Creating a culutre with the Boston Red Sox
He thinks of the 2013 Boston Red Sox: old veterans who, like the 2017 Astros, were playing to rally a city after a tragedy. He knows he can’t duplicate those.
Alex Cora begins to come to terms with the fact that he must wait and let spring training play out to instill a culture. Maybe look at what the Celtics and Bruins are doing with their core group of young talent to help build my culture, Cora wonders. But he must move on to thinking of other things as Henry begins a whole new subject: a subject fueled by the success of the Yankees in the previous year.
“Now onto the big expectations,” states Henry. “The ones that give some managers extensions and get others fired. You must lead this team to at least a Wild Card spot. After getting into the postseason, you must at least win a round. I’m sick of this one-and-done crap. Make it competitive and don’t get your behinds kicked in”.
Cora knew this would be something the team would expect of him. But to hear it without any mention of the challenges that may impede the Red Sox from meeting it came as a surprise.
“But John,” asks Cora. “What about the Yankees? They’re going to make it a very tough division this season and the –“
Henry cuts him off mid-sentence.
“I don’t care. You must lead this team to October and help them finally find success in the postseason”.