hen the Boston Sox reported to Spring
Training in Fort Myers, FL in mid-February 2013,
only the most optimistic Red Sox fan expected the
team to be in the World Series come October. The
2012 Red Sox had finished in last place in the AL
East with a record of 69-93, the team’s worst record
since 1965 when the club lost 100 games.
But outfielder Jonny Gomes, who had signed
with the Red Sox in November 2012, didn’t share
the general pessimism. “I wasn’t there in Boston
in 2012—that team didn’t have anything to do with
me. I signed with the Red Sox because I believed we
were going to be a playoff team,” he insists.
“I was one of seven players that signed with
the Red Sox, and we all knew that when you sign
on with Boston, only a World Championship is acceptable.
We were all there to win,” he emphasizes.
Whether you were as pessimistic as the Boston
media or as optimistic as Jonny Gomes, no one
could have foretold the storybook 2013 season. It
turned out to be one of the more memorable Red
Sox seasons: the year of the Improbable Dream.
BUILDING A WORLD CHAMPION
Even before the disappointing 2012 season
came to an end, the Red Sox were making moves to
revamp the roster. In late August, the club traded
Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett to
the Los Angeles Dodgers, freeing up payroll dollars
to retool.
When the season ended, the team fired Bobby
Valentine, acknowledging that the fit just wasn’t
there. Soon after, former Red Sox pitching coach
John Farrell was hired as the 46th manager in club
history.
Farrell, who had managed the Toronto Blue Jays
for the two previous seasons, knew the organization
and many of the players, and he understood
the fans and the media. At the press conference
announcing his hiring, Farrell said, “They Red Sox
ownership and fans will get 100 percent every single
day to put the best effort forward and to create
an atmosphere that is not only professional, but
winning.”
Farrell’s hiring was only the start in shaping
the 2013 Red Sox. Signing Gomes added outfield
power, and soon after they signed veteran Shane
Victorino, improving the offense and adding speed
to the outfield.
In December, the club signed pitcher Ryan
Dempster to fill out the pitching rotation, slugger
Mike Napoli to play first, and shortstop Stephen
Drew to improve infield defense. Signing these five
front-line veterans and adding relievers Koji Uehara
and Joel Hanrahan ensured a new look for the 2013
Red Sox.
FRESH START
All eyes were on Big Papi in 2013 camp. Photo by Cindy Loo.
The Red Sox 2013 Spring Training camp opened
officially on February 12, one of the earliest starts
in team history. Camp would last over six weeks,
with a record 38 exhibition games to accommodate
the absence of players participating in the World
Baseball Classic on March 2 through the 19th.
Spring Training began with the annual address
of the owners and manager to all 59 players attending
the camp. The owners spoke briefly, allowing
new manager Farrell to set the tone. “I told them
that with a new staff and the number of new players,
we have a lot of ground to cover and a full
schedule of activities,” he said.
“We have nine new players on our 25-man
roster and we also have a large number of players
19 who were invited to camp,” he added. “The
extended time will really work to our advantage.”
Farrell knew many of the key players from his
time as pitching coach in 2007-2010. Knowing the
talent and having their respect from the start was a
big plus for him.
“I was one of
seven players that
signed with the
Red Sox, and we
all knew that when
you sign on with
Boston, only a
World Championship
is acceptable.
We were all there
to win,” Gomes
emphasizes.
REDSOX.COM/MAGAZINE 51
/MAGAZINE