COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- It's bad enough that the current edition of the Red Sox is battling to stay over .500 and remain relevant. Even allowing for the injuries suffered by important members of the roster, it's been a disappointing season to date, lowlighted by Friday's record-setting 28-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
But beyond the under-performance, there's the question of entertainment value. The 2022 Red Sox lack a persona. There are few -- if any -- personalities on the team. Rafael Devers, who can flash a mega-watt smile and has an almost childlike enthusiasm for the game, is the exception rather than the rule. What do most fans know about, say, Trevor Story or Nick Pivetta? Very little. It's a problem as the game tried to attract younger fans, or casual fans. Too many players are button-down, and unknowable to the fan base.
At a time when it's acknowledged that the sport needs more personality, it instead sees less, and the Red Sox stand as a perfect example.
It wasn't always the case. The Red Sox' championship teams, particularly from 2004, 2007 and 2013, had an identity. The 2004 team was quick to call themselves The Idiots, with outsized personalities like Johnny Damon and Kevin Millar.
The 2007 team was full of brash, homegrown stars like Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia and Jonathan Papelbon. And the 2013 squad, though less homegrown, nonetheless, had a unifying rallying cry ("Boston Strong") and mission, while sporting comically long beards.
The common thread for those three title teams was David Ortiz. Ortiz's heroics were stamped all over all three title pursuits. He won Games 4 and 5 in the ALCS against the Yankees in 2004. He turned around the 2007 ALCS with his eighth-inning grand slam in Game 2. And in 2013, he enjoyed a World Series for the ages, batting .688 while also giving the rest of the Red Sox a dugout tongue-lashing, rallying the troops in St. Louis when it seemed that the Series was getting away from Boston.
This weekend, Ortiz will be given the ultimate honor, as he's inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. And it's perhaps not surprising that teammates from all three championship squads will be on hand to celebrate with him.
From 2004, Damon, Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, and Pedro Martinez will be there. The 2007 team will be represented by Pedroia, Youkilis and Mike Lowell. And there may be some 2013 veterans on hand as well, joining Pedroia.
Teammates were -- and are -- a big part of Ortiz's legacy. He remains close to them, even as they've retired and gone separate ways.
"All I can say is that I tried to always have my teammates' back,'' said Ortiz as part of Saturday's media availability. "They feed me back with the same thing. That's why you're going to see so many of them out there (on Sunday). This is a fraternity, the same way it goes here in Cooperstown. We're all just family that you see going on here. We build it up on the field with our careers.
"You need to be a good teammate. You've got to let them know that you're always going to be there for them. It's your second family. So I always want to make sure that my teammates and everybody feels comfortable around me. Because it's not just about the time and the God-given time that you get. It's about having the shoulders and back and being able to do it as a team. A lot of people come to me and be like, 'Hey man, 2004, 2007, 2013, oh God, you had a great season. You did this and you did that.' And I'm like, 'Yes, I did it, but without my teammates, I wouldn't have done any of it.''
Arriving earlier this week, Ortiz spent an evening with two fellow Dominicans -- Martinez and Vladimir Guerrero -- who have already been inducted. Both offered advice, led by Martinez.
"Me and Pedro we go way back,'' said Ortiz of the man who recommended Theo Epstein take a chance on Ortiz when he was non-tendered by the Minnesota Twins after the 2002 season. "We have so many memories together. And (the other) night, he was basically giving me a speech, telling me what to do (Sunday), how to handle the business. (He told me) the most important thing is you just don't want to lose focus. You know, he wants me to be me.
"He also reminded me to not forget where I came from, and to just have fun. That's what it's all about.''
Indeed, that's what it all about for Ortiz in 2004, 2007 and 2013 -- in addition to the winning.
Those Red Sox teams did plenty of both. They overcame the expectations, the pressures and won, while enjoying themselves.
Expect more of that Sunday, when Ortiz speaks. His love for the game and his teammates will spill out.
And we'll remember that, once upon a time, the Red Sox used to be entertaining.
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During the All-Star break, conversations with a number of executives and evaluators strongly indicated the Red Sox' intention was to act as buyers at the trade deadline. Whether that could change with more disastrous showings like Friday night, or just more losses period, remains to be seen.
Even in the aftermath of the 28-5 embarrassment to kick off the homestand and the start of the second half, I'm a proponent of the Sox trying to get better, for two reasons. First, the return on rentals has never been lower. So even if the Sox were to move their three most valuable free-agents-to-be -- Xander Bogaerts, Nate Eovaldi and J.D. Martinez -- the prospects they'd get in exchange would be unlikely to have an impact in the coming seasons.
Secondly, it's worth noting that the 2021 Red Sox qualified for the playoffs after winning Game No. 162, and then got to within two games of winning the American League pennant and reaching their fifth World Series since 2004.
Lesson learned: a team can get hot at the right time and enjoy a longer-than-expected postseason ride.
There's also this. Some worry about sacrificing prospects for short-term help, worrying that the Sox will deplete their inventory of prospects in search of a playoff spot that could be unattained.
But having greatly deepened their prospect pool, the Red Sox literally have more young players in their minor league system than they know what to do with. This winter, there are about 20 prospects who will need to be added to the 40-man roster, or risk being exposed to the Rule 5 draft. It stands to reason that not every worthwhile prospect will be added and protected. Typically, teams add about a half-dozen or so players to their 40-man roster as part of this annual exercise.
So, if the team is in danger of losing players for the $100,000 Rule 5 fee, why not take some of the more expendable ones and deal them for actual major league help?
Here's a list of players who must either go on the 40-man or be exposed to the Rule 5 draft: Angel Bastardo, Brainer Bonaci, Triston Casas, Kole Cottam, Joe Davis, Nick Decker, Durbin Feltman, Ryan Fitzgerald, Frank German, Wikelman Gonzalez, David Hamilton, Gilberto Jimenez, Christian Koss, Chris Murphy, Nick Northcut, Eddinson Paulino, Ceddanne Rafaela, Victor Santos, Brandon Walter, and Thaadeus Ward.
Of those, Casas, Gonzalez, Paulino, Murphy, Rafaela, Walter and perhaps Ward and Davis would seem to be locks for spots. That's as many as eight.
Anyone else could be lost in the draft, so why not package a few and get some present-day help?
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In the 1960s, continuing through the 1980s, the National League won 19 of 20 All-Star games, and the league's dominance proved to be a big story.
There were plenty of theories about the NL's run, most of them centered around the fact that the National League having been far quicker to integrate and included players of color -- African-American and Latino -- on their rosters. Think of the 1960s and recall that the NL boasted, among others: Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda, Billy Williams, Roberto Clemente, Bob Gibson, Maury Wills, Willie Davis and Juan Marichal.
There was also the suggestion that, for whatever reason, the suggestion that the National League took the contest more seriously and played the game with more interest.
Whatever the reason for the dominance, people discussed the reason for it, comparing and contrasting the two leagues. Each summer, the question was asked: Is this finally the year the American League would snap the streak?
Would it surprise you to learn that, over the last 15 or so years, the American League has posted a similarly dominant run? The American League's victory this past Tuesday was its ninth straight and 21st in the last 25 meetings, with one game ending in a tie.
It's more difficult to ascertain the reasons now. The leagues don't have different identities -- there are no league offices, umpiring crews now work all over the sport -- and player movement is greater than ever.
Still, it seems odd that one league has been so superior to the other and no one is discussing it.
It's obvious that much has changed surrounding the game. A case could be made that the Home Run Derby has eclipsed the game itself, and the game's TV ratings are now a fraction of what they once were.
It's a given that with interleague play -- soon to expand beginning in 2023 -- and games available day and night on a variety of devices, the mystique of the All-Star game is gone. It's no longer the only chance to see the best players from the other league.
But the fact that few are even contemplating why one league has been so dominant is not a good indicator for the game. The All-Star Game is now just one showcase in a three-day baseball celebration -- no more, no less.