The 2013 Red Sox have quickly put the bad memories from 2012 in the rear view mirror with their lumberjack beards, high fives, and helmet punts. The antics make this the most likeable Sox team in some time, and begs the question of how much the improved attitude in the clubhouse and around the team have bred success on the field.
Buster Olney wrote about this very topic earlier this week (ESPN Insider only). The money quote from the article: “the Red Sox team that seemed to hate coming to work in 2012 now appears to relish each day… to hang out and live and work and breathe baseball.” He’s making the argument that there’s a direct link between the improved chemistry in the clubhouse and the improved performance on the field.
In some ways, he could have led the article with two stats and dropped the mic: the Sox lead the majors in runs scored, and their team ERA has improved from 4.72 last season to 3.95 this season. These improvements mean the Sox lead the American League in run differential. Scoring more runs than your opponents? I’m going out on a limb here and saying that’s an effective way to win baseball games.
These are real, tangible reasons leading to the improved record. Another difference to look at is the talent on the field. No one was blown away by the free agent acquisitions the Sox made in the offseason, but these signings filled holes all over the roster. They also improved the depth, helping the Sox withstand injuries to Stephen Drew, David Ross and Clay Buchholz.
The Sox this year get above average production from every position on the field, especially since Jose Iglesias has gone all rookie year Nomar on us. All of the Sox regular position players (yes, even Stephen Drew) are at 1.0 WAR or higher for the season so far. Four out of the five members of the starting rotation (the lone exception being Ryan Dempster) are above 1.0 WAR. The Sox are a deep, talented club.
This certainly wasn’t the case last year, and team chemistry didn’t have everything to do with it. The bullpen was in shambles before the season started once Andrew Bailey went on the DL. The team lost Jacoby Ellsbury for a big chunk of the season a few weeks later. These injuries stretched roster depth in a way the club wasn’t prepared for.
The death blow for the 2012 club was the double whammy of losing David Ortiz to the DL and the trade of Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez to the Dodgers. The trade has certainly worked out well for the Sox, and Ortiz has returned healthy this season. I’m just pointing out that the team wasn’t quite as bad as the 93 losses suggest. Any team that loses four regulars from their roster at one time is going to struggle.
The final change this season was bringing in John Farrell as manager. His tenure so far has been remarkable for the sheer lack of media firestorms he has had to deal with (knock on wood). The major storylines for all the other Boston teams have been part of this, but Farrell’s calm, placid leadership style is a welcome change from the daily absurdities of Bobby V.
John Farrell has kept things calm so far this season. Photo by Kelly O’Connor, sittingstill.net
I have tons of respect for Buster Olney, and even feel a bond with him having grown up in Vermont as well. I just think in crafting this narrative that chemistry is the main reason for the team’s success, he’s missing the real reasons why the Sox are winning.
I’m not arguing that the improved chemistry doesn’t help the team. I would certainly rather work in a friendly environment rather than one where I might get criticized by my boss all the time. The Sox are certainly much more fun to watch this season, with the team’s personality shining through on a nightly basis. I just think the improvement is more due to the increased talent level and better health for key players than it is to high fives and showing up early to work.
I was working on my article this morning and then noticed Jonah Keri’s excellent article on Grantland about the Red Sox. I think we came at this idea from different ways, but he reaches the same conclusion: this is a good team. The front office may have looked at character as one of the factors when bringing in free agents this offseason, but what they did best was find players who fit the needs of the team. The trade with the Dodgers was also a massive factor in giving the team financial flexibility and improving their prospect depth.
I live in Houston and watch the Astros on a regular basis. They might be the greatest guys on Earth, but half the roster shouldn’t be playing in the big leagues. All the clubhouse chemistry in the world doesn’t help when the talent isn’t on the field. I’m sure the Red Sox players are good guys, and that’s one element of the team’s success. When it comes to winning, though, talent often trumps attitude.
In the end, chemistry is a difficult thing to measure because there is no way to quantify it. Does the improved attitude mean the team wins five more games? Ten? While team chemistry remains an intangible, there were concrete decisions and additions made this offseason that have brought a first place team to Boston, and that’s a great thing no matter the formula.