ANAHEIM, Calif. — For those growing to detest the Boston Red Sox — perhaps those clothed in purple last fall at Coors Field? — be warned:
Their success is going to get old because of an infusion of terrific young players.
These aren’t your father’s Red Sox. In pursuit of consecutive World Series crowns and their third in five years, they have five drafted players 27 and under filling critical roles.
Think back to Wednesday’s opening divisional round playoff victory over the favored Los Angeles Angels. Jacoby Ellsbury’s speed unnerved starter John Lackey, Justin Masterson defused an eighth-inning rally and Jonathan Papelbon bullied his way to a save.
Big markets are different. Patience with kids is measured in minutes, not months.
So why have so many, including MVP candidate Dustin Pedroia and blossoming shortstop Jed Lowrie, made such a seamless transition into the sweaty palm, nervous-twitch environment that is Fenway Park?
“I think the biggest reason is our clubhouse here. You are expected to come here and produce and be one of the guys,” Papelbon said. “Whether you are 19 or 42, you are here for a common goal: to win.”
Simply put, it’s about results, not development. This is not a youth movement. Boston’s kids are the equivalent of Botox injections, peripheral improvements to a greater body of work. Even Boston’s misses haven’t been devastating, as reliever Craig Hansen was used to acquire left fielder Jason Bay and starter Clay Buchholz remains a valuable trading chip this winter.
“That’s one of the things we’ve talked to the young guys about a lot when they get here. They have to understand how important these games are,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “When the veterans see that they care about winning, and maybe not calling home to mom and dad about how they got into the game, that goes a long way.”
Those just happy to be in a Red Sox uniform are soon text-messaging from Pawtucket. The clubhouse vibe helps, as Francona pointed out, but if a guy is “hitting .210 it doesn’t matter if the (older) guys are taking him out to dinner or not.”
Among the current Fab Five, only Pedroia benefited from a longer leash. He was horrible in April, barely hitting his 180-pound weight. The Red Sox were playing well enough they could afford to wait on the second baseman to click. He found his stroke and went on to win rookie of the year honors. This year, he’s a leading candidate to claim MVP hardware.
Which reinforces a second point: The Red Sox, for all the talk about their mushrooming payroll, have been drafting well.
Lowrie, a player the Rockies had strong interest in as a second baseman during the Todd Helton trade talks before the 2007 season, has solidified the defense with his steady glove. Masterson has made Mike Timlin a rumor with his gutsy work alongside Hideki Okajima in the eighth.
And Ellsbury is a racing, um, rising star. As his Nike commercial says, his faster is faster than your faster. He led the American League with 50 stolen bases.
Like so many Red Sox kids, he’s a quick study.
“The young guys see how the veterans will go above and beyond to win here. They have done a tremendous job in showing us how important that is,” Ellsbury. “That’s what it is about, and those guys like Coco (Crisp), Mike Lowell and David Ortiz make you feel comfortable in this situation.”
