"He had Kent Qualls, the Director of Player Development, call me and offer me a position at Spring Training as a non-roster invitee."

Forst had a superb spring in Fort Myers, batting close to .300 and playing almost every game. However, he could still sense that the end was near, and his fear was confirmed on the final day of Spring Training. A Red Sox official informed Forst that he had been the team's final cut.

"I was a little upset at the time," Forst says. "It all came down to numbers. There were guys who had done slightly better than me, and guys who fit in with the team's long-term plans more than I did."

"You knew he wasn't done then," Walsh says of the letdown. "Dave's a self-starter, a leader, a savvy guy who just doesn't want to give up his passion for the game."

Undaunted, Forst continued his campaign to get involved in baseball on any level he could. He wrote. He faxed. He phoned. He asked the advice of anyone he had access to, including Duquette and Qualls.

"Everyone I spoke to was really helpful," Forst says. "You've got to get the most out of any chance you've got. These are very hard jobs to find."

Eventually, Forst sent a letter and resume to DePodesta in Cleveland, but the letter never found him. DePodesta was already on the West Coast. Once Forst did get a hold of him, the fellow Crimson alum was ready to listen.

"At one point, they told me a position had opened up," Forst recalls. "Paul told me that it was only entry-level, but that I should send in a resume and see what happens."