No, it’s not normal for me to be talking about the team I hate the most, the Boston Red Sox. However, at the same time, I always pay attention to what they are doing because they have a lot, if not everything, to do with the Yankees.
This season, there will be no drinking in the Red Sox clubhouse. On Saturday, new and former Mets manager Bobby Valentine announced the team will ban alcohol in the clubhouse and on the last plane flight of road trips.
So what is the reasoning behind this?
The new rules come after a tumultuous 2011 season that ended in collapse on the field and embarrassment for pitchers Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and John Lackey for drinking beer in the clubhouse during games in which they weren’t playing.
With former manager Tony Francona gone, there’s a new sheriff in town:
“It’s just what I’ve always done, except for when I was in Texas, I guess,” Valentine said when asked why he banned booze. “I’m comfortable with it that way.”
These days, many workplaces include opportunities to drink on the job site — some even during the workday, but certainly afterward. For the most part, the outspoken manager’s new rules was supportive. David Ortiz, for example:
“We’re not here to drink. We’re here to play baseball,” the slugger said. “This ain’t no bar. If you want to drink, drink at home.”
It definitely makes sense for the Red Sox to quit their lazy ways in the clubhouse. But if you ask me, drink away Red Sox. As a Yankee fan, I always get a kick out of the Red Sox choking and collapsing as they did last season. Because no matter what, the Yankees will always be superior to the Red Sox.
This isn’t to say they scare me when both teams are in the postseason either. When they face each other in the postseason, it’s always an epic series.
Because they haven’t faced each other in the playoffs in a few years, the rivalry has tailored off a bit. Hopefully new outspoken manager Bobby Valentine will help bring the best rivalry in sports back to the field.
Hopefully the Yankees will still be on top as usual.
Alcohol or not, the big question going into this season for the Red Sox is their pitching. With Wakefield retiring and Dice-K and Buchholz not being able to stay healthy consistently, the Sox do not have a lot of starting pitching depth. John Lackey as a Red Sox pitcher has continued his struggles in Fenway Park since his days with the Angels. While they have a potent offense like the Yankees, they need to prove they can have consistent pitching if they want to contend in the AL East.