One of the best things the Red Sox have done in the last week or so is the signing of Rajai Davis. (Yeah, I know. Not hard to be the Red Sox highlight of the last week or so.) It's not even because I like the player, or what he can do on the baseball field...even though I do. But, I'm happy with what he represents.
Urgency.
During this weekend sweep, reactionary members of Red Sox Nation have been talking about a collapse. Some are outright calling it. Some are doing the safety move of saying "I hope this isn't a collapse" to hedge their bets a bit. But in either case, the word is out there. Rajai Davis is the reason I'm so sure it won't happen.
People keep pointing to the last "collapse" by the Red Sox in 2011. Even though the only reason people call it a collapse is that they got swept up in the "chicken and beer" nonsense. Like they lost those games because they weren't trying. That wasn't it at all. They lost the games because they were injured. More specifically, they were injured, and Theo thought they could still just ride it out. So when Youkilis went down, they didn't trade for a replacement. They rested him and let their large lead take a hit. When they needed a starting pitcher, they didn't trade for one. They let Kyle Weiland go 0-3 for the team. With every game, it seemed, being a September loss to the Rays. Theo made a calculated decision that he didn't want to touch the club he had assembled, and they would just weather the storm. And, he almost made it. One more fluke win. One more Papelbon save. One more game where the Yankees didn't hand a game to the Rays. It would have worked.
The Red Sox are trying that this time though. When Jackie Bradley went down, they didn't try to wait it out. They didn't decide to just let it slide and wait for him to come back. They didn't call up someone from the minors who wasn't ready to be here. They accelerated the trade process, and brought in a competent replacement.
They went and got Davis.
So, they're not resting. They're going after it. Sure, they hit a bump in the road this weekend as their line-up adjusted to the missing bats and jumbled order. But every team goes through that. Even the Dodgers just lost a series. Everything will be fine.
They got Rajai Davis.
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