Name: Jared "T-Shirt Guy" Carrabis
Age: 18
Hometown: Saugus, MA
Carrabis' Campaign Platform:
In the heart of Red Sox Nation, Saugus, Mass., lives Jared Carrabis, who has worn a Red Sox T-Shirt for more than 1,400 consecutive days. Jared's first act? "Tony Conigliaro had Red Sox in his blood and should be remembered and honored by having his number 25 retired at Fenway Park."

1) As President, what would be your first act?

My first act as President of Red Sox Nation would be to fight to do something that should have been done a long time ago here in Red Sox Nation. I am referring to none other than retiring Tony Conigliaro's number 25. There are a few Red Sox greats that could put an argument up for their number to be among that of Ted and Yaz but none post the stronger argument than that of New England 's own, Tony C. After homering in his first Major League game, Tony C was the fastest player to reach 100 home runs in the American League at the age of 22. With potential like that who knows what kind of records he would be holding today. There's no telling what he would have done if it wasn't for that tragic night back in '67. August 18th was the night that changed everything for Tony C, he had no control over Jack Hamilton's fastball that night. It's not right to hold it against Tony C because he never got the chance to play a full career the way that he intended. While earning the Comeback Player of the Year award in 1969 proved that there was no quit in Tony Conigliaro, the career that he tried to revive would never be the same. Number 25 belongs on that right field deck with Bobby Doerr, Joe Cronin, Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams, Carlton Fisk and Jackie Robinson. Tony Conigliaro had Red Sox in his blood and should be remembered and honored by having his number 25 retired at Fenway Park .

2) As President, what would your advice be to John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino?

My advice to the trio of John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino was hard to come up with at first. What is the first thing that you would advise the brass of the Boston Red Sox? To win a World Championship, well they did that and put a team in position to do the same this season. While I understand that there is a need to win every single year in Boston , you also want to give something to the fans that they can have forever. Something that they can visit, see, and be a part of. So it must have something to do with Fenway?

Well, they already saved Fenway and expanded the seating with more plans to expand even further. So what I came up with was the idea of building the Red Sox Hall of Fame. From what we know now, the Red Sox Hall of Fame only exists in books, the Red Sox Media Guide and on the internet but I would love to have something similar to what is in Cooperstown, New York. A building that Red Sox fans from all over can go visit any time of the year and see the heritage of their beloved Red Sox. This of course would be something that Red Sox fans would be able to have a guaranteed ticket to get in and see something special, where as tickets to a ballgame at the Fens are a rarity, the Red Sox Hall of Fame would be a place where you know you're getting in and seeing a piece of Red Sox history. My idea of what this Red Sox Hall of Fame would be like would put Monument Park in Yankee Stadium to shame.

Also, as advise to Larry Lucchino personally, I heard his name being mentioned in talks of one day becoming Commissioner of Major League Baseball. My advice to him would be to pursue that position because I feel that he would be a perfect fit as Commissioner. What he has done for the Red Sox in recent years has changed the franchise for the better and has made us as fans extremely happy and pleased with what he has done. If he can have the same effect on the entire game of baseball then baseball has an exceedingly bright future.

3) As President, what would your advice be to Commissioner Selig?

As President my advice to Commissioner Selig would primarily have to touch upon a topic that has been on the minds of baseball fans for quite some time now. The way I see it, the interest of the fans is what is more important than anything. Without the fans what would Major League Baseball even be right now? Nothing. These days baseball basically promotes itself so there isn't a need for spreading the popularity of baseball but there is always room for improvement to make baseball better and more exciting to watch. What I had in mind was that of the designated hitter. Either have it or do away with it, I will never see the sense in having it in one league and not having it in the other. It is almost like you are playing an entirely different game. Baseball is baseball and baseball should have the same exact rules regardless of what league you are playing in. Now to decide whether to keep or do away with the designated hitter, you have to look to what the fans would want to see. No one wants to see a pitcher get up 3 to 4 times a game and be an automatic out unless you have Mike Hampton on your team. The Designated Hitter brings a new excitement to the game where you know that you're seeing an RBI machine come to the plate with the chance to see some balls leave the park. Where as in the National League you almost dread that number nine spot in the order to come up because you know chances are nothing is going to get accomplished. It's gotten to the point where if a pitcher gets a hit it's a laughing matter. Another upside to the designated hitter is that it revives the careers of sluggers that are entering the "twilight of their careers" if you will. Players that were home run hitting outfielders or infielders can come to the American League and become a designated hitter and extend their careers a few more seasons whereas without the DH, the old age wear and tear may cause them to hang up their spikes a few seasons earlier than they really had to.

Secondly, in a less needed to be acted upon topic, the need for the instant replay in baseball. With the popularity of baseball growing and growing, post season baseball games are becoming more and more important. A championship could mean millions of dollars to a city, and all it takes is one play to determine the outcome of a game. Fenway Park's Green Monster is a perfect example of why the instant replay is needed in baseball. While most of the time umpires gather for a meeting at the mound and reverse the call to overturn the "no home run" call, J.D. Drew was robbed of a home run on Friday July 20th against the Chicago White Sox. Although the two runs that the Red Sox were wrongfully deducted of having did not have an effect on the outcome of a win or a loss, the next time something like this happens we may not be so lucky. It may not have decided a win or a loss, but it did however take a home run and 2 RBI away from J.D. Drew. If that were Game 7 of the World Series in Boston and such an occurrence were to happen and the Red Sox lost by either one or two runs that umpire would have to be placed in a witness protection program for the safety of his life and that of his family. This can all be avoided by allowing the instant replay for certain situations throughout Major League Baseball for questionable home runs, fair/foul balls, traps/catches but not for balls and strikes. There's no feeling more unpleasant than that of knowing that you were cheated, the instant replay in Major League Baseball rids the world of that feeling and makes for a better officiated baseball game.