Seventy wins, seventy losses… and probably soon to be seventy excuses, too.
The Red Sox have been stuck in the mud for some time now, really ever since they flashed their last sustained glimmer of life going into the trade deadline. Ever since, it’s been more of what we were used to in the early part of the season.
The reality is that this Sox roster and team is thoroughly average. They are a .500 team again for a reason. You and I can see it — and it’s not a stretch to believe that they see it, too.
But in Sox land, it’s not about taking accountability, as BSJ member and faithful Q&A participant “bob muliero” reminded us this week when he asked “Any guesses on what Sam Kennedy will say at the end of the season?”
When things go bad, the P.R. wheels start turning as the damage control firm of “Kennedy & Kennedy” — not to be confused with personal injury firm “Morgan & Morgan,” although we might all have a legitimate class action lawsuit on our hands with the emotional distress we’ve suffered because of this team — decides how to best spin things to avoid telling you the truth.
We’ve long been wise to their tricks, and we can probably all guess what the narratives will be as this Sox team inevitably falls short of the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons following the greatest season in franchise history…
“Well, we didn’t have Lucas Giolito, Trevor Story and Garrett Whitlock for most of the season.” … “We play in a tough division. The Orioles and Yankees were just too good!” … “Look over there! The “Big 3” are coming soon! The future is bright!” … “You’re all just greedy and should be satisfied with four World Series titles in 20 years!” … “Baseball players are expensive!”
Anything they can say to avoid facing the music and owning up to the fact that this was simply an inadequately constructed roster that was doomed from the start, they will say…
For the most part this season, those inside the actual clubhouse have been free of that criticism.
Until now.
The opening salvo of excuses was fired by none other than newly-extended manager Alex Cora in the wake of his team’s season-high fifth straight loss to complete a pathetic three-game sweep at the hands of the Mets.
Cora had really been starting to toe the line between confidence and inevitability lately anyway, but it was one of his players — and his star player, at that — who forced him into full-out excuse mode this time.
When Rafael Devers pouted at his locker for nearly one hour and left without speaking to reporters following Wednesday’s 8-3 defeat, Cora went into damage control mode himself to justify the actions of his $330-million-dollar man.
“Yesterday he wasn’t available. I know it became a story,” Cora told WEEI’s Andy Hart and Christian Arcand during his midweek radio hit. “Raffy, he’s still learning. He’s still kind of like a shy player. Sometimes he hates talking to the media. That’s the bottom line, and yesterday wasn’t a good day for that.”
Still learning? We’re not talking about the same 16-year-old kid who signed with the team out of the Dominican Republic in 2016. Devers is a 27-year-old, eight-year major league veteran who is a three-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger winner… oh, yeah, and a World Series champion.
Shy player? I can understand not enjoying dealing with the likes of me and my colleagues on a sometimes twice-daily basis. Taking responsibility when you’re not performing well or you’ve screwed up is never fun. But it’s what a leader does.
Like it or not, Raffy, you signed up to be a leader the second you put the ink to the paper on that massive 11-year, $331 million contract nearly two years ago.
“I don’t think it’s an issue,” Cora countered. “He made some comments in spring training. He sat there on that bench for like 20 minutes talking about the organization and a few things. People like it or not, he was there. And throughout the years, there’s been stretches that he’s been available to the media. Sometimes he’s not.”
Seriously, Alex? You’re going to point to a player talking to reporters back in February as proof that he does indeed talk to the press? I published my column with the headline “Red Sox brass feeling the heat from Rafael Devers, other star players is a good thing” with Devers’ comments critical of the “full throttle” offseason on Feb. 21.
That was nearly two hundred days ago.
“He’s not comfortable with it yet,” Cora continued. “Obviously the language thing comes into play.”
A language barrier isn’t an easy thing to overcome, at first. Except they have these people now called… interpreters.
You know who faces a language barrier, but still talks to reporters every single time he takes the mound? Brayan Bello. And it’s not exactly like he’s put together a Cy Young-caliber season. He’s been hit, and hit hard at times this season. Each and every time, he comes out and he takes our questions.
Look, I get it. Leadership may not come naturally to Devers. If he’s not interested in being a vocal leader, that is within his right to feel that way. But make no mistake, that does not absolve him from the responsibility, the criticism and the heat that comes with it.
You are a leader, Rafael. Whether you’re comfortable with it or not.
As for Cora, let’s call it like it is: he’s taking a bullet for his star player with these comments. It’s what a good manager does from time to time, and we know that Cora — while not perfect — is still a good manager.
I hope that Devers truly appreciates what he has in Cora, because this isn’t the first time he’s had to go to bat for the slugger. It seems like it may not be the last, either.
Get ready, Red Sox Nation. The excuses are only going to get louder from here…
Gethin Coolbaugh is a columnist for Boston Sports Journal. Follow him @GethinCoolbaugh on X/Twitter.