Story by
State of the Sox: After putting their faith in roster full of young players, team dealing with fallout
- Story by
- State of the Sox: After putting their faith in roster full of young players, team dealing with fallout
Everybody loves a prospect.
In fact, the love is sometimes so strong that some teams are guilty of being more interested in finishing atop annual prospect rankings than finishing atop the league.
It's fine to assemble promising talent, but it's essential to remember that even the best prospects need time to fully develop. That development used to take place at the minor league level; now, it's done in the big leagues, for everyone to see.
Advertisement
And that, as much as anything, helps explain why the Red Sox have taken up residence in the AL East basement in the first month.
-
BETTING:The over/under for Friday's Game 3 matchup between the Celtics and the 76ers is currently set at 215.5 points on DraftKings . Our complete DraftKings Sportsbook review shows you how to sign up and use their app.
Take a look at the daily lineup and the amount of experience before this season: Roman Anthony , 71 games; Marcelo Mayer , 44 games; Caleb Durbin , 136 games; Carlos Narvaez , 124 games. Further, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu aren't exactly grizzled veterans.
Heading into Thursday night, Anthony, Mayer, Durbin and Narvaez had combined for two homers and far too many strikeouts.
Is it any wonder, then, that the Red Sox are slumping?
The inability to date for the young players to produce is something of a double whammy.
Advertisement
First, and most obviously, when nearly half of your daily lineup is failing to perform, the results negatively impact the team.
Also, because the players have such an outsized role in the team's success or failure, they face pressure to deliver, and when they fall short, they're left to explain themselves to the media.
That goes double for Anthony, the most lauded of the bunch. Through no fault of his own, he finds himself positioned as the face of the franchise — before his 22nd birthday.
"We've got to keep talking to them, help them out," said Alex Cora. "There's a few things that, some of them, they don't know. It's not about what happens between the lines. It's about how to act as a big leaguer. They're learning in the big leagues."
Advertisement
Anthony and Mayer were both celebrated amateurs and high picks. They climbed the minor league ladder quickly and hardly ever struggled. Now, they're experiencing failure for the first time in their careers, and they're doing so in an unforgiving market with plenty of scrutiny.
Struggling in Boston is not the same as struggling in Kansas City .
"That's part of it, that's the reality of it," said Cora. "We can not run from that. We love playing here, but at the same time, it's very demanding. Throughout their careers, (the people in Player Development) have done an amazing job in educating them about what it is to play here, but until you set foot in that batter's box, you have no idea.
"As a coaching staff, we have to do a better job slowing it down for them. (Whether it's) hit-and-runs, or sac bunts or giving them the take signs...we have to kind of slow it down for them and letting them now it's not as bad as it (seems). It's never as good as it seems and never as bad. They just have to stay the course."
Advertisement
All of which begs the question: shouldn't the Red Sox have had the foresight to surround their untested players with veterans to provide leadership and support?
Coming off the disastrous 2012 season, the Sox were in the process of introducing a host of young players into their lineup, including Jackie Bradley Jr. , Will Middlebrooks and later in the season, Xander Bogaerts . But in order to ease their transition, the Sox had, the previous winter, signed veterans Shane Victorino , Mike Napoli , David Ross and Jonny Gomes to shoulder some of the load and show the inexperienced players the way.
This year, there's a sense the young players are on their own, dealing with their own shortcomings and maintaining their confidence.
"They're not overwhelmed; frustrated, that's the word," said Cora. "They expected to come out of the gate like everybody here, just swinging....We just have to make sure we stay with them, help them out.
Advertisement
"I just talk to them. I'm not going to go over there and drop 'F bombs' and be someone that I'm not. But at the same time, urgency's important. We always have urgency regardless of where we're at. Just gotta keep talking to them."
And, difficult as it may be, continue to wait. With the investment the Red Sox have made in the young players and their futures, they don't have much choice.
More Red Sox coverage
Read the original article on MassLive . Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
