Thursday 2/15/24
The Red Sox opened spring training yesterday. This used to be a big deal. Well, big-ish deal, but things are pretty bleak at present for the Olde Town team. No one really likes them or follows them with that much interest, save the elderly, so that's one issue. Another is that they're not very good, there's not much chance they'll go anywhere, and ownership doesn't seem to care.
Alex Cora is a lame-duck manager. This will be his last year with the team, barring something shocking. Like they win the pennant or something. He clearly doesn't want to be there. A reporter asked him some lay-up of a question about his feelings on being the manager. It was the kind of thing where you say, "Really excited, can't wait to work with these players, etc." Instead he said he wasn't going to talk about that.
Yeah...that's not so great to hear that in February. I understand why Cora doesn't want to be there, but you can't let that show. You have to be a professional, and part of being a professional is keeping that from showing. I've never liked his attitude. I don't like his cheating, I don't think he's this great strategist. I think he's kind of an alpha-dick. But he has to stretch to be this alpha because he wasn't much as a player and he's nothing special as a manager. And maybe shave? You're in your forties, you don't need that sixty-year-old man "I've given up" beard thing going. Clean yourself up.
They added nothing to this team. I heard an interview with Craig Breslow, who is at least frank, and he sounds to me like a guy having second thoughts about taking this job. When you don't have the backing--that is, the wallet--of ownership to help you out, you're in trouble.
They're counting on guys they have to be better. Tristan Casas. People talk about him like he's automatically going to hit 30 homers and have 100 RBI with a high OBP, but I don't know that. That's not a lot of guys. Whitlock staying healthy and winning 16 games? I'll believe it when I see it, and I certainly don't expect that I will. People also talk about Devers like he's this great star. He's not. He's not that good. This isn't some impact, outstanding offensive player. He's a pretty good offensive player who is a lazy, out-of-shape player and a butcher over there at third base.
I don't even like who they have in the booth. Used to be you could watch a Red Sox game and at least you had announcers you wanted to hear. That can matter. Can matter a lot in baseball, actually. More than the other sports.
Looks like another last place season to me. It's embarrassing. A market like this, and baseball and Boston, and it's like there's no attempt being made to win. What's the solution? New ownership. Or these current owners being embarrassed. People will often respond to others laughing at them. It's human nature. Losing doesn't seem to embarrass them that much. Not yet, anyway. But you know what would? Fenway Park at half capacity night in, night out. That's the thing, though--the ballpark is this tourist spot in and of itself. People go to Fenway as much--or more these days--as they go to see the Red Sox. Do you understand the distinction I'm making? It's a summer night, you head out to the park, down some beers, fill up on junk, take your photos.
A lot will be made this year about the 2004 Red Sox, and then again in a five years time. When those Red Sox came to spring training in February 2004, the Patriots had just won the second of their Super Bowls. They were an awesome team. But the Red Sox were bigger. They were coming off that heartbreaking ALCS Game 7 in the Bronx, Terry Francona had just been hired, and Red Sox-Yankees rivalry was huge--it felt epic, as far as sports go--and people of all ages were passionate about the Sox. Now they're approaching after thought status and it's hard to have any hope or excitement for the new season and it's the middle of February.
One bright spot: No Chris Sale.
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