Not long after he was hired to manage the Red Sox, Dick Williams, inheriting a team that had finished ninth in the then ten-team American League in each of the previous two seasons and had been installed as 100-1 underdogs by oddsmakers, made what seemed like an outlandish prediction.
"We'll win more than we lose,'' vowed Williams.
Incredibly, Williams had undersold his team, which went on to win the franchise's first pennant in 21 seasons and take the powerhouse St. Louis Cardinals to the seventh game of the World Series.
Viewed through that prism, Alex Cora's remarks about his expectations for the 2021 Red Sox Friday morning seem almost quaint.
"We will be better than last year,'' promised Cora. "Let's get that one out of the way.''
In truth, Cora's prediction is nowhere near as bold as the one Williams offered some 54 years ago. In point of fact, simply improving on 2020's 24-36 season, good for last place and the worst winning percentage for the club since 1965, shouldn't be all that difficult.
The real story would be if they didn't get better than a year ago, since that would seem virtually impossible. Talk about setting a low bar.
But Cora's correct: the Red Sox are better, if only by default.
Let us count the ways:
- Starting pitching. Last year, Red Sox starters compiled a 5.43 ERA and their collective WAR of 2.93 ranked them 12th in the American League. The Sox utilized such luminaries as Mike Kickham, Zack Godley and Andrew Triggs as starters. A total of nine different pitchers who made starts for the Sox last year are either gone from the organization altogether or have been removed from the 40-man roster. Eduardo Rodriguez is back after missing all of last year, and by mid-season or so, Chris Sale will be, too. Where last year, the team literally didn't know from one day to the next who would be their next starter, the Sox have accumulated more depth this season, assuring them of being in much better position once the inevitable injuries or underperformance hit. The Sox will have Matt Andriese in the bullpen as part of their reserve group, and Tanner Houck just 40 miles away in Worcester. And while it's true that this rotation isn't going to challenge the Atlanta Braves of the 1990s as the best in recent memory, it is undeniably improved. "We're a completely different team,'' said Nathan Eovaldi.
- Versatility and depth. This was a focus of the offseason, and it's obviously a big part of the roster. Kiké Hernandez and Marwin Gonzalez are trusted and tested major leaguers, each capable of contributing at anywhere from five to seven different positions. Hernandez will mostly play second base, where he's a plus defender. But there will also be times when he shifts to either left field or center field, where he also grades out high. Gonzalez isn't the elite defender that Hernandez is, but his ability to help out at both corner outfield spots and everywhere in the infield will prove especially useful. More than ever before, managers crave depth to help them combat injuries, fatigue and other unexpected developments over the course of the six-month grind. No one wants their best players playing 157 games in a season, especially given the gains that have been made in sports science. The additions of Hernandez and Gonzalez, coupled with the availability of other multi-position players such as Christian Arroyo, Michael Chavis and Danny Santana means Cora will have plenty of options for himself.
- Improved fundamentals. Cora watched a lot of video from 2020, and beyond the abysmal pitching that unfolded, the Sox also failed to make the grade when it came to baserunning, defense and other aspects of play that can so often mean the difference between winning and losing. Blame it on the brief summer camp or the long delay between spring training and spring training 2.0, but the Sox never seemed to jell on the field. Cora made these issues a point of emphasis for the first half of spring training and the results have been obvious. "I'm very pleased with the way we've been playing playing defense...catching the ball,'' he said. "We spent a lot of time early in the morning working on it, working on tags. The outfielders are throwing to the right bases. Take away (one early game in which they committed five errors) and it's been really clean baseball.'' Cora also added that the instruction that's been a big part of February and early March will not cease once the games begin in earnest. "We have to keep working (on the fundamentals),'' he said. "This isn't enough. We have to (continue) to get better.''