Call the Red Sox 2021’s Cardiac Kids --- and other Sox thoughts
(Their 5-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night (July 26), which was capped off by Alex Verdugo's two-run blast in the eighth inning to erase a 4-3 deficit was the club's 33rd comeback victory of the year.)
It's wins like today's (Sunday, July 25) that is making this team remind me somewhat of the 1967 Red Sox Impossible Dream Team, who finished in ninth in 1966, but whose tenacity and spirit earned them the nickname the “Cardiac Kids,” as popularized in the famous Impossible Dream album about that magical season.
The 2021 Red Sox share some 1967 DNA with all of its comebacks and some of the 2013 DNA with that squad’s veterans coming from other teams at relatively little money, who have made a huge difference in terms of performance and leadership.
I’m talking about people like Kiki Hernandez, whose outfield and all-around play and recent offense from the leadoff spot has been exemplary, and I’m also talking about Hunter Renfroe, whose defensive play in right field may not make us forget about Mookie Betts, but has been outstanding, and reminds me how Shane Victorino --- one of the key additions to the 2013 World Championship team --- fielded the position.
Some other Red Sox thoughts:
* Third baseman Rafael Devers became just the third Red Sox player under 25 to hit 100 homers, Ted Williams and Tony Conigliaro are the other Red Sox players to accomplish that feat.
* Speaking of Tony C, it’s past time to retire his number! Nothing against back-up catcher Kevin Plawecki, who is wearing No. 25 right now, or any of the other of dozens of Sox players who have worn No. 25 since Tony C, but the Red Sox owe it to the Conigliaro family and their diehard fans from the 1967 team to do the right thing by Tony C. Retire his number to honor one of the great Red Sox players ever --- and one who would have had Hall of Fame numbers had he not got beaned on Aug. 18, 1967.
* Count me among those who believe that the Sox should go out and trade for another established reliever to shore up the back end of the bullpen for two reasons: To provide relief, if you will, for Matt Barnes and Adam Ottavino, who need days off; and to make sure those guys don’t get burned out due to overuse.
* The Sox still have a solid bullpen; Josh Taylor has been outstanding and Garrett Whitlock has been an incredible weapon and a great find made all the sweeter because we got him in the Rule 5 draft from the Yankees. But we still could use some help in the bullpen with another established pitcher.
* Franchy Cordero, who was just recalled from Worcester, played first base on Sunday (July 25), but he’s not the long-term answer to find someone to complement Bobby Dalbec, who still is struggling mightily at the plate. Cordero looks extremely uncomfortable in the outfield and except for the occasional hit, like he got in Sunday’s eighth inning, he reminds me of the second coming of Willy-Mo Pena, someone who was touted to have a lot of power when he was acquired for popular pitcher Bronson Arroyo, but who was never anything more than a 4A player --- someone who shuffles between Triple A and the Major Leagues.
I fear Franchy Cordero is the same kind of player.
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