So the Boston Red Sox are failing miserably this season. And to an extent, I am glad, oh so very glad.
Let me repeat it, I am very, very, very, very happy.
On the other hand, it makes me wonder how after years of suddenly winning, and actually taking home two World Series titles within the past decade is this franchise falling apart at the seams with very little hope of the future. After four straight years of playoff appearances, they had missed out the last couple years---and a third consecutive year seems to be a reality. 2002 was the last time they missed the playoffs a third straight year.
So what happened? Very simple: The Red Sox lost their identity. They don’t know who they are. They don’t have a personality; they don’t really have a common goal. The collective group of players and managers do not represent Red Sox baseball. The Red Sox used to be those lovable losers that would always try to play bully against their far more successful rival; they used to be that ragtag group of players that so desperately wanted to win they would sacrifice themselves in exchange for a ring.
They no longer have that touch, that desire of momentum. Every team has a personality---years of history, tradition and a blend of the behavior of the city molds the squad into a specific image. And yes, the city does add to the aura of the team. Do you honestly seeing the city of Toronto molding a new version of the Bad Boy Pistons of the 80s and early 90s?
The New York Yankees have that high-class above-the-norm aura of themselves, which is why we hate them so, but is also why they’ve had so much success.
The St. Louis Cardinals have the Hometown look and feel to them, which explains why of course a local becomes the hero (David Freese) in the previous World Series—and why their fans remain the best in the entire sport---seriously those fans are knowledgeable of the farm teams associated with St. Louis.
The Tampa Bay Rays have the personality of the go-for-broke, low-budget, new-school style of baseball that caters to the bay area college crowd---which clashes with all the traditional teams like the Orioles, Phillies, Red Sox, and especially the Yankees.
The Giants have this personality of the subculture rag-tag group of individuals that combine into a formidable team while at the same time appeal heavily to the carefree existential style of San Francisco. Let’s be honest, can you see The Freak, Brian Wilson, and Kung Fu Panda surviving in the confides of Pittsburgh or Kansas City?
The Chicago Cubs are the high-class lovable losers with the extremely dedicated and friendly fanbase that are still waiting for that day in which they can finally win the entire thing. Post-Note If I am running the Cubs, I would be sure to fill the roster and coaching staffs with people that had never ever even gone to the World Series.
So what are the Red Sox now? A Yankee wanna-be. They spent insane money on players that left other teams in hopes of piercing together a championship team. They lack the local flavor of the Boston Celtics and Bruins, they lack the anti-Yankee touch of the Rays, and they now lack the lovable loser feel of the Chicago Cubs. They don’t try to build their teams through minor league farm systems like the Rays, Cardinals, Nationals, and (surprisingly) the Yankees. The Red Sox are an inconsistent mess and didn’t focus on who they were getting. They saw numbers, but didn’t check the personalities attached. Carl Crawford is a low-key ballplayer who spent years far away from the media when engaged with Tampa. Adrian Gonzalez also avoided media exposure because of his time in San Diego.
In order for them to be the Red Sox we know about, they need to be more Boston. They need to have the blue-collar personality they used to pride themselves in. They need more hometown talent, they need more dig-in-the-dirt players that get ugly wins, and biggest of all they need a manager that doesn’t have any New York in them. Bobby Valentine has too much glamor in him—New York and L.A. Now, this Boston team is mismatched, out of sorts, and in need of a makeover.
Or you could just not listen to me and keep losing. I honestly don’t mind.
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