After listening to various opinions on what should & shouldn't have happened or will happen to the Red Sox team I'm offering a few thoughts of my own.
1) Hard Work.
Every player must have worked very hard to get to the major leagues. There is a saying that "the harder I work, the luckier I get." In order to erase a slump players need to work harder than before to overcome a bad stretch of games. It appears that such a work ethic was not put forth by a few players down the stretch.
2) Cancer.
Cancer starts by infecting one cell. Same thing applies to a sports team. It only takes one player to sink the culture of a team. I've seen it as a coach & I've witnessed it as a player. Whether it was Josh Beckett or John Lackey or David Ortiz or someone else who felt entitled to slack off down the stretch - shame on you. You let your team, your organization & your fans down.
3) Change.
Change can be good or it can be bad. The next manager will need to set ground rules of acceptable behavior & enforce whatever rules are established. Without enforcement, however, you have no rules. There must be consequences & it should be financial. He will need to instill a sense of pride in wearing the blue & red uniform & remove the atmosphere of entitlement.
4) Youth.
As I mentioned at the end of the new podcast, I hope the Sox of the future will incorporate the philosophy of the Tampa Bay Rays. Sign & even overpay for the best young talent. Get 5-6-7 years of hustle & improvement as these players work to get to free agency in their late 20's. Then, let them go for $20+ million a year as 30-somethings & start over. Youthful exuberance makes for an intangible, positive effect on a team.
5) Finally, I still say that Dustin Pedroia & Kevin Youkilis are the heart of this team going forward. We need to find 7 more starters like those 2 who will give it everything on a daily basis. If you bust your hump & give it your best, we can live with the results.
Let me know your thoughts.
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