Any Afterglow Allowed?

The Red Sox are not having the best start in history. (other than last night, I suppose) That much is pretty obvious. Almost a month into the season, and they’ve lost more games than they’ve won.

Some people aren’t all that upset about it. I know I’m not. After all, if you recall, they won the World Series not too long ago. Maybe I should be allowed to bask in the glow of that for a little while, and not sweat a few losses in April. Or a bad start by the fifth starter. Maybe after a drubbing like the one the Yankees just gave them, I can look at the “2013 World Series Champions” logo and still smile.

Is that allowed? Or, do I have to sweat out every error and every run allowed and every loss the very next April?

I remember when Nomar went down with an injury just before the 2001 season. It was crushing. After all, that was going to be the year. The Red Sox had the best pitcher in baseball history at the peak of his powers. They had the best shortstop around. Then they added an absolute run producing machine. That was it. That was going to be the year they finally shut New Yorkers up. Then, Nomar went down. It was painful to watch game after game and loss after loss knowing they had a small window, and were wasting it.

This year, Shane Victorino went down just before the season. It was OK. This wasn’t the one year it was all finally going to come together. It came together last year. And six years before that. And three years before that. So, why can’t I have a little more patience? Why can’t I lay low for a bit, and realize that they’re only a few games out of first place, even after missing Victorino and Middlebrooks for most of the season. Maybe I can just wait and assume that they’ll put it all together eventually. And if they don’t? They still won it all just last year. When they won in 2004, didn’t we all say that they’d never have to win another one ever again? We were happy. Now we’re supposed to stress over needing four in ten years?

Even the front office. The EEIdiots are cursing them for sitting back this offseason. How could they let Salty go? They can’t just sit there and live off their past success.

Can’t they?

They just won the World Series. Isn’t this the perfect time to take the foot off and work on the dynasty? Isn’t this the perfect time to say, “We don’t need to sign a guy for three years just to make sure he’s here this year?” That’s what the Yankees did. They didn’t win it last year. Isn’t this the perfect year to make darn sure you stick to the plan? Even if it means that this one year you only win 90 games? If it means winning 95 next year? Can’t we all just settle down?

Haven’t we all earned it?