BOSTON -- Ian Miller waited on deck as the jeers poured in from the bleachers.

“You stink! Your batting average is so low!” the opposing fans taunted.

Miller was batting .000.

Understandably so. He was in line for his first Major League at-bat.

“Then they looked me up and were like, ‘Oh my God, it’s your debut! Good luck!’” Miller said. “I was chuckling a little bit, but I was just remaining in the game, remaining present and trying to just be in the moment.”

That moment was six years in the works. Selected in the 14th round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Mariners, Miller played in his first big league game on Wednesday at Fenway Park in the Twins’ 6-2 loss to the Red Sox. He replaced Max Kepler in the seventh inning and was on deck for his first plate appearance before he was pinch-hit for by Mitch Garver as the Twins attempted a late comeback.

“I’m just here to win, whatever my role is,” Miller said. “If they need me to clean up the dugouts in the fifth inning, I’ll do it.”

A nice offer, but that won’t be necessary. Manager Rocco Baldelli expects Miller will receive more opportunities this season. The Twins acquired Miller from the Mariners on Aug. 9 and called him up at the start of the month. This season, he hit .264 and led all Triple-A players with 35 stolen bases between the Mariners and Twins' organizations.

“We heard really positive things about him as a teammate, as a person, work ethic, things like that -- just a really good character guy coming in,” Baldelli said. “That’s all held true in every way. … He’s been great. He gets his work in, he’s ready to play. He just says, ‘Anything you need me to do, I’m here to help. I’ll be ready to go.’ … He’s going to certainly help us out from here on out.”

Miller’s phone was flooded with messages, many of which he still was sorting through the following afternoon. One text that jumped out to him was from former 25-year Major League veteran and family friend Jamie Moyer, who advised Miller, “Play your game. Do the little things right.”

At 27 years old, Miller is soaking in the newness of his Major League surroundings.

“I actually caught myself calling Nelson ‘Mr. Cruz’ the other day, if that puts it into perspective,” Miller said the day before his debut. “They’re people that I idolized, and now, I get to share the same locker room as them. I’m kind of at a loss for words still. … I’m in awe still.”

Miller’s mother and girlfriend were on hand for his first Major League game. He also made sure to incorporate those who were not there with him into the special experience. He penned the names Mark and Dan Miller -- his late father and late uncle -- when he signed inside the Green Monster.

"They're both up there with me," Miller said. "They're immortalized here. It was cool."

Twins all about team bonding

When the Twins return to Minnesota on Thursday following the series finale, they will look a lot different from when they traveled to Boston earlier this week. Monday was their NFL jersey getaway day, designed as a bonding experience rather than a fashion statement.

“It’s really cool,” Baldelli said. “Our guys like to have fun. Our guys like to do things as a group and have a good time. It’s fun to do some things away from the field.”

Not everyone on the team had a jersey, though. Enter Nelson Cruz. The veteran purchased one for more than 12 players.

“We are a team,” Cruz said of his motivation.

The gesture was just one of the acts of leadership the 39-year-old Cruz has demonstrated this season, and each one adds up to a major presence in a postseason-contending clubhouse.

“The most impressive thing is the person that he is,” Baldelli said. “We have a lot of guys that lead on this team in different ways, but I would say Nelly is truly a leader amongst that group. … Nelly certainly has an effect on every single person in our clubhouse in almost every way. … I'd say he's not just as advertised -- he's better.”