I just read
this family conversation from October 2011. Pretty interesting to review it all in hindsight, especially the sheer rage everyone was feeling at Lackey at that time. I had forgotten just how intense it was and now that I remember, I'm amazed that he managed to redeem himself.
9 comments:
Pretty amazing change, huh? Interesting how much we wrote about a team we hated, compared to how much we've written about a team that has had mind-blowing success. Also amazing that we wrote that after 2011, and sat there through 2012 when then lost 93 games with Bobby F'ing Valentine at the helm, and are still around for this season (though this team would win anybody over).
Pretty funny that my plans after the 2011 season were:
"Dump Lackey...Look into dumping Beckett...goodbye to Wake, Tek, Drew and Papi...Pick up Scutaro's option...sign Papelbon to a long term deal...Build a team around Pedroia, Gonzalez, Ellsbury, Papelbon, Crawford, and Lester..."
Goodbye to Papi? Dump Lackey? 2013 would have looked pretty different.
Shouldn't be a very interesting off-season for the Sox (though it'll be interesting to see how the Yankees handle their major roster crunch). I don't expect any drastic FA signings. Hopefuly they can keep Ellsbury and Napoli in the mix, and possibly Drew. They'll have to figure out catcher, too (I get the impression they're not dying to bring Salty back). Lots of young players in the mix for next season (Baseball America ranked the Sox #1 on a list of teams with the best upper-level minor league system with players ready to contribute - pretty crazy for a team that just won the World Series). 2014's team will hopefully look much like it did this year, though I expect a few minor changes here and there.
First thing to do is to trade back for Iglesias. Iglesias and bogarts are interchangeable on the left side of the infield. :) Yes, I'm kidding, but also, no, I'm not.
Well, we all were down on Lackey for sure. But it's a good illustration of the pressures these guys face. Lackey wasn't right in 2011. His choices were to go out and try, ultimately looking bad, or to beg off and say, "Something's wrong," and face being called a head case or a sissy like Buchholz and Ellsbury have been.
I would like to say, in my own defense, that I got on Lackey's side in 2012, when Pedroia and others complained about the press Lackey got, saying that he was a great guy and a wonderful teammate. That really was good enough for me.
All of this also illustrates how it isn't possible to predict the future with any reliability. You can have all the metrics you want, but when it comes to stocks, or oil, or baseball, you're more likely to be wrong than right.
The Roku solved the NESN thing. I really liked that. I hope Remy doesn't come back. I don't dislike him, I just don't think he's that good.
I still can't stand the owners. The Red Sox will never be the same for me after their over the top display of emotion when Ted Kennedy died, calling him an american hero. The guy was a turd, and the furthest thing from a hero that there could be, and I'll never be able to entirely forgive the RS for that. I do still love the baseball, but the emotional investment isn't the same.
Thanks for posting this Mom! I remember my Lackey rage quite well. I wasn't ready to get over it until this year when he came back in such good shape for spring training. I was really bummed about Tito.
It's pretty amazing what's happened since the 2011 collapse, but I have to say I didn't find their 2013 success to be as surprising as most. Not that I would've called them to lead the majors in wins and win the World Series, of course, but I did think going in that they'd have a decent shot at making the playoffs and would almost certainly be at least a .500 team. The 2012 team really wasn't as bad as their record suggested, and the signings of Napoli, Victorino, and Drew were really smart. In the end, 2012 looks more fluky to me than 2013.
Repeating looks like it will be extremely difficult. I don't think either Ellsbury or Drew will come back. Ellsbury led the team in WAR and I don't see any obvious ways that his abilities can be replaced by spreading small upgrades around the team. Bogaerts could be a superstar, but Drew and Iglesias combined for some pretty awesome production from SS this past year, so I'm not sure how much of an upgrade he'll be able to provide. Plus, I don't think we can expect Victorino to have another career year at the age of 33. Would be nice if he did, though.
If both Drew and Ellsbury go, I hope they just decide to rely on JBJ in center, Bogey at SS, and Middlebrooks at 3rd, spend a bit of money to get a decent 5th starter and a couple quality bullpen arms. Put Doubront in the bullpen. It loooked like it came really naturally to him during the playoffs.
Maybe they could bring back Youkilis, too....
God the owners are so awful, aren't they? They just about completely ruined the moment after the Red Sox won the World Series with their long, drawn-out, awkward remarks on the podium after the last game. John Henry has apparently never seen smoke before. They should've either said nothing at all and been off behind the scenes. Or if they really wanted to say something, they should have had one, combined, brief, prepared statement to give and then gotten out of the way. Do they really think people turn the TV on to watch them?
Yeah, why don't they stfu?
But, there is a positive side: They revived the brand. Three world series wins in 10 years. Green Monster seats which I can't afford. Good community types.
Still I can't stand 'em.
Post a Comment