“It’s almost exactly the way it was back then [under Francona],This is the way our clubhouse used to be. Players get treated with respect, like a professional. That’s the way it should be.’’ ~ Clay Buchholz on John Farrell.
One season ago, the Red Sox were so bad that they had gone beyond being the laughing stalk of the MLB. At this time last season, the Boston Red Sox had won 44 games Bobby Valentine had basically become public enemy number one in his own town not to mention being hated in his own clubhouse.
2 an a half months later things were not much better as the Red Sox had gone from so bad they were funny to the point where they were so bad it was getting increasingly sad. In August Dustin Pedroia complained that "We are the f*****g Boston Red Sox [why are we loosing?]" and later that month, Valentine threatened to punch radio host Tody Mazzorati in the face, all before in the last days of September and early days of October, the Sox finished the season losing 12 of their last 13 games and finished the year a measly record of 69 and 93 - their worst season in 47 years.
Yet oh how times have changed: on year after the conclusion of that pathetic 44 win 2012 first half, John Farrell has given the Red Sox far more than they expected, reviving John Lackey and grooming Clay Buchholz back into the all-star that he has always had the potential to become. Yet through this all one defining difference remains more shocking than any other: in 162 games last season, Bobby Valintine won 69 games. In the first 95 games of John Farrell's Red Sox managerial career, he has won 58 games, 11 fewer wins in 67 fewer games.
So what has Farrall done to turn this team around? More like what hasn't he done?
Fact is, as good as Farrall is, the job he holds frankly is regarded by many to be one of the most overrated in all of sports. With that in mind, all a baseball manager needs to do to be successful is to be well, not Bobby Valentine. Nevertheless as we learned last season with guess who, that simple idea of "shut up manager" didn't seem to get to Valentine as it seemed that through his 6 months in Boston Bobby V was never off of the front page. In 2012 Bobby Valentine talked openly about well everything to do with his team, on 2013, John Farrell has been the polar opposite of the man many believe to have had the worst managerial season in decades.
In truth as profiled by Dan Shanughassy earlier today, after asking Farrell who would be the starting pitcher for this Friday's meeting with New York Farrell simply replied “We’ll announce that as soon as we tell the guys who are making starts for us."
Really, it is moments like that that serve as a difference between Farrell and Valentine. For Valentine he probably would have answered that question candidly annoying his fan base and giving the Yankees time to prepare for whoever they would face. With Farrell though, well it seems that he just plans to keep that a nice little surprise for them.
In the world of managing a baseball team not talking is everything. And while Valentine might not have known that, John Farrell seems to have had his priorities straight fight from day one: and well, 58 wins later, that has seemed to pay off for him and his team.
“John has demonstrated extraordinary leadership ever since he became our manager last winter," Sox chairman Tom Werner said in words of serious praise of his current manager. “John has the team focused on winning, the clubhouse is happy, and as Dustin [Pedroia] says, the players grind out at-bats. Credit also should go to the coaches and to Ben [Cherington] and his front office, but John has been key. His skills range from his calm nature to his in-game strategy. Whether communicating with our core group of stars or the role players coming up and down from Pawtucket, he has everyone’s trust."
John Farrell has everyone's trust and he sure earned it. 58 wins later the Sox are on pace for 97 wins on the season and remein in contention to play for the World Series come October. John Farrell has been the savior that the Sox have been looking for ever since that September collapse that sunk the ship on Terry Francona. John Farrell has picked Boston up after 2 seasons in the doldrums of the MLB and as it stands he remains a prime candidate for the title of AL manger of the year.
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