Red Sox Players Reporting Early With Something to Prove

Many of the Red Sox players have already reported early to spring training this year in an attempt to get a few workouts in before February 24th when position players are expected to arrive.  The latest was David Ortiz to make his official appearance at spring training Wednesday morning, a full two days before mandatory attendance takes affect.  Ortiz is joined by Jacoby Ellsbury who reported on Tuesday afternoon, Dustin Pedroia, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Carl Crawford, Kevin Youkilis, Jose Iglesias amongst many other prospects.

This is good news for Red Sox fans as it appears that mainly all of the primary position players are showing up this spring with something to prove after last season’s disappointment.

Many critics pointed the finger at the pitchers as the real culprits and to show that they care as well, the top three dogs, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz all showed up well before the pitchers and catchers official deadline.  Buchholz even went as far as to say that many players have a chip on their shoulders this year with something to prove.

With a quiet off season, at least compared to what we’ve come to expect, the Red Sox are already being written off by many within the industry as not having much of a chance to make the postseason.  With arguably the best lineup in baseball and when healthy, one of the best trio of pitchers in the game, a chip on their shoulder and a new firecracker manager, this Red Sox squad could be dangerous.

The word sleeper isn’t necessarily fitting seeing how this club will be the centerpiece of many discussions in April.  The start the Sox get off to will be scrutinized and beaten to death whether it’s good, bad or ugly.  As Josh Beckett said, winning heals everything so a successful April will make many cynics disappear and then it will be business as usual with lofty expectations once again put on this club.

But there will always be a shade of underdog cast on this team for the upcoming season.  With Tampa Bay and the Yankees getting much of the attention and projected top two spots in the AL East, the Tigers in the Central and the Angels and Rangers stealing the show in the AL West, maybe this club can fly under the radar for a better part of the year.  Quietly doing their own thing, winning ball games, staying in the hunt for the division and surprising many along the way.

If we’ve learnt anything in the past couple of years, it’s expect anything.  And maybe that holds true this year.

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