FORT MYERS, Fla. — Dwight Evans, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Luis Tiant. The former Red Sox legends have been fixtures at spring coaching for years, providing their perception and expertise to the membership’s present gamers.
That perspective is invaluable, and this spring the Red Sox have made some extent to herald much more voices who might help prepared the membership for the brand new season.
Thursday two new dignitaries made an look at JetBlue Park, former Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester and longtime Boston Pops Orchestra conductor Keith Lockhart. Lester will spend two days in Fort Myers serving to out the pitchers, whereas Lockhart spoke to the gamers Thursday morning.
“I invited him to come over and talk about leadership, how we can get a group together of different talents, different levels, and make it work,” mentioned Red Sox supervisor Alex Cora, who admitted he performed the flute in tenth grade however gave it up after one yr. “What they do in his job, in his domain, it’s amazing. You have to be on-point on everything and he just had a great talk with the players.”
Speaking to the Herald, Lockhart mentioned he and Cora did a seminar within the fall collectively about management amongst elite performers, and following the occasion Cora requested if he’d be keen to talk at spring coaching. Things got here collectively inside the final two weeks and he appreciated the chance to attract a connection between his musical world and the world of aggressive baseball.
“When you deal with the Boston Symphony or the Boston Pops you’re dealing with a group of, within their field, elite athletes,” Lockhart mentioned. “The same kind of people who have spent five to six hours a day since they were five or six years old perfecting a craft, that brings with it the challenges of building a team out of people who, up until this level, the team was built around them. Because everybody here was the star in high school or college and in Triple-A, and all of a sudden there are a bunch of stars, so how do you get people focused on a common goal and mutually supportive?”
Lockhart’s message was properly obtained inside the Red Sox clubhouse.
“His message to us was about leadership and how it’s integrated by holding one another accountable instead of from the top down,” mentioned first baseman Triston Casas. “Whenever he has an incident in terms of when someone is off-key or playing out of note, it’s the other members who are holding that person accountable so he doesn’t have to. That was the message I gained out of it and hopefully we can apply it here.”
“As my dad always would say I can barely even play the radio, so obviously I can’t even begin to understand what he can do, but it was phenomenal to be able to relate and understand what he goes through and the leadership and experience that he brings,” mentioned pitcher Garrett Whitlock, who struck out six over three innings Thursday. “Whenever we can have other people at the very peak of what they do to come in and talk, we always love that and cherish it for sure.”
Though he isn’t giving any team-wide shows like Lockhart’s, Lester’s presence is not any much less impactful. Nearly a decade after failed contract talks led to his being traded in 2014, Lester has been again at Fenway Park a handful of occasions since his retirement and was invited to camp this spring by chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, his former Red Sox teammate.
Lester described the expertise of being again as “a little weird” however is grateful to be again within the fold.
“I was excited. Ultimately when you’re done playing you still want to be a part of something so it was nice to get a phone call and text saying hey we want you to come be a part of this,” Lester mentioned. “It’s a good feeling, I think anybody in life just wants to be wanted, so it’s nice to be wanted and your presence appreciated.”
“You always take wisdom from guys who have been there,” Whitlock mentioned. “It’s awesome getting to see guys like that, especially Lester and Pedro and everybody, we really lean on them and love having them around.”
Though he acknowledged his departure was troublesome, Lester mentioned that as time has handed he’s grown to grasp the enterprise aspect of baseball higher and harbors no ailing will in the direction of the franchise. Now he hopes to assist in any method he can, and whereas the sport has already modified lots even in the previous few years, he needs to be a useful resource for the gamers, similar to Evans, Tiant and Martinez had been to him.
“I love talking baseball with guys if they want it,” Lester mentioned. “I’m just here to observe. Watched a couple of bullpens today, which was pretty special to watch, and it’s good to be around the guys.”
As far as Cora is anxious, Lester is welcome any time.
“When you win a World Series here you’re connected to the organization,” Cora mentioned. “That’s the bottom line.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com