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October 27, 2007
By JOE McDONALD
Journal Sports Writer
DENVER -- He’s not on the World Series roster, but Red Sox veteran Royce Clayton is truly enjoying his time being a part of the postseason.
After the Toronto Blue Jays gave him his release in August, numerous teams sought his services, including the Red Sox and Yankees. His ultimate decision to sign a minor-league deal with the Red Sox was very simple – he thought Boston had a better chance to win the World Series.
His gut feeling paid off.
Boston is Clayton’s 11th major-league team, the others being Colorado, San Francisco, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Washington, Arizona, Toronto, Cincinnati, Texas, and the White Sox. But prior to this year he’d never made it to baseball’s promised land.
''There’s no better feeling in the world,'' said Clayton. ''I’ve played a long time to get to this point. I’ve worked extremely hard and this is what you play for. You [don't] write the script, and if I could, I would obviously be out there playing doing my thing. It doesn’t always work out that way. I never thought I would ever say this, but I’ve found a way to enjoy this just as much. These guys have made me feel comfortable and make me feel like I lend something here. Everybody lends a little something and that’s what makes a championship ballclub.''
Because of his veteran presence in the Red Sox clubhouse, the everyday players treat him as one of their own. Case in point: When Boston clinched the ALCS by beating the Indians, Kevin Youkilis poured champagne on Clayton’s head and said ''a quarter of a century, but you made it.''
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