Sox Return to the Post-Season

A year ago, who among us thought that we’d see the Red Sox playing in this fall’s post-season, let alone sitting atop the AL East? (Haters take note: someone else will be hosting next year’s Haters Ball.) But one year after their worst record in decades, here we are at the end of September, looking forward to baseball in October. In my lifetime, there has not been a single season where the record improved so dramatically over the previous year. Not only that, but Boston has the best record in all the majors, with many pundits placing them at the top of their power rankings. And with Buckholz back in the rotation, and Ellsbury slated to rejoin the lineup, maybe the team will be healthy as they open the ALDS in a little more than a week.

 

Everyone is compiling lists of the reasons the Sox turned things around this summer. Surely the front office had a lot to do with it, as did John Farrell, who seems to have guided the team masterfully.  But my two favorite reasons are the beards (remember how 2004 was the year of all that crazy hair?) and Koji Uehara. His numbers this year are ridiculous: .130 batting average against him; 99 Ks against only 9 walks all season; a miniscule .57 WHIP; and a Gibsonesque 1.12 ERA. Not only that, but his numbers have gotten better as the season has progressed. He reminds me of Okejima in 2007. Neither had overpowering stuff, but both were hard for opposing batters to figure out. Let’s hope he remains a mystery for another five or six weeks.

 

In August, I had the pleasure of watching the Sox beat the Yankees on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, along with Mike and John, and a bunch of John’s buddies. We sat on top of the left field roof; I think it’s called the terrace. We were up so high, we looked down on the monster seats; and the seats were so steep, that when we first sat down, I felt like we’d almost tumble out onto the field if we weren’t careful. Lackey outpitched Kuroda; Papi hit a home run to dead center; and Pedroia made about six sparkling plays in the field. The sun was setting on Boston’s skyline as the game drew to a close. As gorgeous as the day was, and as well as they had played that afternoon, we still didn’t imagine them pulling away from the always competitive AL East. There was a west coast swing ahead, and then a brutal September schedule. We’d tried to keep things in perspective.

 

Another personal highlight was a chance to see several Sox up close and personal at Frontier Field here in Rochester, when the PawSox came to town to play the Red Wings. Middlebrooks played third base that night, and Jackie Bradley Jr. (JBJ) was out in center. But for me, the most interesting thing was a chance to see Bogaerts before he was called up. He didn’t show much at the plate that night, and he actually had one careless play – not scored an error – that let a runner advance. But all in all, one could see that he wasn’t long for triple A. I had previously thought that Boston made a mistake letting Iglesias get away, but now I can see why they allowed that to happen. In ways, it’s frustrating to see so many former Sox doing so well on other teams, but maybe it’s just a sign of the strength of the farm system. Also, maybe the front office will now realize that it’s a waste of money to throw enormous sums at most free agents. I know the Dodgers are doing well with Boston’s high priced cast-offs, but Boston is doing even better with far less expense. And from what I read, Cherington has decided that character is a prerequisite, before he’ll even consider negotiating to sign anyone. And if this year’s team is an indication, and not just enormously good luck, than perhaps that signals a shift in the team’s personnel philosophy going forward.

 

My hope is to keep the blog active once more, kind of a New Year’s resolution. I still have not told the story of the best wine in Israel; nor have I posted about several great whiskies we’ve tasted this past year. So much to talk about, and so little time. But for now, let’s just leave it at this: Go Sox.