true.�
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