Are these 2013 Red Sox for real? They of the MLB-leading 18-7 record with one more game left in April? One could be forgiven for thinking this is all just a lovely dream, given all that has happened in recent years. After all, they just came off a season that was their worst in over four decades, a season that made them the laughingstock of baseball after a late season collapse the year before and a few years of steady decline before that. You think one off-season can fix all that had been ailing the team and the franchise as a whole for the past several years?
Well, let's take a look at what the Red Sox have done to clean house: They traded some high-profile malcontents (Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Adrian Gonzalez) to the Dodgers for Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa, and assorted others. They promptly gave the passive-aggressive skipper of the 2012 shipwreck, Bobby Valentine, the axe after the season ended and hired (well, traded for) familiar face John Farrell as the new manager. Farrell, along with GM Ben Cherington, replaced the 2012 coaching staff, taking Torey Lovullo and Brian Butterfield from his staff in Toronto and hiring Juan Nieves, Greg Colbrunn, Victor Rodriguez, and former PawSox manager Arnie Beyeler. Cherington brought in free agents with a positive clubhouse reputation along with some pretty good baseball skills.
Compared to their recent predecessors, particularly the 2011 and 2012 teams, the 2013 Red Sox came into the season with less lofty expectations and more preparation for Opening Day. They were determined to get this season started on the right foot and they made their statement by going 4-2 during the first week of the season. It's a far cry from 0-6 or 1-5! They experienced some letdown in their first home series against the O's, but bounced back by sweeping the Rays, then the Indians. A 13-0 loss against the A's on a miserable, cold rainy night didn't dampen their spirits either; they won the "rubber match" the next day to take the series from Oakland, then they took care of business against the Astros with a 4-game sweep.
Can they keep this torrid pace up? Most likely not, if only because it's next to impossible to play over .700 ball over the course of a 162-game season. However, there have been some good signs in this first month that this team can be a surprise contender:
1. It all starts with the pitching. Maybe it's the return of former pitching coach John Farrell, albeit in the role of manager, that has Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz performing like it's 2010 again. Maybe Juan Nieves, their current pitching coach deserves some credit also. Ryan Dempster has pitched well in the #3 spot and Felix Doubront is showing some improvement in his ability to pitch deeper into games in his last two starts. John Lackey, who has made only two starts due to bicep inflammation has been better than expected in his return from Tommy John surgery.
2. John Farrell has brought stability, respect, and unity back to the clubhouse. Not being Bobby Valentine helps, but Farrell had a rapport with many key players on the team even before he became manager. I was skeptical in the off-season when the Red Sox were searching for their new manager that Farrell was the right man for the job, given his record in Toronto and that annoying compensation issue that had become a joke after compensation for Theo Epstein dragged out for months. However, Farrell seems to have restored order in the clubhouse and commanded the respect of the players.
3. Character counts. There are no players with the cache of Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, or Prince Fielder in the 2013 Red Sox lineup, but they are near the top of the league in runs scored nonetheless. They have shown a resilience that the 2011 and 2012 teams lacked. After a 13-zip loss to the A's last week, the 'll and '12 teams would have dropped that Wednesday afternoon game and lost the series. They probably would have managed only a split with the Astros as well.
Guys like Daniel Nava, the feel-good story of the 2010 season, epitomize what resilience is about. When healthy, Nava is a legit major-leaguer, despite being cut by his college team and not being drafted, relying on the independent leagues for professional baseball experience. He was an "out of the box" pickup for the Red Sox and he has worked his ass off to improve his plate approach and his defense. Surround him with other players who put the team first and good things will happen.
There is still a lot of work to be done in this young season and being on top in April doesn't necessarily mean they'll be on top at the end of September. They will need to keep beating the weaker teams and holding their own against the stronger ones in order to return to the playoffs for the first time in four years. Staying healthy is essential, as is having quality depth in AAA. Could they be this season's answer to the 2012 Baltimore Orioles, Oakland A's, or Washington Nationals? I'm looking forward to finding out.
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