Boston Red Sox: Learning how to win again
During the 2011 Major League Baseball regular season, the Boston Red Sox were looking very strong. Most baseball pundits had predicted that the Red Sox would easily cruise into the playoffs and quite possibly go all the way to the World Series. However,
out of 24 games, the Red Sox managed to lose 18 and miss out on a playoff spot.
What hurt the most was the fact that the Red Sox had a nine game lead and they still could not hold on for a playoff berth. The team lost out to the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League Wild Card spot. The Red Sox finished the 2011 regular season with
a win-loss record of 90-72, a full seven games behind the mighty New York Yankees in the American League East Division.
The fans were obviously outraged, as their team seemed to just run out of steam near the end of the season. The Red Sox were deflated and a definite hard look from the top down was necessary to avoid a similar fate this year. The general manager Theo Epstein
left the Red Sox and joined the Chicago Cubs. Also, the Red Sox manager Terry Francona also decided to leave the team.
The fact that the team lost so many games before the end of the 2011 regular season showed the rest of the teams in the League that there are obvious issues going on that caused such a downfall. Teams like the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays benefitted
for the Red Sox collapse. There is no doubting the talent and competitive spirit that the Red Sox possess, however, after their September downfall, the team just seemed to be struggling.
Controversy swirled around the Red Sox, as rumours of players drinking beer in the dugout during games, came out in public. Although many of these rumours just seemed to fizzle out, the fans wanted answers as to why the Red Sox collapsed the way that they
did. Many critics feel that it was a simple case of over confidence and underestimating their opponents in the latter stages of the regular season. The body language of the players just seemed to show an attitude that since the team was ahead of the Tampa
Bay Rays by nine games, the Red Sox did not have to work hard at winning. This could not be farther from the truth as each team usually picks it up a notch as the playoffs get close. Most teams in the League usually save something extra for the end of the
season to leave on a winning note and hopefully gain some momentum for the next season.
During the offseason, the Red Sox have been relatively quiet. They have not signed on any big name players with massive contracts. It seems the changes that are taking place are entirely internal and are focused on the overall team mentality. Looking at
their record from the 2011 regular season, the Red Sox can win and definitely know how to dominate when they want to. It all comes down to how much they want to work and if they can come together as a team.
As Spring Training is just around the corner, the Boston Red Sox will be looking to not only put in a good performance but also try to win back the fans and prove that they are quality team capable of taking on any of the top tier teams in the League. It
will be interesting to see how well the Red Sox perform during Spring Training and the subsequent 2012 MLB regular season.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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