Inferring tone from a press release is often an inexact science.
For all we know, John Henry may not even have written his own statement on his baseball team’s hiring of Craig Breslow as the new Chief Baseball Officer.
Henry has had more pressing focuses in the portfolio of late after all, like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Liverpool, etc. For better or worse, though, the business is called “Fenway Sports Group” and the Red Sox are still the featured attraction.
Yet something in Henry’s statement caught my ear. In short, the accountability. The same owner who excused away his team’s last-place finish a season ago by saying “it’a expensive to have baseball players” is now striking a different tone.
“Each year, one baseball club emerges with a championship,” Henry’s quote in Wednesday’s presser announcing Breslow’s hiring read. “Our organization continues to have significantly high standards and expectations with a goal of being able to compete annually for that coveted privilege. After the 2018 World Series, we sought to build a future that would avoid the ups and downs normally associated with winning. That plainly hasn’t happened.”
“That plainly hasn’t happened.”
What essentially amounts to an admission of failure from Henry should be seen as an encouraging development for fans who continue to demand nothing but the best out of the team with more World Series titles than any other since the turn of the century.
Maybe the owner who was once so bothered by how his team was being portrayed in the media that he barged into the 98.5 The Sports Hub studios to defend himself still cares after all.
Henry did go on to sing the praises of his now ex-baseball operations head Chaim Bloom — albeit indirectly — by claiming that the team has been making strides at the minor-league level.
“Despite the results, over the past few years, substantial efforts have been made and considerable organizational progress has occurred behind the scenes, but not at the major league level. We feel strongly that Craig is the right person at the right time to lead our baseball department.”
“…the right person at the right time."
What should fans make of Henry’s assessment here? Perhaps that he believes Breslow is capable of marrying the team’s purported success down on the farm with the demands of winning at the highest level again.
You know, exactly what old friend Theo Epstein used to do seamlessly.
If Henry had been content to continue down the path of a methodical rebuild, Bloom would still be here. The fact that he isn’t is worthy of commendation for Henry for acknowledging something that wasn’t working — at least, not fast enough.
As I wrote recently, Breslow is the quintessential modern-day GM. He has the smarts (have you heard that Breslow is the smartest man in baseball?), but more importantly — at least in my eyes — he has first-hand experience.
“Craig’s understanding of the game is remarkable,” Henry acclaims. “What convinced us to bring him aboard in this capacity was his highly strategic philosophy and his grasp of what it takes operationally in today’s evolving game to excel at the highest level in player acquisition, development, and execution at the major league level. We are excited to welcome him back.”
“… and execution at the major league level.”
Ultimately, that is what matters most, isn’t it? Breslow isn’t being brought in to build up the Worcester Red Sox, the Portland Sea Dogs, the Greenville Drive or Salem Red Sox into winners. He’s here to lead the Boston Red Sox to championships. Anything else should be considered a failure.
And it finally seems like Henry realizes that once again.
A support system for Breslow
Henry and Co. could learn a thing or two from the Boston Celtics about how to put Breslow in the best position to succeed.
For the second time in as many seasons, the Celtics handed the keys to a title contender to a rookie head coach last season. That went about as well as anyone could have realistically expected for Joe Mazzulla.
Now, in year two, the Celtics aren’t making the same mistake. From bringing in experienced assistant coaches and consultants like Sam Cassell, Jeff Van Gundy and the like, the C’s made sure to surround Mazzulla with a venerable think tank.
As intriguing a candidate as Breslow is, the reality is he’s still a rookie GM. Giving him a support system of people who have been there and done that should only serve him well as he learns the nuances of the role.
Who might that support system consist of? Considering how much of a struggle it was just to find someone to fill the top job, putting one together might be easier said than done. Breslow will be able to lean on the likes of Brian O’Halloran, Eddie Romero and Raquel Ferreira for advice, but bringing in someone who has been a major-league GM or executive as a consultant makes a lot of sense.
Sure, Tony La Russa is again “available” — but does anybody really want to go back down that road again? (No… the answer is no). But the concept of finding a La Russa-like influence to be in the ear of Breslow would certainly make his transition smoother.
The first hundred days
Everybody knows the first 100 days in office are extremely important — for presidents and GMs.
Jokes aside, Breslow will need to hit the ground running as the baseball season nears its completion and the offseason commences in full. And what should Breslow’s priority be as free agency begins? Well, it’s something he knows a thing or two about…
Pitching, pitching, pitching.
The Red Sox are not a player or two on either side of the ball away from being true World Series contenders in 2024. More like a player or six, in reality. But adding pitching is the clear priority after the organization’s failed attempts at piecing together a staff for the better part of the past five seasons.
Specifically, starting pitching. Reliable starting pitching, at that (sorry, Chris Sale). Frankly, it is beneath an organization such as the Red Sox to be trotting out multiple “openers” on a regular basis.
The future seems bright with Brayan Bello. Tanner Houck and Nick Pivetta have shown flashes of ability as middle-of-the-rotation-type arms. James Paxton (finally) pitched and did so fairly well before again being felled by a knee injury.
Of those names, none is a true ace. Bello might (should?) become one. Sale certainly pitches like one if healthy — but that “if” is becoming iffier and iffier by the year. Yet a certified contender needs a certified ace.
There is no shortage of top-level arms that could be available on the free-agent market this winter. Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Blake Snell, Charlie Morton, Lance Lynn, Aaron Nola, Lucas Giolito, Sonny Gray, Jordan Montgomery — just to name a few.
Oh, and have you heard of that Shohei Ohtani guy? (Yes, he won’t pitch again until 2025, but he’s proven he’s certainly worth the wait. We’ll certainly get into why the Red Sox should make him their top priority in free agency in the coming weeks…)
Whether he adds one elite arm or a couple of very good arms, it is encouraging that the person responsible for making those decisions is someone who helped pitch the team to a title himself. His judgment in that department there deserves the benefit of the doubt for now.
Eovaldi rattled by the ‘Snakes
Old friend Nathan Eovaldi’s first World Series start didn’t exactly go as planned.
The former Red Sox World Series champ turned Texas Rangers All-Star was knocked around by the Arizona Diamondbacks for five runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings in his Game 1 start Friday. It didn’t matter much as the total wagon that is the Rangers offense picked him up in a 6-5 victory in 11 innings courtesy of the hottest athlete on the planet, a.k.a Adolis Garcia.
But Eovaldi’s performance was a bit of a surprise after going at least six innings and allowing no more than three runs in any of his prior four starts this postseason. Eovaldi had made three prior World Series appearances (all with the Red Sox) and pitched to a 1.13 ERA across eight innings — six of them coming in relief of Boston’s Game 3 loss to the L.A. Dodgers in 2018.
It would be surprising not to see Eovaldi bounce back in the series — that is, if the Rangers don’t just sweep their way to their first title.
Can you Frick’n believe it?
Iconic moments in sports just aren’t the same without an iconic broadcaster behind the mic.
One of 10 finalists for the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award honoring excellence in broadcasting, WEEI’s Joe Castiglione certainly fits the billing as one of the best broadcasters of his era.
His call of the final out of the 2004 World Series is as iconic as they come. And over the nearly two decades that followed, these Red Sox have certainly given him plenty of moments to shine in the booth.
From his encyclopedic knowledge of the backstories of every single major leaguer in history (OK that’s a stretch, but not by much…) to his congeniality in the booth and his love affair with Shaw’s and Star Market, Castiglione is everything you would want a baseball broadcaster to be.
It’s only fitting that the voice of the game’s most successful team of the 2000s and 2010s should take his rightful place in Cooperstown.
Gethin Coolbaugh is a contributor to Boston Sports Journal. Follow him @GethinCoolbaugh on X.