Relax, the Red Sox still are the A.L.'s best
Note: Richard Justice is a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and a regular contributor to Sporting News.
By Richard Justice - SportingNews Apr 16, 12:46 pm EDT
So, Mike Lowell isn't hitting. Big deal. This baseball season started about 20 minutes ago, so cool your jets, Mr. Panic Button.
David Ortiz? Same thing. Stop worrying. He almost always has been there when it counted, and he'll be there again this year. Book it, Dano.
Don't even ask about J.D. Drew or Jacoby Ellsbury. Sure, it has been a bit of a rough start for Boston, but haven't you ever had a bad day at the office?
Death, taxes and the Red Sox. You can count on all three, buddy boy. Now quit surfing the Internet, quit posting on those silly message boards and go for a walk. Enjoy yourself, enjoy the games and leave the heavy lifting to general manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona.
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Yes, the Boston Red Sox are off to a slow start. They're 3-6 and in last place in the American League East. They're near the bottom of the A.L. in several key offensive categories, and Ortiz, Lowell, etc., haven't started to hit yet.
This wouldn't be a big deal if all of those flinty New Englanders didn't view every glass as half-empty.
New England fans went 86 years without a World Series championship and, at times, seemed like the happiest people in the world. Their suffering became a cottage industry. Now that the Red Sox have been to the playoffs five times in six years, now that they've won two championships in that span, their fans seem bored by it all. Red Sox television ratings are down. The BoSox might be too successful, too boring.
Let's review for those arriving late: The Boston Red Sox are baseball's best organization. There are plenty of very good organizations, including the Braves, Cubs, Rays, Yankees, Marlins and A's. None of those organizations is smarter than the Red Sox. Actually, it's not even that close.
The Red Sox have people—principal owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner, president/CEO Larry Lucchino—at the top of the masthead who know how to run a first-class franchise. Lucchino changed baseball forever when he decided to build an old ballpark with modern comforts. If Camden Yards doesn't get him in the Hall of Fame, then baseball never should put another man in the Hall of Fame.
The Red Sox have baseball's best general manager in Epstein and a great manager in Francona. They have a solid clubhouse with a core of leaders who will keep the club pointed in the right direction. From Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield to Dustin Pedroia and Lowell, the Red Sox have tough, smart, professional guys.
With the Red Sox in last place in the A.L. East, it's important to take a deep breath and focus on what the Red Sox are, rather than what they aren't.
The Red Sox will be in contention from start to finish because they have organizational depth. Teams don't win with 25-man rosters; they win with 25-man rosters, plus 10-15 players in the minor leagues. Those minor leaguers either will be summoned to the big leagues to provide production and energy, or they will be traded to bring in that one key veteran to push the club over the top. (Wouldn't Astros ace Roy Oswalt look good in a Red Sox uniform? Remember, you heard it here first.)
The Red Sox will stay in contention because of their pitching. They have a first-rate rotation and at least three Pawtucket kids—Michael Bowden, Daniel Bard and Clay Buchholz—who will pitch in the big leagues at some point this season. Even with Daisuke Matsuzaka going on the disabled list with a tired arm—now you know why baseball people hate the World Baseball Classic—the Red Sox have enough pitching depth to survive.
Pitching wins. Defense wins, too. But everything begins with pitching. That's an important mantra to remember because, well, there are reasons to be concerned about Boston's lineup.
Lowell is recovering from offseason hip surgery, and at 35, there's no way to know what he still has left in the tank. There was plenty of relief Wednesday when he homered in an 8-2 victory over Oakland. He entered the day with a .188 batting average and left the clubhouse hitting .229.
Drew also homered Wednesday, and Ortiz doubled (his first extra-base hit of the season). Jacoby Ellsbury drove in his first two runs of the season.
Red Sox fans were concerned because Lowell, Ortiz and Drew all missed chunks of time last season with injuries. Yet nothing is decided with 153 games still to play. To take a step back and evaluate the Red Sox objectively is to become convinced this is still the American League's best team.
There are miles to go and there will be other injuries, slumps and doubt. There will be plenty of winning streaks, too.
Red Sox fans are concerned because they care more than fans in any other city. That caring is better than the alternative.
There is nothing to worry about, friends. You were the American League's best team nine games ago, and you're still the best team today. What would a season be without a few challenges?
