By spring training this year, the Red Sox had divested themselves of half of the championship team. The replacements were adequate players, but not capable of accomplishing what the Idiots had done. The personality of the team was deflated as well.
I do believe in team chemistry; it can be the element that tips a team one way or the other. I'm not saying it's necessary, Mays knows it won't make winners out of also-rans, but it can be integral in some teams' make-up, such as the 2004 Red Sox. Even the prima donnas, the whiners, the so-called baseball diva, were part of the mix that worked.
The Evil Empire has too much influence on the Olde Towne Teame. Theo, under the direction of the owners I'm sure, was/is trying to recreate the team's image, change it from a fun-loving, get-dirty group to a dignified gentlemen. More than any other team, the Red Sox of 2004 resembled the Bronx Zoo of the late '70s, and recalled the Gas House Gang.
The break down of the front office, letting Theo go over creative differences, making deals he probably didn't like before bringing him back, contributed to the break down of the team. Remember, the post-Yawkey ownership of the Sox includes the same brain trust that slapped together a championship team in Miami then stripped it for salvage money.
They didn't have the hitting, they didn't have the pitching. Toronto has been poised to move up in the standing for a couple seasons (their AAA team is the one I read about every morning over my Cheerios).
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