I vividly remember the 2011 season, when the Red Sox famously collapsed coming down the stretch to miss the playoffs. Yankees fans refused to hear, let alone listen to any sentiment that even hinted at any sort of positivity with regards to the 2011 Red Sox season. In didn’t matter that the Red Sox were 81-40 – one of the highest winning percentages in baseball history over a 120+ game stretch – through more than 3/4 of the season. Nope, it just didn’t matter.
I’m happy to say that in the last week, the tides have begun to turn.
The Yankees first place finish, fancy record, and all of their superstars are no longer seen in the positive light they should be – now the negativity is all the focus. It’s not just Red Sox fans looking at the Yankees this way – it’s seemingly the whole country. Following arguably the worst offensive performance in ALCS history, the Yankees are is disarray. They weren’t not clutch; they were pitiful. The highest paid player in MLB history suddenly needs to be moved and is flirting with girls in the stands during playoff games. Bros throughout New York who have for years worshipped Nick Swisher are now calling for his head. Curtis Granderson’s 43 home runs suddenly don’t matter, but his .232 average and 195 strikeouts do. Derrick Jeter and Mariano Riveria are old as dirt, just two of the veterans on the oldest roster in baseball.
What are the Yankees to do? I don’t know, but I’m happy to say that their biggest division rival has taken a significant step towards righting their own ship. John Farrell is coming back to Boston, and yes, he is the right man to lead a rebuilding Red Sox franchise.
Let’s start by getting a few things straight – John Farrell is not Terry Francona. He’s not as charismatic, he’s not a “players manager” to the extent that Tito was. But he is a guy that’s respected by the veterans, who can handle pitchers, and who is solid at evaluating talent. While Farrell had some mixed results in his years managing Toronto, it should be noted that other teams were quick to gobble him up and make him a big league manager – the Red Sox aren’t the only ones that see something in this guy. Perhaps more importantly, Farrell served as the Director of Player Development for the Cleveland Indians from 2001 to 2006. In 2003 and 2004 Cleveland would be voted the “Organization of the Year” by Sports Weekly. In 2003 the same publication voted Cleveland as having the best farm system in baseball.
Don’t get me wrong – John Farrell is no savior, and I don’t think he’ll ever be what Terry Francona was to the organization. But that’s also not a fair comparison. What I do think Farrell will bring is stability, a bit more rigidity, and an eye for evaluating young talent – which is exactly what the Red Sox need. He’ll also immediately garner the respect that Bobby Valentine never could.
All in all, Mike Aviles is a solid infielder but I’m happy to sacrifice him to bring in this much more important piece of the puzzle. Red Sox rebuilding? So far, so good.
You make me laugh, I mean I get why you are talking about Yankee chemistry and their pitiful ALCS; thats American League Championship Series in case you Boston folk forgot about the play off acronyms, I know its been a while. Being a Red Sox fan you have to make yourself feel good about something, but lets have some consistancy here
It seems as if you are talking way out of both sides of your mouth. You cant keep pointing at how good the Red Sox were for a who gives a crap 120 games in 2011 while discounting the Yankee success. The Yankees were pitiful for 4 games in October while having the best record in the league for the year, not just a stretch of it.
And by the way, since the Greatest Baseball Team Since The Ruth Era Yankees! went the “telling your kids about it” 81-40 the Red Sox are 83-117. That is the definitition of pitiful. That is why no one cares about them winning alot of games in June and July over a year ago.
As far as the Red Sox getting their man, this is who it seems the fans and ownership wanted. Why? I am not exactly sure. The accolades you mention above were from ten years ago, he never had great success in Toronto, despite having some good talent. And who is this guy managing? This is a group that has gone 34 games under 500 in the last year and a half. Even if this guy is the savior, which you say he is not, I dont see much tide change in the East.
There’s going to need to be change when you hit .075 in the playoffs.
There is change every year. Unless swisher took a huge discount he was gone even before his horrible playoffs. If any team came to the Yankees at the deadline asking about a rod they would have jumped on it.
The Yankees had a tough week. The Red Sox have had a tough year plus. Signing a well liked by the fans and what 5 players that played for him manager, who has a losing record and has never finished above 4th in the same division he is in now doesn’t change the “tide” of the east
I’d argue that the 120 game stretch in 2011 is a pretty damn good sample size of how good a team is – the 2011 Red Sox just imploded in an untimely fashion. Much like the 2011 Yankees, although the comparison I’m making is not that these are equal downfalls (they’re not, at all). To discount Farrell’s accomplishment’s earlier in his career is absurd. You haven’t been working long enough to be a fair comparison, but if your dad had a ton of success 6-10 years ago do you think it would be fair of his current employer to completely discount that success because it was in the past? I think not.
120 games is not a good sample at all if they go on to be 83-117 in the 200 games after that.
Since 2003 the Indians have had 2 winning records, and if it was not for the Royals would have finished in last place more often then not. So maybe sports weekly had no idea what they are talking about.
I dont think my dad, farell, or really anyone would be thumping his chest saying, for the last two years I was not good at the position you just hired me for. but ten years ago I got awards, no not for the position you hired me for, for building up the future of the company. And that company has been pretty terrible with that future I built.
Lets say just for fun the cubs won the 04 and 07 world series. Their pitching coach goes on to manage the blue jays to back to back 4th place finishes and not being over 500, and then the Red Sox hire him, you are not thrilled about this signing.
How about the beloved Joe Girardi? He had a pitiful career and one year of managerial experience when the Yankees hired him – but he was a good fit, which is what’s important.