Ryan Lavarnway will rejoin the Red Sox on Monday when they begin a seven-game road trip. The rest of Pawtucket will forge on into the International League playoffs, which begin later in the week.
While there is a healthy respect in the organization for what the PawSox have accomplished, the needs of the big league club always come first. Hence the call-up of Pawtucket's top slugger.
"I think we have to be realistic; what we do here is more important," Terry Francona said Sunday at Fenway Park. "That's not taking anything away from what they're doing."
Lavarnway, who hammered his 32nd home run of the year (18 with Pawtucket) in Saturday night's division-clinching win for the PawSox, is the second player to be called up since September began. Lefty Felix Doubront joined the team on Thursday.
For the time being, that will be it, unless Francona feels a strong need for some depth at a particular position. If not, Pawtucket will play on with what it has and the guys who are there can continue to get regular innings and regular at-bats.
They can also get something else.
By striving to win together, the players coming up through the system can get a sense of what it takes to band together for a common goal, something that cannot be discounted in the development process.
"I think it's good. I think it's real good, actually," Francona said. "The young kids that come up together, they have that feeling, I don't know if it's family, but that togetherness that you only have with the guys you come up through the minor leagues with, I think it's terrific.
"In the player development, you never sacrifice the development for winning, but when they are able to win, I think it's really good for them."
The PawSox begin the playoffs Wednesday. They could play until Sept. 17 at the latest.
