Boston Red Sox: Living in the September Shadow

A new Red Sox manager is like a new president; the nation is watching. In 2012, Bobby Valentine’s unit suffered a slow start, evoking images of the September slump which sent the Red Sox tumbling out of the playoffs and out of favor with fair-weather and die-hard fans alike.

In 2004, the Red Sox created an identity which was easy to root for. A team filled with scruffy, underdog players playing for a relaxed tobacco-chewin’ manager, the Red Sox embodied an old school brand of baseball. Their villain, the mighty Yankees, played the perfect antagonist: a foe built to be unbeatable with their clean-shaven chins, legendary manager and thoroughly-padded bank accounts.

The Yankees beat the Red Sox like an older brother, taking a three to nothing series lead in the ALCS. Then, the Red Sox won a game. And another. And then two more, completing what will be known as one of the all-time greatest sporting achievements. The scruffy underdogs had just completed the scruffiest of comebacks, and they were doing it under the pretext of breaking an 86-year World Series drought.

They broke the drought and in the process won over a number of fans. They were Charlie Brown, except they kicked the football.

The residue of the 2004 World Series resulted in a record sell-out streak (starting in 2006), an increase in payroll, and the birth of a global brand. The Red Sox were a hot product, and in the years following 2004, everyone was buying. 

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But now, in 2012, the warm glow of that legendary team has faded. The Red Sox have lost the scrappy image and the idea of treating them as an underdog is dead after the provision of exorbitant contracts to John Lackey, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. They currently sit third in spending with a payroll of $173,186,617, behind the Phillies ($174,538,938) and Yankees ($197,962,289).

There’s less and less hair on the Red Sox’s chins.

The September collapse well and truly killed the scrappy image. Fans weren’t watching a team of young, enthusiastic scrappers clawing at the dirt and grass to get into the playoffs, only to ultimately fade to the bigger, meaner teams. Fans were watching a team filled with all-stars and highly paid players. A team which seemed split, with certain veterans coming off as though they couldn’t care less about the team, as though they’d rather be drinking beer and downing chicken than beating the dugout fence and yelling for their comrades.

Some players, like Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz did everything they could to drag the Red Sox over the line. This wasn’t a team with beards, idiots and rebels, it was a team built with expensive free agents and indifferent veterans.

Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek, two members of the ‘04 team, have retired, pushing the Red Sox further from that little brother identity. Wakefield was a converted first baseman with a knuckleball that floated like a bubble in the breeze. Varitek was a no-nonsense general. He was the captain of the Red Sox. For a while, number 33 was the Red Sox: a guy who was never the best hitter or fielder, but seemingly through sheer force of will found a way to compete and win. If you’re feeling meta-basebally, you could say that Varitek pushing Alex Rodriguez in the face was a metaphor for the entire 2004 Red Sox season.

And now he’s gone. And the old-school knuckleballer is gone too. And what’s left started the 2012 season with a 4-10 run. These new Red Sox were the disappointing September Red Sox: overpaid and underperforming. This team is difficult to root for.

They’ve had injuries: Andrew Bailey’s thumb, Carl Crawford’s elbow, Jacoby Ellsbury’s shoulder, Mark Melancon’s confidence, Bobby Jenks’ back, Aaron Cook’s flesh, and a number of other injuries to role players. But they’ve also had Josh Beckett’s injury and subsequent golf outing, the bullpen’s refusal to preserve leads – including an egregious effort against the Yankees in which they yielded an eight run lead – Clay Buchholz’s ERA, and the cloud of that September collapse hanging over every game. To win, you have to be the team with more runs – pretty obvious stuff – but no matter how many runs the Red Sox scored, it didn’t seem to be enough.

But lately, there’s been a change.

David Ortiz led a players-only meeting in which the positional roster called out the pitching roster. It was a bellicose act which was met with equal aggression. By all reports, it was a fiery moment where the pitchers were forced to defend themselves, and did so, as any professional who takes pride in their work would do.

The event had the potential to divide the team. But in reality, the unit was already divided, it just wasn’t entirely apparent. By expressing their disappointment head-on, the Red Sox players showed a level of maturity which should act as an example for all professional athletes.

Instead of passively picking at each other through the media, David Ortiz and his positional posse met the pitchers face-to-face. They argued, they fought, and they’re better for it. Like two great boxers revelling in the aftermath of an epic boxing match, both parties left with a shared sense of respect and admiration. The fire they ignited soldered the team together.

The Red Sox were a unit divided, but they’ve quickly becoming a team united. And while it’s too early to say for sure, the 2012 Red Sox are developing into an exciting baseball story.

The vacant positions left behind by ailing star players have been filled by nobodies and rookies. These players, who aren’t on high salaries, actually seem to be invested in the result of the game. They’re playing and they’re making it look fun, and at the same time they look like they care. They look like they want to win.

If Jason Varitek’s push of A-Rod’s head was a metaphor for the ‘04 Sox, then Daniel Nava’s at-bat against Justin Verlander may be the metaphor for the ‘12 Red Sox.

It was a full count and Verlander had just blown a fastball by Nava at 99 MPH. Verlander, the reigning American League MVP, the best pitcher in baseball, versus Nava; a player whose fame is tied to a first pitch grand slam in his first at-bat. He’s a player who frequently finds himself in Triple-A as the Red Sox start with better remunerated players (Nava’s salary is $400,000). But with injuries to the Red Sox outfield, Nava found himself facing Verlander.

He held the bat out, like a fencer waiting for his opponent’s charge. Verlander’s was 100 MPH on the inner half of the plate. Nava ripped it the opposite way for a bases clearing double. The Red Sox beat Detroit and climbed above .500 with a 25-24 record. The $400,000 player beat the MVP, and when he pulled in to second, he bent down and removed his ankle guard. A simple act free of any excess celebration or choreographed move. This is a Red Sox team which is getting easier to like.

Daniel Bard, the Red Sox’s best reliever, expressed a desire to switch to starting pitcher. Despite a depleted bullpen, the Red Sox have honored Bard’s wish. No one argues that he’s a work in progress, but the Red Sox’s commitment to Bard is admirable. They didn’t bow to pressure from the media or fans; they stuck with their guy, and ultimately might end up reaping the praise of the same media and fans who doubted them.

When Youkilis returned from the disabled list, Valentine had a potentially volatile situation on his hands. They had two positions available for three players. One of those players is paid upwards of $20 million a year and will be playing regardless. The other two are a veteran coming off of injury (a player Valentine had previously criticized) and an exciting rookie who fought for his spot. It was a headache for Bobby Valentine, but with the help of the team he found a way to make it work.

The $20 million dollar player did something special: he put the team before himself and offered to play any position required of him. He could have been stubborn and said he didn’t feel comfortable moving, but he didn’t. Youkilis took over first base and Will Middlebrooks continued to electrify at third. This unusual trio are now a force for the surging Red Sox and the success of Valentine’s strategy is an example of the endearing transformation he and the team have engineered.

Gonzalez’s selflessness was an act of great leadership, and an indication that the clubhouse tension, which so defined the 2011 Red Sox, is fading.

Credit is due to Valentine. He hasn’t seen big league action for 10 years, yet he has the injury-riddled Red Sox playing solid baseball and ready to challenge for the second wild card spot. How he handles his next problem will answer two questions: can the Red Sox shake last year’s September and make the playoffs? And will this be a team worth rooting for? A number of well-paid players are preparing to return from injury and how Valentine coordinates their inclusion will be a defining moment for this unit – and for Valentine’s managerial tenure.

For the Red Sox, they’ll be confident that the return of those players won’t change their current winning chemistry. Crawford and Ellsbury both supported the Red Sox through their injuries and are eager to help the effort. They should slide back in to the lineup to give the Red Sox a stacked outfield with a supporting cast of Nava, Sweeney and Ross in right field.

Andrew Bailey, Chris Carpenter and Mark Melancon could all return to boost a bullpen which has performed well of late. Bailey in particular would booster the starting rotation by allowing Valentine to use Alfredo Aceves in the hybrid starting/relief pitching role he was in last year. The starting pitching of the Red Sox will continue to be a weakness though, regardless of team meetings or injury recoveries. But due to Valentine’s talented trio of Gonzalez, Middlebrooks and Youkilis, new general manager Ben Cherington will have a piece which he can move for pitching.

The better Youkilis performs, the more likely he’ll depart. When the Red Sox were unsure if they could find a spot for him, his trade value was on the floor. He hadn’t performed well before the sore back, and his recent injury history would certainly dissuade teams from making a move for him. If he can continue to perform, and better yet, stay healthy, he’ll be a valuable trade chip for the Red Sox. The addition of a solid starting pitcher could transform the Red Sox from borderline wild card contenders to bona fide AL East threats – either way they’ll be easier to like than the 2011 product.

The Red Sox may have lost the glow of the 2004 team, but they’re beginning to forge a new identity. And even if this Red Sox team isn’t successful, even if they suffer through the year and miss the playoffs, the character they’ve shown through adversity will endear them to their fans. And their fans will love them not for the victories, but for the attitude they show in defeat, and for the effort they put into each game.

The 2012 Red Sox don’t have the beards of 2004, but they’re starting to show a few hairs.

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