It’s been nearly three weeks since this city’s beloved Red Sox bowed out to the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. It was good to see everyone slowly getting rid of their sad faces and shrunken shoulders and getting back to work and school.
Everyone’s immediate reactions to the loss came with such phrases like: “We can now turn our full attention to the Pats” or “The Celtics start their season soon.” Those thoughts, however, were more out of anger and spite than of true emotion. This city would never turn its back on the Red Sox, not even when all of the players and coaches are snuggled in the comfy confines of their media-less homes for the off-season. Baseball is a year round sport in Boston. The proof is in the media.
The Red Sox have wasted no time in creating another buzz around the city and overall sporting world. Much of the talk over the past year was of the free agents. Everyone should know this one by now. Nomah, Pedro, Varitek, Lowe, Nixon and Ortiz’s contracts all run out after next season. The speculations over the course of this past year were: Who are they going to re-sign? Who are they going to trade? Who are they going to let walk away to free agency?
That major recurring issue became simply one log in the rumbling fireplace as the team created two more scenarios for the Red Sox Nation to talk about at the water cooler. It can be summed up in two words: “Grady” and “Manny.” These words alone can erupt into hours and hours of debate after debate. I felt like I needed an oxygen tank after discussing the whole Game 7 Pedro-Grady thing time after time. Just to give the curtailed version of my opinion, Grady needed to go. I have no idea who should replace him, as long as that person is more of a coach rather than the players’ best friend. Grady didn’t make the team win 95 games this year. The team won those games on pure talent and heart, in spite of the managerial miscues. With a good manager, this team would have broken the century mark in wins, no doubt.
As for Manny, he’s a great hitter and mediocre outfielder. He should never have gotten $20 million a year in the first place. If he can be traded, I give my blessing, because any kind of payroll flexibility brought about by unloading Manny is greatly needed.
So now, when we open the newspapers, watch television or listen to the radio, the Red Sox are still given equal coverage to the other Boston sports. I guarantee that the Red Sox managerial search and quest to solve the Manny mystery will be written about just as much if not more than the Celtics, Bruins and Patriots. It’s an interesting phenomenon to watch and track. Sports are a way of life in Boston, or should I say the Red Sox are a way of life in Boston.
Those other three sports are social and emotional interruptions; hiccups compared to the Red Sox flu. This will be an interesting time of the year to pay close attention, because the Red Sox off-season hot stove will take precedent over the other big three, in season, on the back burner.
-Reid Cargan is a junior journalism major.
