Ohhhhhh. Now I remember. This Red Sox team, the one that ignored so blissfully that early 4-0 hole on Saturday and went on to a 9-5 victory over Seattle? The one that has now won four series in a row and 10 of its last 12 games? The one who could be back in first […]
Ohhhhhh.
Now I remember.
This Red Sox team, the one that ignored so blissfully that early 4-0 hole on Saturday and went on to a 9-5 victory over Seattle?
The one that has now won four series in a row and 10 of its last 12 games?
The one who could be back in first place in the AL East before the week is over?
Yeah, that team.
That’s the 2019 Red Sox.
Now I recognize them.
They’re the ones who are, finally, after 40 games, starting to resemble the 2018 Red Sox.
The comparison is a flattering one, to be sure.
Last year’s team, the one that won exactly two out of every three games for a Red Sox-best ever 108 games and then rolled through October, is the gold standard for Red Sox teams from here until they find the last digit of pi.
But no future edition of the Red Sox will need to mirror the 2018 Red Sox team more exactly than the 2019 Red Sox team.
Because that was the plan all along.
And up until the last couple of weeks, that plan was not working.
This team was made in the image of the 2018 Red Sox because the Red Sox front office saw that the team last year was good, very good. Like Fonzie looking in the mirror to comb his hair before realizing it was perfect, the Red Sox front office re-made the 2019 Red Sox in the image of the 2018 team by altering as little as possible.
