John Lackey (Photo: Samara Pearlstein)
Dear Evan and Chip,
Hi, it’s Scott. I know I haven’t written a lot lately, and I’ve been incommunicado. On the latter, I’m on vacation in San Francisco (I know, I should have told you) but I’m writing anyway because, well, I’m trying to find my Red Sox fandom again.
I hear that the General Managers’ meeting is taking place this weekend. In the past I would have been all over this – from hitting refresh on Twitter every three seconds to devouring every morsel put forth at Rotoworld and MLB Trade Rumors. This year, I just don’t care. Is it just me?
I saw that the Red Sox hired John Farrell to be their new manager. That doesn’t thrill me. I don’t like to go back to the past to try to recreate former glory. “You can’t go home again,” sayeth Thomas Wolfe. I guess that doesn’t count in baseball. It seemed to work for Roy Hobbs.
And David Ortiz signed a two-year deal. Oh. So the Red Sox can get older and slower. At least he’s good in the clubhouse (assuming Bobby V. was lying).
The Sox were interested in the highly respected pitching coach Rick Peterson but ended up hiring the Don Cooper protege in Juan Nieves. Not exciting me. Also, it doesn’t infuriate me.
It also seems that the Red Sox are doing their now annual dance with the Diamondbacks about a possible Justin Upton trade. I’ve followed his career closely, and he’s one to stay away from. He is an infuriating player – superstar one day, scrub the next and indifferent in the field. Red Sox fans would grow to hate him.
The Red Sox signed Terry Doyle and Mitch Maier to minor-league deals. I join Red Sox Nation in saying, ‘who the hell are they?’
Pete Abe tells me that John Henry is shutting his investment company. This may be the biggest news, my friends. The Boston Red Sox, Liverpool Football Club and Fenway Racing Group may be self-sustaining entities, but it always helped to know that there was a bankroll available in tough times. I’m not sure that bankroll exists anymore. I consider the Red Sox to be on the block, and no amount of denial from Yawkey Way will convince me otherwise.
Which leads me back to my original point. I’m finding it hard to care about the team I love. The inmates now have the run of the asylum. They got management to fire two managers. Their mamas should be so proud.
It wouldn’t take a blockbuster trade to get me caring again. Hell, I might look at a big free agent signing as “more of the same.” You know what would get me excited about the Red Sox? Not trading for Justin Upton (and giving up prospects to do it). Not signing the flavor of the month from Japan. Not signing every free agent that Scott Boras can create.
Just play the kids. I want to see Jackie Bradley play in center. I want to see if Jerry Sands can put it all together. Can Rubby (like Rudie) not fail? Can my favorite player’s first name start with an X?
Maybe I’m spoiled. Maybe I’ve become the Yankee fan I’ve despised all these years. Maybe I’m out of my brain on the 5:15. But I really need to care in something again. I feel adrift. And the Red Sox are no longer my anchor.
N.B. – Giants fans really care but winning breeds caring, I already knew that.
P.S. – I’ll try to write more regularly. I promise.
P.P.S. – Oh, the General Managers’ meeting ended today? Sigh.