I Could Have Saved Red Sox!

It would have taken one call or maybe this email.
But, alas, it is a day late.
I just could never see myself doing it.
Despite the fact that I have helped dozens of teams win championships, I could not make the call to help the Red Sox stop their free fall.
How could I?
At first, I wanted to be sure that my Yanks, the team of my Bronx, New York roots, captured the AL East.
When that was secure, I was like most Yankee fans, caught watching the Titanic sink (The Titanic sunk in the same month Fenway opened) and not feeling particularly engaged due to not personally knowing the players.
So we watched.
Yet, I could have stopped it all.
It would have taken one meeting in the Red Sox clubhouse.
Maybe I didn’t make the call because I had no idea how Joe Girardi would react.
Maybe he didn’t want Sox in the playoffs.
Even today, in his post mortem press conference, as he answers the last of Sox questions before all attention Friday becomes Tigers, one had no idea if Joe would ever tell us what he was thinking.
Did the Yanks hate the Sox so much that they relished in the car crash last night?
I think I know the answer for that one.
Did Joe want the Rays to take Sox place?
Maybe he gave Rays no chance to beat Texas or maybe he thought Rays had better chance to beat Rangers and preferred meeting Tampa rather than Boston for ALCS.
We will never know.
Maybe when Joe writes his tell all book.
So it brings me back to that one phone call.
This is how it would go down.
Me: Tito?
Tito: Yeah
Me: First, why do they call you Tito when that was your father’s name and you are Terry?
Tito: I stopped caring long ago.
Me: OK Tito. Here is the deal. I guarantee you make the playoffs if you let me meet with your players one time. I sent you my book overnight. I will meet you at Camden. If you make playoffs, you pay me. If not, who cares?
Tito: I will have to get approval.
Me: See you tomorrow.

The next night I set my sights on Crawford who had lost confidence and some of the younger players. Guys like Gonzalez, Ortiz, Papelbon, Varitek, would be more amused then motivated.

My talk was 20 minutes.

Red Sox would have won two out of three, if not all three.

It would have never meant anything about what happened in St. Pete.

It was all in the visualization.

And like so many, the Red Sox never knew.

And now we know only one thing.

The Red Sox are done.