jump start

The Boston Red Sox begin the 2012 season coming off a disastrous finish to 2011. The Sox were ahead of competitors for much of last year only to collapse like an old bridge chair during the last two weeks of September.

The Red Sox hired a new manager and general manager. The team has implictly and explicitly apologized to its fans for behavior that seemed counterproductive: for example and most often noted, pitchers drinking beer in the clubhouse during games when they were not pitching. The 2011 manager let things go. I was crazy about Tito Francona, the manager. He treated his players like adults, but apparently that was not an accurate assessment of their maturity. So, the team was out of shape both physically and mentally and could not beat teams with far less talent during the pennant run. The result was that the team folded ignominiously.

Yesterday, the Red Sox began their spring training season. In what has become a tradition, the Sox began spring training with a double header playing both Northeastern, my school, and Boston College in the same day. Sometimes it is BC first and then NU, and other years, like this one, Northeastern is the first team to play the Red Sox.

The Sox are on the right track. I am not sure what track the younguns from my school might be on. The score yesterday might have been heartening to the Red Sox nation, but dispiriting to NU. The final: Boston Red Sox 25, Northeastern 0. Not sure the Yankees are fretting just yet.