BoSox Millar snubbed from T-shirts?
 

The Red Sox spoke often this postseason about their 25-man approach, but when the official World Series T-shirts are sold in the coming days they'll be missing a key team member.

Kevin Millar, a replacement player in 1995 and thus not a member of the players union, won't be allowed to appear either in name or likeness on any officially licensed items. He is the second former replacement player to experience such exclusion on a World Series champion, joining Angels reliever Brendan Donnelly in 2002.

Like the Angels, the Red Sox might produce an in-house version of the shirts that include Millar, but the general populace won't see his face or name unless the union decides to make an exception, which it isn't expected to do.

"That's a damn shame," Red Sox reliever Alan Embree said. "He's just as much a part of this team as anybody here. He deserved it, and they should change [that policy]."

It should be noted Millar would have played the last two seasons in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons without the union's help. Union officials helped Millar and his agents reverse an agreement to play overseas, and he, like all other replacement players, is eligible for the same benefits and pension funds as full union members.

Former replacement players also receive union help in settling grievances and salary arbitration, but they continue to be ineligible for a share of the annual licensing payout that can approach six figures, depending on service time.