Red Sox Fans: Get A Grip!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalWorcester Sports Editor

I am officially embarrassed to be a Red Sox fan. Not because of the way this team is playing to start the season, but because of how Sox’ fans are treating new manager Bobby Valentine.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was vacationing in Florida on April 13th when Boston played its home-opener at Fenway against the Tampa Bay Rays. When I returned from a long day at Disney with my family, I was dying to find out how the team was received by the fans following their (1-5) start to the season which came on the heels of the team’s historic September collapse last fall.

The one player whose introduction I was really interested in seeing and hearing was that day’s starting pitcher Josh Beckett. Believed to be the ring leader of the Popeye’s Brigade, it would not have surprised me or disappointed me had he been showered by boos from the Fenway faithful. His reception was somewhat mixed but most of the boos turned to cheers when he got Evan Longoria to ground out to first to end the top of the 8th inning capping off what was a solid performance.

What surprised me was the reception given by Red Sox fans to new manager Bobby Valentine. Despite the fact that he had NOTHING to do with the team’s hideous September swoon, he received mostly boos from those on hand at the home-opener. And the boos have only increased since.

Somebody help me out here. Bobby Valentine is being booed for what reason?

I asked this question of many Red Sox fans, and here are some of the responses I have received so far:

-He was booed at the home-opener because he’s doing a weekly radio appearance on a New York station.
-He called out Kevin Youkilis early in the season for not being “physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past” which, as Dustin Pedroia let the whole world know, apparently wasn’t cool.
-He pulled starter Felix Doubront after 6 solid innings of work against the Yankees Saturday because he foolishly believed that a Major League bullpen should be able to protect a 9-1 lead with only 3 innings to play.

Give me a break! The next good reason I hear for Red Sox fans booing Valentine will be the FIRST one!

What’s the matter with you Red Sox Nation? Were they offering free lobotomies to Sox fans prior to the home-opener?

Maybe he should have been a bit more careful with his words about Youkilis to WHDH-TV last week, but what’s wrong with a manager calling out a player or trying to light a fire under his backside? And how dare Valentine expect his bullpen to be able to protect an 8-run lead with 9-outs to go?

Valentine deserves not one boo from Red Sox fans. They should be reserved for the players, the GM, front office and ownership.

Bobby Valentine hasn’t thrown a single pitch this year to contribute to the team’s league-worst earned run average, the starters and relievers are to blame. He didn’t waste $172 million on this year’s roster, former GM Theo Epstein, current GM Ben Cherrington and Red Sox ownership did.

It’s not his fault that he succeeded the very popular Terry Francona, John Henry and Larry Lucchino were the ones who decided that it was time to show Tito the door last fall. And who cares if he’s doing a 15-minute radio interview each week on a New York station? Why shouldn’t he be able to earn an extra buck or two just like all of us would do if given the same opportunity?

In case you haven’t noticed Sox fans, this team went (7-20) in the month of September under the beloved Terry Francona and were off to a (4-10) start this year under Valentine. What has been the one common denominator in those poor showings? Pitching. Extremely poor pitching! Not the manager.

Red Sox fans, your ridiculously poor treatment of Bobby V has made him a sympathetic figure in my eyes. In fact, I am rooting even harder for him to succeed now that apparently 99% of Red Sox Nation is against him.

Walking off the field in the 8th inning of Saturday’s loss to the Yankees to a loud chorus of boos, Valentine touched the brim of his cap as if to tip his cap to his detractors. I loved it! The only thing better, in my opinion, would have been for him to tell all of you that you’re #1 in his book, if you know what I mean.

NOTES:

-When it rains it pours! Valentine and the Red Sox had to deal with an apparent erroneous report by New York Daily News reporter Bill Madden Sunday which reported that a source said that the Red Sox manager and shortstop Mike Aviles had a “very ugly scene” early in spring training.

The report claimed that there was a “near player revolt” in the first week of spring training when Valentine allegedly “got all over” Aviles during infield drills. The report claimed that a Red Sox player confronted Valentine with “outrage” and that Valentine apologized to Aviles.

Both Valentine and Aviles completely denied that any such incident occurred as did Dustin Pedroia, Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis, all of whom worked with Aviles on those very infield drills early in spring training.

Furthermore, the Daily News had multiple reporters at Fenway over the weekend for the series against the Yankees and not a single one, according to Aviles, asked him if any such incident had occurred.

-Red Sox starter Daniel Bard said Monday that he was more than willing to move into the bullpen temporarily if that’s what the team feels it needs at the moment. Bard said that he was approached by Red Sox management about the move and he said that he did express his wished to remain a starter in the long run. He also said that management wanted to make sure that the temporary move was okay with him or else it would not have been made.

-Aaron Cook (3-0) continued his impressive performance on the mound for the Pawtucket Red Sox Monday night. Cook has an opt-out option in his contract if he is not called up to Boston by May 1st and will surely exercise it if Boston does not call him up. Given how poor the team’s pitching has been so far, it would seem to make sense to not only call Cook up, but to also plug him into the starting rotation. Convincing Bard that he is desperately needed in the bullpen on more of a long term basis would also appear to be the most logical move for the organization. However, Bard may need some convincing.

-Things should start to improve for the Red Sox now that the schedule lightens up a bit. After starting the season with games against American League powers Detroit, Tampa Bay, Texas and New York, the Red Sox will face Minnesota, Chicago, Oakland, Baltimore, Kansas City, Cleveland and Seattle.