A few weeks back, after a disappointing loss to the Yankees at home heading into the All-Star break, I wrote about how the team showed no fire, or fight, at all in the first half. Well, it appears that the Red Sox are beginning to capture the hearts of their fans all over again. Since the break, the Red Sox are 5-2, winning a road series in Tampa Bay and taking three of four from the White Sox at Fenway. What’s really impressive, though, is that the Sox have been able to come from behind in a lot of those wins. They lost their biggest weapon in David Ortiz, and still haven’t missed a beat. Granted, it’s early and Ortiz still has quite a ways to go recovering from a sore Achilles Tendon. Cody Ross has become the Red Sox newest “dirt dog’, a term used by fans to describe guys like Kevin Millar, Trot Nixon, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia. Guys who just play hard, regardless of the situation or the team that they’re playing against. Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford have been tremendous in their return to the line-up, setting the table for Adrian Gonzalez and Ross, who have done their part when it comes to cleaning the bases since Ortiz went down.
I know it’s just a small sample, and we’ve just barely begun the second half of the season, but I think it’s safe to say that this team has a heartbeat. Maybe they’re sick of all the negative stories about a toxic clubhouse and how stupid Bobby Valentine is, maybe they’re playing for pride, all I know is this team is playing their asses off. They are another quality starter away from catching not just the Angels and Tigers in the Wild Card race, but even the Yankees in the division. Now, that would be one hell of a comeback, and some may see it as unrealistic, but hey, this team is starting to catch that kind of vibe. They’re the perfect candidates for the “Us against the world” attitude. The Boston Red Sox have been written off and counted out for much of the summer, but one thing they aren’t about to do is count themselves out. This team is too damn talented to be golfing on October 4th. It won’t be easy, but if anybody can turn a summer from miserable to memorable, it’s this group.
