To end the status quo, there was an overhaul in the front office. Now, the spotlight will shine brightly on general manager Ben Cherington and manager Bobby Valentine.
But change has been President Barack Obama‘s slogan since 2008. After his State of the Union address on Tuesday — to discuss issues and goals for 2012 — we took five quotes from Obama’s speech and applied them to the State of the Red Sox heading into the 2012 season.
“So, yes, the world has changed. The competition for jobs is real. But this shouldn’t discourage us. It should challenge us. Remember — for all the hits we’ve taken these last few years, for all the naysayers predicting our decline, America still has the largest, most prosperous economy in the world.”
When Obama conveyed this thought, he was referring to the competitive job market and its ramifications on citizens. That sentiment could connect with the American League, which has become more competitive with Prince Fielder joining the Tigers and Albert Pujols signing with the Angels.
With the Rangers, Yankees and Rays as perennial contenders, it will heighten the battles for the wild card, and the AL landscape has changed. Despite the tougher odds, the Red Sox shouldn’t be discouraged, but should view it as a challenge.
Yes, the pitching staff is suspect. But if the Yankees qualified for the postseason with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, it’s possible for the Red Sox. Plus, this wouldn’t be the first time Boston stunned the world. Remember the 2004 American League Championship Series?
“In the coming year, we’ll also work to rebuild people’s faith in the institution of government. Because you deserve to know exactly how and where your tax dollars are being spent, you’ll be able to go to a website and get that information for the very first time in history. Because you deserve to know when your elected officials are meeting with lobbyists, I ask Congress to do what the White House has already done — put that information online.”
It’s no secret the Red Sox organization took a hit when reports surfaced that players drank beer and ate fried chicken in the clubhouse. That incident, coupled with the September collapse, certainly rocked the fanbase’s trust.
With the addition of Bobby Valentine, culture change is on the horizon in Boston. In the upcoming year, the team should aim to become transparent with fans through social media and other platforms. Considering Valentine’s background with ESPN, it shouldn’t be a problem.
So far, the team already made strides in that direction, organizing Twitter chats for fans to interact with Valentine and Cherington. The upcoming Town Hall Meeting should continue that initiative.
“The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation. … In America, innovation doesn’t just change our lives. It is how we make our living.”
That sounds like Cherington’s message last week, when he discussed shuffling the medical team. While he didn’t blame the medical staff for the nosedive in September, Cherington said the players’ “physical maintenance and care” could’ve improved.
“We got to the point where we feel we needed to make changes to get to the next level,” Cherington said. “There’s two primary objectives –– to increase the level of clinical care in the clubhouse and at the same time, provide the players with traditional day-to-day needs they have to go out on the field and play.”
“We think this staff combines both the best in the traditional baseball world and sort of the next generation of methodology in clinical care.”
As technology improves, the Red Sox should continue to adapt and clearly the team is looking to capitalize on any advantages.
“Maintaining our leadership in research and technology is crucial to America’s success. But if we want to win the future — if we want innovation to produce jobs in America and not overseas — then we also have to win the race to educate our kids.”
This analogy could relate to Boston’s farm system, since the Red Sox are considered the parent club. As the new director of player development, Ben Crockett plans to continue re-tooling and replenishing the farm system.
In recent years, Boston has traded promising prospects for superstars — i.e. Anthony Rizzo and Casey Kelly for Adrian Gonzalez — and while the trades have paid dividends in the majors, it has also stitled the growth of the farm system.
Although the minor league rosters have strong depth, they didn’t have a prospect listed in Baseball America’s recent Top-50 list. A shakeup in the front office and new vision from Crockett could bode well.
“From the earliest days of our founding, America has been the story of ordinary people who dare to dream. That’s how we win the future. We’re a nation that says, ‘I might not have a lot of money, but I have this great idea for a new company.'”
Unlike the majority of Major League Baseball, the Red Sox have a relatively large budget when it comes to spending. During the offseason, however, management has operated conservatively and hasn’t forked over cash for marquee talent.
Instead, the team has inked cheap, veteran pitchers like Aaron Cook, Vicente Padilla, Carlos Silva and Justin Germano. The Red Sox bypassed Carlos Beltran and have settled on Cody Ross. Through it all, fans have conveyed their concern.
This quote from Obama should remind Bostonians that teams with smaller payrolls have succeeded in recent years. The Rays leapfrogged the Red Sox for a postseason spot last year on a limited budget. The Cardinals clinched World Series titles without overspending.
No one could’ve expected Edwin Jackson and Lance Berkman to contribute key performances. How about David Freese, your World Series MVP? He wasn’t a household name entering the 2011 season — far from it.
Despite a low-key offseason, the Red Sox can potentially win the future with an ordinary formula.
Have a question for Didier Morais? Send it to him via Twitter at @DidierMorais or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.
