Time to Panic in Boston? That Depends on Your Viewpoint
The Boston Red Sox have 156 games left to play. When you look at it that way, it would be ridiculous to say Red Sox Nation needs to start panicking. Whether a team is 6-0 or 0-6, the fact that less than four percent of the season’s games have been played should tell you all you need to know — absolutely nothing. There are plenty of reasons the Red Sox should turn things around and go on a massive run. There are other reasons Boston fans should be very, very concerned.
A record of 0-6 should not frighten Sox fans. A roster full of question marks and unproven superstars should. Take Adrian Gonzalez out of the equation. He is the only player on the team that has played well over this atrocious stretch and he’s going to mash all year. But what about Carl Crawford? What about John Lackey? What about Josh Beckett? What about Jonathan Papelbon? How about Jacoby Ellsbury?
I’m convinced Crawford won’t live up to his contract. He isn’t a $20 million per year player. That doesn’t mean he won’t have some great years in Boston, but people will end up crying that he’s overpaid at some point. Tampa certainly had some great teams with Crawford, but until he proves he can handle the spotlight of playing for a franchise with an actual fan base, Sox fans should feel uneasy. That could happen next week, it could happen next season, and there’s an outside chance it could never happen. It wouldn’t be the first time.
The same goes for John Lackey, only his situation is even more alarming because he struggled last season. The Angels have a fairly strong following, but nothing compared to the magnitude of Boston’s fans and media. The contract the Red Sox gave him is that of a front-line starter, not a pitcher with a 4.40 ERA and 14 wins. Lackey’s a gamer and a fierce competitor, but at this point he has yet to prove he can handle AL East hitters.
Beckett’s postseason numbers prove he can handle the spotlight, but he was once the Red Sox’s definitive ace. That is no longer the case, as he hasn’t been lights-out Beckett since the Sox won the World Series in 2007. Theo Epstein and company rewarded him for giving them a hometown discount with his first contract extension back by giving him an extension that will pay him slightly more than Lackey over the next four years. Unless he can bounce back from his abysmal 2010 in which he posted a 5.78 ERA, it will be reasonable to wonder if his best days are behind him.
Of the players I chose to single out, that leaves Papelbon and Ellsbury. Papelbon clearly lost a step last season and is all but certain to be out of a Red Sox uniform in 2012. That doesn’t mean they can’t use him this year. Daniel Bard is not yet ready to become the team’s closer and Bobby Jenks is as much a mystery as Pap at this point. Boston needs the old Papelbon to show up at some point in 2011 in order to have success. Ellsbury was on fire all spring training and turned into the talk of the town during March as he locked down the leadoff role. Through six games of stink, he’s posted a batting average of .167. More importantly, Jacoby has struck out seven times. That number will need to slow down if he’s to be an effective leadoff guy.
The point is the 2011 Red Sox are stacked — if the new faces can take the heat and the old faces can be themselves again. Unfortunately for Boston, we can’t say the 2011 Red Sox are in a slump. They have yet to win a single game as a team, meaning they are a bad team until further notice, not a slumping powerhouse. If you’re a member of Red Sox Nation and want something to stress about, worry about the uncertainty surrounding so many of Boston’s big names — not the 0-6 start to 2011.
Photos: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
