The Boston Red Sox got their man. Just a few weeks after MLB's regular season ended, they succeeded in bringing back former pitching coach John Farrell as manager following his two-year stint as skipper of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Boston Red Sox got their man.
More importantly, they got the right man.
Yesterday, Farrell gave a speech following his introduction as manager of the Sox. "Our effort is controlled, every night, it's something we can control, and to give forth our best effort is a minimum," Farrell said.
Note: This video was copied from a page on the website yardbarker.com. All information about the press conference was taken from the video.
Farrell then want on to say immediately after talking about effort that, "As far as dealing with players...I firmly believe there is an amount of professionalism that every player that comes to the big leagues and certainly that would come to the Red Sox here would have. That guides their preparation, their motivation, all those...adjectives that you can attest to it, or attach to it. But, most importantly, because I've been here before, there will be no taking for granted that relationships exist. I will work my butt off to earn their trust, earn their respect, and create an environment in that clubhouse that is just that: it's a trusting one, it'll be a learning one, and, yes, it'll be a competitive one and hopefully a very successful one at the same time."
Wow. Forget the numbers. Forget the records. Forget everything.
It's time for the Red Sox to permanently cleanse themselves of the "chicken and beer"fiasco, of the 7-20 finish to the 2011 season, of the general disrespect players felt towards the last manager. From this speech, John Farrell seems to be the right man for the job. He can play a huge role in fixing the team by helping everyone drop the attitudes that took the Sox from first to worst in just over one calendar year.
A nice kick in the pants is probably what both the seasoned vets and untested rookies need to get the old, unproductive attitudes permanently off the team and re-introduce winning attitudes into the clubhouse. From this speech, Farrell really seems like he's a "my way or the highway" kind of manager. He'll require that all the players respect him in the locker room, and also that they respect him on the field by playing to the absolute best of their physical abilities.
"As far as dealing with players...I firmly believe there is an amount of professionalism that every player that comes to the big leagues and certainly that would come to the Red Sox here would have," Farrell said.
Here it seems like Farrell's trying to say that disrespect won't cut it on this team. It seems like he might believe that in order to play Major League Baseball, you take whatever the manager says is your place in the lineup on any given night and accept it. He won't tolerate backlash for the choices he makes, it seems he's saying here. Exactly the kind of toughness a team that's been imbued with negativity needs.
"Our effort is controlled, every night, it's something we can control, and to give forth out best effort is a minimum," Farrell said.
The translation here? Anything less than your hardest play on the baseball diamond is unacceptable. That attitude is more of the recipe for success that goes not just for the Sox but for any team in any sport. Get the players to perform at their personal peak on a daily basis.
The list of problems for the Red Sox is about a mile long. But with the right man at the helm of the crew, the ship can be steered in the right direction once again.
The Red Sox got their man, and they got the right man.
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