Cal Ripken Jr. shouldn’t be up nights, worrying about his place in baseball history or his spot in the record books.
When the former Orioles shortstop established his consecutive game record, playing in 2,632 consecutive games, it seemed obvious that he had set a mark that would never come close to being threatened, much less toppled.
Now, 20 years later, the record is completely unassailable. More and more, teams are realizing the value of rest and ensuring even the best players get some occasional time off.
In 2016, just 83 players in the majors appeared in 150 or more games. Last season, that number dropped further to just 59. And there’s a good chance that number will drop further in 2018.
There’s a general understanding that players benefit from having an occasional day out of the lineup. Even with the addition of another four or five off-days in this year’s schedule – mandated by the new collective bargaining agreement – the notion players should go weeks at a time without a day off is now outdated.
Through the first 19 games of the Red Sox season, no player had started every game. Mookie Betts, the team’s best player, and J.D. Martinez, their best run producer, came closest with 17. At that rate, with at least two games off for every 20 the team plays, neither Betts nor Martinez will hit the 150-game benchmark.
Rookie manager Alex Cora is mostly bemused at the outrage that erupts on social media whenever a key Red Sox regular is given the night off. But Cora remains convinced that rest is essential to a player’s well-being, and, by extension, a team’s success.
He recalled Houston Astros second baseman – and A.L. MVP – Jose Altuve initially balking at the suggestion of a day out of the lineup. In time, however, Altuve came to value the opportunity to get some rest and preserve himself for a season that begins in late March and stretches into early November.
Red Sox players have also bought into the concept.
“They understand why and the benefits of it,’’ said Cora. “I think they understand that the players who are getting the at-bats (in place of them) are good players, too. And for this to work, everybody has to contribute.’’
As Cora has already demonstrated, there are times when he plans a day off days in advance because of the schedule or a possible matchup. Then there are times when Cora decided more spur-of-the-moment, as he did Thursday night, when, after lifting Martinez for a pinch-runner in the eighth inning of a blowout victory, he informed the slugger that the next night in Oakland would be a good opportunity to take a break.
Martinez, who had just finished going 8-for-12 in the series against the Angels, agreed. Cora has made it a point to rest players when they’re going well, rather than waiting for them to fall into a slump. As he recently noted, sometimes a hot streak can wear a player down more than a poor stretch can.
As he noted: “It’s not like because you don’t play today, all of a sudden you’re going to lose it.’’
Like seemingly everything else in the game today, there are studies to back up the premise. And teams are investing in studies to determine optimum sleep patterns and the benefits of proper rest.
That Cora has convinced his players of the value of time off is further evidence of the trust he’s built with them in a relatively short period of time.
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