The Boston Red Sox are a difficult team to pin down. One year they are a championship quality club, the next they are a cellar dweller. So far this year, those struggles have shown to continue with the Sox's win percentage at less than 50 percent and in third place in the division behind the enemy New York Yankees. To no avail, the players have held player-only meetings. Sox manager John Farrell says he is to blame for the slow start, even with the offense becoming anemic.
The slow start wouldn't be hurting so much if not for having to look up in the standings to the rival Yankees. Veteran Sox players like Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz have tried to light a fireunder this underachieving team with the player-only meetings. The struggling team always has the competitive hunger of second baseman Pedroia, no matter what their record says. His optimism was still there to tell NESN about going through the difficulties of a baseball season:
"You find out a lot about your team, yourself, everybody when you go through tough times. We've got to try to find a way to come together and play better."
The latest miscue of the season could be pinned on either the offense or on John Farrell, but Farrell decided right after the game that the blame would be falling on him for this one. Talking to reporters, Farrell beat them to the question, says Masslive.com:
"You know Jonny, before you even ask your question, that's a terrible decision on my part. I own that one. We had a base open. I saw Cruz's first three at-bats. He was chasing some offspeed (pitches) below the zone. He was 1 for 8 against Taz previously. It didn't work out. That's a terrible decision on my part."
It's good that everyone is capable of accepting blame for the mistakes of the season. But now's the time to fix the struggles and play at the championship level they are known for.
What do you think of the recent Red Sox struggles? Do you think they can turn it around? Tell us your thoughts below.
