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| Photo credit to Patrick Semansky |
What better time to create my first sports-related post for my new site than right after the epic collapse of the Red Sox? I say none. Writing is a healthy method for releasing anger, right? Although, I'm still not sure what to feel a little over 24 hours after the Red Sox failed to make the postseason for the second year in a row.
This was supposed to be the year. There was supposed to be no question. They were supposed to win 100 games. Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez were supposed to change everything. The pitching was supposed to be dominant.
Disbelief.
I was so sure of the success of this team that I even neglected watching some games, unlike in previous seasons when I would postpone my social life to watch every pitch. America's pasttime has been losing fans, and it was losing me, too.
That is why I have come to the following conclusion: It is a positive thing that the 2011 Red Sox failed.
(Wait, what?)
Amidst all of the disappointment and frustration, the team's collapse teaches true baseball fans a valuable lesson -- that baseball at its purest is still a lovable game despite all of its criticism. Baseball is a dying breed because it has been dubbed "slow" and "lazy" by writers and fans alike. The 2011 AL and NL Wild Card races proved that it can still entertain the masses, including so-called "pink hat" fans. (Side note: They make my life miserable. Do everyone a favor and stop pretending that you know what you're talking about.)
The tidal wave of outrage over a disappointing end to this season may wash away those fair-weathered fans and leave only long-time Sox lovers etched in the sand. After all, Red Sox baseball has always been about pain, suffering, and loyalty -- three things that post-2004 and -2007 fans could never understand. It's as if the Red Sox have become a fashion statement in Boston, much like the Yankees in New York, and now it's back out of style.
Now not only will the team lose fans, but it will lose players as well. After the final inning of game 162, the NESN cameras panned over the dugout; every player sported wide eyes and sinking heads. They were lost and had already given up. An abysmal 7-20 record in September proved too deep a hole of which to climb out.
I have always believed that team chemistry represents a greater factor in success than individual statistics, even in baseball. One of the reasons I don't know how to feel now that the season is over is because I never grew attached to the players like I have in previous seasons. This team showed no character especially down the stretch even with the amiable Dustin Pedroia as its leader.
David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon, and Jacoby Ellsbury are the three big names that threaten to leave before the beginning of next season. Epstein has acknowledged his interest in keeping Ortiz and Papelbon, who are both coming off productive years and have been "character" guys in the past. If Theo can remove some excess baggage (that's you, J.D. Drew) and acquire scrappy players who will help uplift the morale in the clubhouse, the team will succeed. It's hard to loathe a group of players who lose but have remained positive all season. Epstein proved he could attract the big-name free agents before the season, so now it's time to acquire the glue that will hold the image of this team together.
That starts with keeping Terry Francona. He and Epstein met Friday to discuss the future of the manager and have yet to make an announcement. His contract is up on October 8 and includes an option for 2012. Many reports on Twitter have already written the manager off, saying there is no future with the team. There are conflicting reports, however, so nothing is definite yet.
Tito has always been a players' manager, so to think he lost respect in the clubhouse is hard to swallow. The players are at fault for not striving to end the win-less drought; Francona is just an easy target on which to place the blame. Epstein's intricate data analysis software could not predict the human element in baseball for once. His big plans did not pan out, and he needs to share the blame. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that the egotistical General Manager of the Red Sox will admit defeat.
But does it really matter who had a bad year and where to point the finger? The bottom line is that the 2011 season did not play out like it was expected to, and fans are losing interest in their once-beloved team. But it's a good thing. This team needs a wake-up call. Money will get them nowhere without character and endurance.
I dream that the 2012 Red Sox team is made up of a bunch of Kevin Millar's who would do anything for the love of the game. The question is: Wouldn't you?
Disclaimer: I apologize for the (un)timeliness of this article; almost two full days later, and it seems like many fans have already moved past the bitter feeling left in their mouths. But I am a working girl, and unfortunately, sports writing is not (yet) my full-time job. If Francona is indeed out, do you think Theo would hire someone with absolutely no experience, and a woman nonetheless?
