2024 will be formally recognized as the “Year of the Dragon” (at least in Chinese astrology) by the time baseball season arrives. I can’t help but wonder if “Sell The Team!” will be the Boston Red Sox fan base’s catchphrase in 2024. Yes, that has been said before. Personally, I have mentioned it a few times. However, it feels different this time. The Red Sox supporters are completely lost. Even worse, it appears that John Henry’s ownership doesn’t give a damn. The Red Sox are not the same team they once were—a fire-breathing legendary monster out to scare the league.
To put it briefly, the Fenway Sports Group, owned by Henry, has lost its spark. It’s fire, at least, for winning Boston baseball games. The desire to win NASCAR races, soccer matches in England, hockey games in Pittsburgh, and upcoming golf matches is currently burning brighter than ever. Who, though, still possesses that competitive spirit? supporters of the Red Sox. As the team now falls short of your expectations, Boston fans’ fervor for the on-field product has evolved into animosity toward ownership. Hey, this is Boston, we’re a passionate bunch. We wish to give a winner all of our passion. If we can’t do that, we’ll channel it into our annoyances.
Henry is taking a chance by doing so, making the Red Sox into the soon-to-be-defunct Oakland A’s (after all, John Henry did first attempt to recruit Billy Beane, the man of Moneyball). Yes, there is a vocal subset of the fan base that still cares and speaks up, but as time goes on and the returns on the field decrease, the fans’ clamor will get progressively less. Why? since they simply no longer give a damn.
At least that has the benefit of showing Henry that supporters’ “not caring” is bad for him. The owner of Fenway Park will be forced to take action if supporters stop purchasing tickets and flooding the stadium, stop purchasing souvenirs, and stop watching and listening to the product on TV and the radio.
Red Sox supporters can only hope for the best when Henry is forced into action. Either Henry gets up and begins pouring large sums of money back into the team, or he cuts his losses (which would paradoxically be enormous winnings in the shape of billions of dollars) and transfers ownership of the team to someone else. So, Boston, will 2024 be the year you decide to reclaim your baseball team? It will all be up to you. Everybody in the family Repetition of the exact same action is the best response to failure. Wait, that’s the definition of crazy, really. Whatever. That seems to be the route that the Red Sox may be taking after passing on the biggest stars available in free agency.
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