The Boston Red Sox finally got the results of the MLB’s investigation into the 2018 season. Principal owner John Henry shared his thoughts soon after.
After months of waiting, the Red Sox finally learned their fate as MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred released his report on the 2018 season. In the grand scheme of things, the organization made out pretty good as its penalties were pretty minor, other than losing a second-round pick in a shortened draft year. The team released a statement soon after the findings were made public but then Principal Owner John Henry shared his thoughts.
Henry spoke with Alex Speier of The Boston Globe yesterday and was apologetic for the behavior of the team and was accepting of the punishment that was handed down. The Red Sox boss doesn’t always get the best shake from fans and has often been held responsible for the negatives surrounding the team.
Many forget that the trophies starting making their way to Fenway Park once Henry and the rest of the Fenway Sports Group took over. Red Sox Nation will be quick to vilify the ownership group while being beyond reluctant to give them praise for what they’ve done. Which makes what Henry said to Speier that much more meaningful in my eyes as his focus was on the fans.
"“What I regret most about all of this beyond the toll it took on our organization is the position it put our fans in — having for months to wonder if the 2018 championship could actually be the result of unfair play,” Henry said."
Now, I’m sure the second some members of the Fenway Faithful read that they instantly scoffed at the notion that Henry gives a damn about them. Deep down I truly feel that he does. Do I always agree with how he and his team run things? Absolutely not.
However, I can also see how a career businessman would continue to run things as if they were just another business. You don’t get to his level of success without being calculated and taking emotion out of the equation.
Manfred’s investigation into the Red Sox began way back in January and finally saw its completion this week. Oddly enough, it took much longer to finish this case than it did for the MLB to nail the Astros for their wrongdoings. It wasn’t for a lack of trying as numerous current and former players and employees were interviewed, there merely wasn’t enough substance to find.
Henry’s other focus was to make sure that fans know that nothing of poor behavior happened during the 2018 postseason. Manfred’s office made that known early as well since the replay rooms were monitored by league officials in October.
Granted I think it’s a little odd that J.T. Watkins was fingered as the villain in all of this, but it may have come down to the league needing someone to be the bad guy. Unfortunately, he’ll be suspended for 2020 but the Red Sox have made it known that they will keep him on the staff once his suspension is complete, just under a different position.
Many will still think that the Red Sox did something wrong during that postseason run but if the league had eyes in the replay rooms, then it would’ve been impossible. Again, that was the second big speaking point of Henry’s message. The 2018 championship was won fair and square and there isn’t a single ounce of dirt on that trophy.
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"“It’s clear from the report that these isolated occurrences in 2018 happened during the regular season. The report references how often those instances called into question had an opportunity to take place and within the context of the overall season all one has to do is the math to see the net potential result. But I’ll let others do the math,” Henry added."
It won’t matter what Henry or any of the ownership group says, fans around the league won’t believe them. Red Sox Nation will still think they’re in it to make a buck and don’t care about them, while others will think they’re being superficial. Even after winning four World Series crowns, they’re the bad guys.
Now that the investigation is in the rearview mirror the Red Sox and their ownership can begin to look towards the 2020 season. We still don’t know just what that’ll look like, but this is definitely some weight off of everyone’s shoulders. This will also allow the organization to begin their plans for 2021 and the future of the team. Does that mean a return for former manager Alex Cora? Does it mean the return of big spending in the offseason? Nobody knows, but having this mess out of the way is a big step in the right direction.