aderfp633
Inscrit le: 27 Sep 2011
Messages: 7915
Localisation: England
|
 Posté le: Lun Sep 30, 2013 11:21 am Sujet du message: Red Sox have historic company in one-season turnar |
 |
|
{Red Sox have historic company in one-season turnarounds: Griffin},[url=http://www.ugg-boots-sale.org]cheap ugg[/url]
Featured VideoClose More Video Kyle Tommy One Joe Carter: Doping has taken away from baseball Story So Far: MLB Steroid Scandal Kyle Back Unless the Blue Jays can put together an unlikely win streak in the final week of the 2013 season,[url=http://www.ugg-boots-sale.org]ugg outlet[/url], they will fail to win more than 75 games for a second straight season. But to suggest it is impossible to turn it around from that win total to contend in 2014 is historically not true.To label the Blue Jays campaign a major disappointment would be an understatement. Team ownership invested an additional $35.5 million (all figures U.S.) into payroll, importing 2012 NL Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey and All-Star Game MVP Melky Cabrera among others. The results will be almost exactly the same as the year before — except in the stands where fans and media bought in. The fact is that in 37 years since the Blue Jays commenced play in the American League, a total of 30 teams have improved from 75 or fewer wins to 90-plus victories from one season to the next. Sure there may have been smarter baseball minds in those front offices and maybe there were better field managers, but there is room for a Jays fans to dream? That list includes the 2013 Red Sox, a team that won 69 games a year ago under Bobby Valentine and has clinched first place under John Farrell.There has even been World Series success for some of those turnaround teams. Four champions of the Fall Classic since ’77 won 75 games or fewer the year before they went all the way. The rags-to-riches list includes the ’88 Dodgers, the ’90 Reds, the ’91 Twins and the ’02 Angels. Three other teams advanced to the World Series and lost — the ’93 Phillies, the ’06 Tigers and the ’08 Rays. Only Jim Leyland has done it as manager with two different organizations, the ’90 Pirates and the ’06 Tigers.Let’s have a look at two AL teams that in 2013 that have put themselves in position for the post-season after finishing with fewer than 70 wins in 2012 — the Red Sox and the Indians.RED SOX: In 2012 the Sox were 69-93 with Valentine providing the circus sideshow down the stretch. The Boston players knew their manager was going to be gone as early as August and, in hindsight, everyone in management knew the next manager was going to be Farrell, still with the Jays at the time. So the final month of play may not have been representative of the Sox talent level.Thought to be a rebuilding winter for the Sox after they had shipped away many of their highest-paid players to the Dodgers in August, GM Ben Cherington went out and signed some unusual free agents, by media standards. By spring training, yes, the Sox payroll had dropped by $20.5 million over 2012, but it was still $36 million more than the Blue Jays were committed to on opening day. What was interesting was the consistency in the type of free agents brought in by Boston. The majority of newcomers, even if some may have been past their primes, were brought in from winning environments with meaningful post-season experience. Mike Napoli had gone to the World Series with the Rangers and the playoffs in Anaheim. Shane Victorino had a World Series ring with the Phillies. They brought in shortstop Stephen Drew who had been with the ’07 Diamondbacks and 2012 A’s and left fielder Jonny Gomes with the 2010 Reds and 2012 A’s. Even Canadian starter Ryan Dempster had playoff experience with the 2007-08 Cubs. Add to that the return of a healthy John Lackey, plus Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz reunited with Farrell, who they had a relationship with as a pitching coach. It proved to be the right combination as they added starter Jake Peavy late. INDIANS: The Tribe in 2012 had posted a 68-94 record in the AL Central under former manager Manny Acta. The biggest move towards turning things around in Cleveland, was once again, bringing in personnel with experience in a competitive, winning environment, with post-season success. Begin with the addition of players’ manager Terry Francona, who led the Red Sox to the World Series in 2004, his first in Boston and again in 2007, Farrell’s first year as his Sox pitching coach. The Indians this year brought in first baseman Nick Swisher from the Yankees and DH Jason Giambi, with a respected, winning presence. Centre fielder Michael Bourn became a leadoff hitter with playoff experience from the ’07 Phillies and the 2012 Braves, while right fielder Drew Stubbs had played in a pair of Reds Octobers. They lucked out with left-hander Scott Kazmir, an unwanted free agent who had been with the Rays when they went to the Series and the Angels in two post-seasons after that. The 2013 common denominator with the resurgent Red Sox and Indians seemed to be the addition of outside players with valuable post-season experience and enough gas in the tank to make meaningful contributions. Compare that to the Jays and their off-season additions.Lefty Mark Buehrle pitched in the ’05 World Series for the White Sox. Jose Reyes had one Mets Division Series way back in ’06. Cabrera was a fourth outfielder with the Yankees. Josh Johnson, Dickey and Emilio Bonifacio had never been to playoffs. Mark DeRosa has the most experience. In order to turn it around in 2014, the Jays are clearly going to have to make further changes. In following the example of the Indians and the Red Sox, GM Alex Anthopoulos must make sure that there is a strong jolt of post-season experience to go along with talent. It makes a difference.
_________________
People watching the forthcoming beginning of the German half of the inhabitants of Berlin are no interested in co-optation |
|
