July 19, 2013 – If only they knew how far he’s come.

Now that he’s a major league ballplayer, a World Series hero, a three-time Gold Glove winner and a two-time All-Star, the narrative of Shane Victorino’s life has morphed into something like this: fleet-footed outfielder, battle-tested veteran, welcome addition to the clubhouse.

He’s already a Red Sox fan favorite, a whirling dervish of hustle and emotion who hurtles into walls, fences, front-row seats — anything that stands in the way of catching the ball.

The Flyin’ Hawaiian, they call him. Sometimes, when a ball is belted to right field, Victorino knows there’s probably no play to be made, that he should just let it go.

But he just can’t.

“That’s the way I play the game,” Victorino said with a shrug, “the only way I know how to play the game.”

Read the full story at ESPNBoston.com