Boston Red Sox: These 2021 Sox are making the naysayers eat crow

When you’re wrong, you’re wrong and up to now this space was really wrong and missed the boat on the Boston Red Sox earlier in the 2021 season as they are excelling thus far.

Earlier this season, this space chastised the Boston Red Sox and their leadership and claimed they were headed to the bottom of the AL East again. OOPS! That was just a bit wrong!

This stands as another case when a negative position on a local team that is proven wrong is actually a positive development for the team and the writer.

As a long-time Sox fan that is true here. Being wrong when you say they will be lousy means they aren’t, and actually turns out to be a good thing. How about that rationalization?

Wrong about Boston Red Sox but right on about Alex Cora

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So is there a silver lining here in all this? It seems so.

In another missive, this space said that the Red Sox’ best decision in the entire off-season was the re-hiring of Alex Cora. That’s definitely a self-bail-out of the first degree!

At least that comment was on target as in right on target. And why wouldn’t it have been? Cora’s track recorded is one of excellence, his infractions, and suspension notwithstanding.

The re-hiring of Cora after his year-long suspension took great fortitude by the team’s ownership and President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom.

Let’s give credit where it is due, Cora is a downright terrific manager. He proved it in 2018 and he’s doing the same now. And frankly, he’s probably doing an even better job this season.

There’s no MVP Mookie Betts or Jackie Bradley, Jr. on this club. There’s no Chris Sale or David Price either.

Cora has taken a team with a patched-together starting pitching staff and at the outset a totally questionable bullpen and fashioned a division leader.

That underwhelming club is now threatening at the midpoint of the season to run away and hide from the opposition in the AL East. Now that’s really doing something.

The core reason for the turnaround is Cora and how he has been able to motivate and utilize the underwhelming talent brought in during the off-season and fashion this group into a winner.

Cora is the manager of the first half of the season, for certain. Not sure if anyone predicted the Red Sox were possible divison leaders. If they did, good for them.

Cora is the key. His personality and empathy with the players along with his baseball knowledge made him the best choice for Boston in the offseason. Thankfully, they did the right thing.

Anyone, everyone makes mistakes. Cora did and he paid a steep price. But Boston’s leadership was able to see the trees for the forest and realize that Cora was their best option.

This young manager helps players believe in themselves. He is absolutely a master motivator. He gets the most out of most of his players.

That attribute, along with some very astute personnel moves by Mr. Bloom (two at the expense of the New York Yankees, thank you), have made all the difference.

Looking ahead, it appears that after a tough bout with the Covid-19 Eduardo Rodriguez may be about to return to his dominating self. That’s a great sign.

In addition, can Boston Red Sox fans actually hope to see the return of the pre-injury Chris Sale to be the ace of the staff again this season? Let’s hope so.

That eventuality would be just the second half of the season boost needed to propel the Red Sox into the post-season and more.

Having a sound Sale and a renewed Rodriguez at the top of the rotation would be a terrific place to be as the second half begins.

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So that’s a mid-season report on the Boston Red Sox to a certain extent and on this space’s predictive abilities. Half were good and half, not so much.

So, let’s finish by saying this writer is about to eat half a crow, well-done thank you, and half a turkey. That’s the mid-season situation.

All-in-all, it’s a great meal with the Boston Red Sox and Alex Cora heading in a direction to shock the major league baseball world once again. It is a nice job, indeed. Keep up the great work!

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