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Red Sox: An autopsy of what went wrong for the 2017 season

By Rick McNair

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 09: Manager John Farrell of the Boston Red Sox walks through the dugout after being ejected from game four of the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park on October 9, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 09: Manager John Farrell of the Boston Red Sox walks through the dugout after being ejected from game four of the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park on October 9, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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The Boston Red Sox season was a failure. The team was expected to go deep into the playoffs and venture into the World Series. Now for my own quick autopsy of the 2017 season.

BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 5: Dave Dombrowski (Photo by Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 5: Dave Dombrowski (Photo by Rich Gagnon/Getty Images) /

What went wrong for the Boston Red Sox? Despite the loss of David Ortiz, the Red Sox were still considered the American League favorites to cut through the playoffs and advance to the World Series. They were finally victorious in a hotly contested battle for the division crown which they secured in game 161.

The team had added a pitcher who was certainly among the best in either league in Chris Sale. Sale would just be another ace added to a staff that already had two – both Cy Young Award winners in their career and Sale could mean a third. This was for me shaping up like the great Baltimore staff of 1971 that had four 20-game winners.

I expected the Red Sox to do what the Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers did and win 100+ games. On paper, they were just as solid with pitching depth, speed, defensive capabilities, a blend of youth and experience, run-scoring potential and an energized fan base. The expectations were high, and the end results were depressing.

In 2016, it was Cleveland that embarrassed the Red Sox with a quick and humiliating sweep 3-0 that made early October the end of baseball in Boston. This season the process was repeated with just a slight change as the Red Sox managed not to be swept.  Big deal. The manager gets fired and Boston fans get the proverbially “wait until next year.”

Just what went wrong? I have my autopsy of the 2017 season. I have now become what the Yankee fans of the previous century were like – if you don’t win the World Series it has been a disappointing season.

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