I guess it shouldn't come as much of a surprise, the incremental fallout of a team that had become overloaded with egos and where work ethic was under appreciated, seemed inevitable from the beginning of the '11 season. What's crazy about the whole thing is how the team seemed to "turn it on" when they wanted to and not give a flying squirrel most of the time. Where the finger should be pointed is really a multi-faceted question. I am not here to discuss that, rather I am here to talk about the marketability of the Sox these days.
I will give my opinion about the team from a very bias point of view. I have been a fan of the Red Sox for years. I remember the days of Mo Vaughn, Mike Greenwell, heck I go back to when Buckner made a name for himself. I think it's fair for me to give my brief evaluation. Bobby Valentine has to go. He is not the type of leader they need for this team. I look at Francona and the way he handled his group of "Idiots" by just letting them be but getting the most out of them and I see the exact opposite in Valentine. I look at Showalter in Baltimore and see what Bobby V wants to be. It just won't happen with the current roster... errr... the past roster.
The blockbuster trades were necessary. I liked Gonzo alot. I thought he would hit to the opposite field much better than he did and anytime he looked like he was going to try and leg out a double I would scream at the TV "Pull the plow out of the ground!" But all in all I liked him a lot. I don't feel the least bit sad for Crawford. He said that he had such a tough time with all of the expectations but that's what happens when you sign a $142MM contract! You have to be a professional and play how you are paid. I am extremely grateful to Beckett. We won a World Series on his back and he pitched some clutch games.
What the Sox needed was a makeover. They needed to get back to their roots of fighting for their lives and having a good time doing it. They have plunged headfirst off the deep end this year but this is a reset for them. Bill Simmons wrote a fantastic column on all of this see it here. The Sox had become a bunch of spoiled players that felt entitled to win vs. the Idiots who knew they could win an proved it everyday. I won't even get into the Youkilis trade... it just saddens me. (No offense Middlebrooks, I think you'll be great)
The point is there was a buzz to the Sox. What they wore you wanted to wear. Young kids wore all the garb that they saw the Sox wear. They were always on TV so the kids always saw them. Now days you have to have NESN to even see the highlights. Sure the locals and the die hards will always follow, watch and buy, but the national brand that the Sox were is slowly fading. Can it come back to relevancy? Absolutely, the next time they are in the playoffs Red Sox Nation will be buzzing and the people who say "I was out of the country for a year", or "I took a year off from being a fan" will be the first in line to buy whatever product has aligned itself with a winner and a feel good story.
That's basically it. America wants a feel good story. The Rays used to be that. The Orioles are turning into that and the Nats are everyone's favorite team because they are loaded with young guns and a hot head who isn't afraid to play hard. (That's you Bryce Harper). TV ratings dictate sponsorship. The Sox are down and so are sponsorships. When you don't have a good team and aren't playing well you don't make money. When was the last time you saw a Charlotte Bobcats commercial put on by a behemoth like Nike on national television? You don't and you won't until the Bobcats become relevant.
And so it goes, the real value of the Red Sox right now is around 50% of its historic worth. (Strictly from a marketing and advertising perspective) I'll always be a fan but it sure would be nice to see a bunch of guys out there playing ball and actually enjoying it. I'll say it, we miss you Varitek, Schill, Francona, heck even Timlin. Where are the Pedro's the Manny's and the characters that made the Sox so funto watch? That brought value. Instead we were stuck with Beckett's pouty "I don't give a crap" face. The lack of face by Crawford and Ellsbury not on the field. Regardless of how you look at it in order to print cash again a good product has to be put back on the field.
