Cam Booser has fond memories of pitching for the Chicago Dogs.
After retiring in 2017 following parts of five seasons in the Minnesota Twins farm system, the left-hander returned to baseball in 2021 and made 21 relief appearances for the independent league team.
“The village of Rosemont, had a wonderful time out there playing for (manager) Butch Hobson,” Booser said during a Dec. 27 videoconference call. “It was a lot of fun. I didn’t realize how windy it was, I had never really played in Chicago until that summer but I loved it. I never really ventured into the city too much. Kind of stayed in the village of Rosemont, but I had a lot of fun out there.
“I made a lot of good friends. That was the first team I had played for coming out of retirement and so I was just happy to have a uniform and get to play.”
Booser’s time with the Dogs was just one of the steps in a winding path that led to his major-league debut in 2024 with the Boston Red Sox. His baseball journey will continue with the Chicago White Sox, who sent minor-league pitcher Yhoiker Fajardo to Boston to acquire the 32-year-old on Dec. 21.
“I think everybody has a story,” Booser said. “It’s just a lot of trial and error I guess, I don’t know. Without a test, there’s no testimony.
“Unfortunately I made some mistakes when I was younger. Injuries were just kind of always a constant for me. But I’ve been fortunate enough to stay healthy the last couple of years to see what I’m able to do when I’m healthy and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Booser went 2-3 with a 3.38 ERA, one save, six holds and 43 strikeouts in 43 relief outings with the Red Sox during his first season in the majors.
He described 2024 as “a dream come true.”
“From the non-performance side it was amazing,” Booser said. “Just the opportunity to be able to step into the big leagues and be a part of that and get to play in the stadiums and get to face some of those guys was incredible.
“Very thankful to the Red Sox for that opportunity and looking forward to getting to help the White Sox any way that I can this year.”
Booser earned the latest opportunity after minor-league seasons in the Minnesota (2013-2017), Arizona (2022) and Boston (2023-24) organizations.
According to MLB.com, a variety of factors — including Tommy John surgery, labrum surgery, a broken back following a bike accident, a 50-game suspension for testing positive for marijuana — through the years led to Booser stepping away.
He joined a Seattle-area carpenters union during a portion of that period. The comeback followed, including 2021 with the Dogs.
The work continued, leading to the big-league debut with Boston on April 19 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.
At 31 years, 351 days, Booser became the oldest Red Sox player to debut since Tommy Fine in 1947 (excluding those who previously competed in Japan).
In September, Booser earned the Lou Gorman Award, which according to Boston is “given annually to a Red Sox minor-league player who has demonstrated dedication and perseverance in overcoming obstacles while working his way to the major-league team.”
“My younger days, I didn’t really have a sound routine,” Booser said. “As I’ve gotten older I’ve really taken it upon myself to hone in on my diet, hone in on my recovery, my sleep and do everything from a weight room standpoint to try to prepare me for the season. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve really tried to understand how to stay healthy, ask older guys what they do to stay healthy.
“I’ve been fortunate to put a couple of seasons together being healthy, and through those and everything I’ve learned, I just try to take it into the next season.”
That next season will come with the White Sox. He never considered a trade as a possibility this offseason.
“It all happened pretty quick and then after it happened, it was just a little bit of an initial shock,” Booser said. “Now that I’ve had a couple days, it’s just excited for the new opportunity.
“Playing for a new team, just any time that I have a uniform I’m excited to play. The fact that somebody wanted me is exciting. The fact that Chicago made the trade for me is exciting.”
