There shall be no city corridor on the eighth annual Red Sox Winter Weekend, which returns to Springfield’s MassMutual Center on January 19-20.
Instead, the customary introductions of this 12 months’s gamers and coaches shall be adopted by “The Cinco Ocho Show with Jonathan Papelbon,” which the Red Sox described as a “late-night talk show-style segment.”
“Alongside co-host Tom Caron of NESN, Papelbon will lead conversations about the upcoming season and the state of the club. The evening will conclude with a reflection on the life of Tim Wakefield,” the discharge learn.
This took place “just recently,” Papelbon informed the Herald by telephone. Yet a change to the schedule of occasions was anticipated after final 12 months’s debacle, when Red Sox principal proprietor John Henry not solely made an sudden look, however truly joined CEO and president Sam Kennedy, then-chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, and Alex Cora for a chaotic city corridor.
The occasion, described as a “fan-interactive Town Hall Meeting with Red Sox leadership on hand to answer questions from fans,” appeared like a dangerous endeavor earlier than the weekend started. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the primary Winter Weekend because the month earlier than the Red Sox traded Betts, so followers had been ready virtually three years to air their mounting grievances with the brass in particular person. Henry, who hasn’t sat for the media because the Mookie Betts commerce in February 2020, took the stage to raucous boos. When Henry and Bloom tried to reply questions, they have been repeatedly reduce off or drowned out by the group.
The possibilities of a repeat this 12 months have been infinitesimal. With or with out Henry, the city corridor format is a recipe for catastrophe within the membership’s present local weather. After profitable a franchise-record 108 regular-season video games and a significant league-leading fourth championship this century in 2018, the Red Sox threw their very own popularity within the wooden chipper within the title of saving cash. They traded Betts and lowballed Xander Bogaerts out of city. They’ve completed final in back-to-back seasons, and three of the final 4. They have been as soon as the last word free-agent vacation spot. Now, they’re baseball’s Bates Motel.
As such, this 12 months’s Winter Weekend is leaning closely on previous glory. For causes unknown, Rafael Devers, Boston’s marquee participant and the very best paid in franchise historical past, received’t be there. Though a number of rising stars and high prospects are slated to attend, their potential received’t be sufficient to attract a crowd till the group begins profitable once more. Thus, the star-studded alumni attendee checklist consists of David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Dennis Eckersley, Fred Lynn, and Carlton Fisk. (It’s nonetheless not offered out.)
However, shelving the city corridor altogether was additionally in some way sudden. Because even now, it beggars perception that the identical possession group that facilitated the top of an 86-year championship drought, spent lavishly to assemble a league-leading 4 World Series winners this century, and dedicated over a billion {dollars} to preserving and enhancing Fenway Park, now not cares. That they now not really feel the necessity to present up and face their paying prospects.
Ownership and management hold saying they’re nonetheless dedicated to profitable. Kennedy stated championships have been nonetheless their “North Star” after Bloom’s mid-September firing. Chairman Tom Werner promised a “full-throttle” offseason at Craig Breslow’s introductory press convention in November. “We’re fully invested, not just monetarily, we’re fully invested in wanting to win championships. I promise you,” Henry assured the belligerent city corridor viewers.
Actions (and inaction) communicate louder. Nothing’s worse than empty guarantees, besides silence and absence.
“Over the years, we’ve given everything that we can give to this franchise,” Henry stated on that frigid night time final January.
But learn within the context of the previous a number of years, it appears they merely don’t have anything left which they really want to give.
Source: www.bostonherald.com