A Mystery and a Disaster

The time has come for us to look ahead and also to look back. Looking ahead, we have our beloved local nine, the Boston Red Sox, preparing to launch yet another season. We need to examine this year’s litter and try to predict what this long season will bring us. While optimism prevails at the old Kenmore Square Ballyard, we must also take a look into the rearview mirror and observe the obverse; and that is the train wreck that is the current Boston Bruins hockey team and by extension the entire organization. Where to start is always a bit of a sticky wicket, but I think we’ll opt for the more pleasant subject, the Red Sox. This is a dif­ferent looking team not only in personnel but also in philosophy. From bashers who swung mighty bats the team has morphed into an outfit of strong pitchers and skilled defensive players who will perform the role of “run preventers” instead of “run producers.” Now quite frankly I don’t care for this approach, but I realize it’s a question very much of perception, sort of the old you say tow-may-toe, I say tow-mar-toe dust up, if you will. Getting back to the subject at hand, our Red Sox lineup has quite a few changes for 2010. In the outfield Jacoby Ellsbury moves to left field. Mike Cameron plays center and J.D. Drew is back in right. Adrian Beltre plays third, Marco Scutaro is at shortstop. Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis return at second and first, respectively, and Victor Martinez takes over as full-time catcher.

The newcomers profile something like this: Mike Cameron in center was a superb defensive outfielder but is now 37 and has slowed. He has a little power but is a free swinger who strikes out often. Ditto for Adrian Beltre at third. He is superb defensively but shows little patience or discipline at the bat. Marco Scutaro has more speed than the departed Alex Gonzales but does not field as well as Gonzo. I am mystified as to why the Sox think this is a big upgrade. Martinez is a finehitter and an average receiver behind the plate. This is a definiteupgrade over the ageing Jason Varitek, who will be in a back-up role this year. The designated hitter remains the ageing David Ortiz, who had a horrible first half of 2009. This spring has not been good for Big Papi, so this could be a major concern. Red Sox mysteries: they lost Jason Bay to the Mets. How do they replace his 36 homers? They don’t, and the party line is: don’t worry about it. They add Beltre and Cameron, both veter­ans and both are strikeout machines; how does this help matters? They are dragging their feet on re-signing Victor Martinez. How does jerking around this terrific young man help matters? The negotiations to re-sign Josh Beckett have gotten off to an awk­ward if not stupid beginning. They need to re-sign this guy. Why are they erecting barriers to get in the way of fair, equitable, and quick negotiations with their best pitcher? Their pitching, led by Beckett, John Lackey, and Jon Lester, looks terrific, and the bull­pen looks very good, with perhaps the need for one more arm. Bottom line: pitching and defense look good, the offense has some questions; but the biggest question I have is the moves by the Sox front office. Has Theo Epstein misplaced his thinking cap? It looks like it to me, but heck, what do I know? Looking in the rearview mirror, this Bruins team is a mess. There is a saying that goes “You can put a tuxedo on a goat but it’s still a goat.” Translated, this means you can put a Bruins jersey on a slug and guess what? He’s still a slug! Hockey is an emo­tional game. There’s damn little emotion being shown by this bunch. Also there’s very little candor being shown by the NESN broadcast crew or by the press in either of the Boston dailies. In fact, the only truth I’ve heard uttered about his crew is from ex-coach Don Cherry when he was in town recently. He said, and I’m paraphrasing, “they’re not Bruins, they shouldn’t be wearing the sweater. They don’t deserve to wear it.” Let’s start with what’s good with this outfit. (It’s a short list.) Goaltending. Tuukka Rask is super, Tim Thomas is good. Among the forwards, only Marco Sturm, Patrice Bergeron, and the ancient Mark Recchi get passing grades from me. On defense Mark Stuart and Andrew Ference get O.K. grades. They both play hard.

Disappointments abound: Milan Lucic appears to be sleep­walking, Dennis Wideman appears clueless and careless, Zdeno Chara appears uninspired and passionless. In fact if you take the team as a whole, “dull and listless” hits the nail right on the head. I’ve seen more life in folks laid out over to Ross’s funeral home. Cutting to the chase — as I see it, anyway — the main problem starts in the front office with the general manager Peter Chiarelli. He has put this bunch together, and he seems to countenance these pitiful performances we’ve seen most of the year. He’s a Harvard-educated, very businesslike, slow-on-the-draw, colorless individual, and his lack of energy, spirit, or what­ever seems to filter right on down the ladder to the troops. We need not recount all his moves, or non-moves. except to note that none of them have met with a great deal of success and some of them have been busts. The jury is still out, by the way, on the Phil Kessel trade, and will be until we see what the Bruins do with the three draft picks they got in the deal.

I do know this: I would can Chiarelli and call that stern old Scotsman, Harry Sinden, out of retirement and say: Harry, fixthis bloody mess. Predictions: The Red Sox struggle and just get the wild card slot. The Bruins miss the playoffs by a couple of points. I would like to extend my best wishes to all for a joyous and blessed Easter.