The Boston Red Sox have had a nightmare of a season but their star designated hitter is doing his part to help them win and keep the clubhouse positive.
Red Sox superstar J.D. Martinez will likely be in the news daily for the rest of the season. With a chance to opt-out of his current deal looming, many will keep an eye on every action and word that comes from the DH. One thing that he’s trying to do while in Boston is to keep the vibe positive during an otherwise miserable season.
While speaking to the media after Monday night’s heartbreaking loss to the Indians J.D. made it pretty clear that he’s doing what he can to keep the locker room loose. With the way that this season has progressed, I don’t think anyone would be shocked to find out things are dark in the Red Sox clubhouse. But all signs point to the opposite and even with the losses piling up the team seems rather positive that they still have a puncher’s chance.
Red Sox Nation will have a close eye on Martinez through the rest of the season waiting to see what his next move will be. If one thing is certain it’s his obvious love of this team and its fans as he always tries to put smiles on faces. And despite the performance in the standings, J.D. is having another strong season and is currently riding a 12-game hit streak while in Cleveland.
"“I think we just kind of continue to have fun, continue to try to keep the clubhouse loose,” Martinez said. “There’s two ways we could do it. We can hang our heads down and feel sorry for ourselves or we can keep going out there every day, battling, having fun and enjoying it.”"
Having a strong mindset will be beyond important if the Red Sox are hoping to make any jumps in the standings. If the team were to give up and get down on themselves then that may as well be like raising the white flag to surrender. What J.D. said is exactly what Red Sox Nation wants to hear, they’re not giving up and rolling over, they’re still willing to fight.
There are only 40 games left in the year and the Red Sox have a chance, it’s slim, but there’s a chance. Boston is currently 8.5 games back in the wild card race as they’re playing a day game against Cleveland currently. If they can take another game from the Indians then they can ride some momentum back to Fenway Park especially with Baltimore coming to town.
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Morale can raise the tide or sink the ship depending on which way it’s flowing. J.D. Martinez is doing everything he can both on the field and off to keep the Red Sox in the highest spirits. Whether it be celebrating with teammates after a big hit or wheeling a karaoke machine into the clubhouse to get the party started, he’s doing it all. His positivity can be a key to the Red Sox making their final charge.
This season isn’t over and if Boston can keep their energy up then they have an opportunity to make some magic happen. Just look at the Indians, they were out of their race and are now just a half-game back of the Twins. Baseball can be a magical and cruel game all in the same inning, Monday was an example of that. As long as the Sox keep the fight then the season isn’t over, and J.D. Martinez is bringing that fight.