Screen shots of emails sent out by Red Sox ticketing signal a no BS “we get it” attitude within the organization and amongst the players.
If you take into account what the players are saying, how they’re acting and what fans are hearing from the Red Sox ticketing and PR people, the 2013 season – if not a complete turnaround on the field – will decidedly be a 180 degree spin away from the last season. You need only look to the left at the images of Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz used in emails that hit my inbox two weeks ago to see that a sea change is underway in the Red Sox organization. This is a change in attitude and they’re serious. Dead serious.
The 2012 campaign hurt the team and their fans badly in so many ways. It started poorly was dogged by controversy, an unprecedented breakout of injuries and hard feelings that persisted throughout the season that in the end brought a once proud team to its knees. 2013 is another year. If it’s not different it appears it won’t be from lack of trying.
Fully one week prior to the official reporting deadline for pitchers and catchers Jon Lester, John Lackey, Daniel Bard, Clay Buchholz, Daniel Nava, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Andrew Bailey, Andrew Miller, Ryan Lavarnway and Manager John Farrell have all been spotted at JetBlue Park in Fort Meyers, FL. This in not your 2012 team ladies and gentlemen. Count your blessings.
While not putting all the pieces together in the offseason Boston was the busiest of all major league teams from November to January, making a multitude of player changes, plugging holes, negotiating hard and completely turning over their coaching staff.
Red Sox fans are very hopeful that Dustin Pedroia, who gutted out a season of slightly down numbers in 2012 due to a torn adductor muscle in his thumb yet still chose to play the season ending series against the Yankees with a broken finger because he knew it had playoff implications for both the Yankees and the Orioles, will be back to his usual bulldog self from the get go.
During Boston’s 2012 spring training Will Middlebrooks recalled, “We were all taking ground balls. He (Pedroia) was in a competition with one of the shortstops – who wouldn’t miss any balls – and the kid missed a ball.
"This is at like 9 a.m., like the first week of spring training, and [Pedroia’s] just screaming at him. ‘You stink!’ ” That’s what I’m talking about! Get ’em Pedey – WOOF!"
With all the offseason shakeups after the big 2012 letdown I haven’t even seen a Red Sox player on the field yet and I already feel better about 2013. Soon, they’ll need to prove it. For this week, I’ll take changes in attitude at their new Florida latitude.
It’s these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
Nothing remains quite the same
With all of our running and all of our cunning
If we couldnt laugh we would all go insane
– Changes in Lattitudes, Changes in Attitudes, Jimmy Buffet