'Just a bunch of guys playing baseball'

BOSTON – Before the 2011 season, then Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein put together a highly talented, highly compensated roster of all-star-caliber players who, led by ace Josh Beckett and newcomers Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, would pitch and pummel into submission all contenders on their way to yet another World Series title.

That was the plan, anyway.

Instead, led by malcontents Beckett, Gonzalez and Crawford, the Red Sox stumbled out of the gate. They went 0-6 and 2-10. There was a lot of talk about the lack of chemistry and how important that is to a team.

Eventually, though, they seemed to remember that they were a bunch of highly talented, highly compensated, all-star-caliber players, finally getting to .500, at 20-20, on May 15.

By the end of that month, they were a game out of first place, five games above .500.

I had my theory on why the team got off to such a poor start. With the Sox finally playing the way everyone thought they would be that season, I asked one of the veterans on that team for his theory.

He looked at me, shook his head slowly, and looked rather disgusted.

“Just a bunch of guys playing baseball,” he said.

Just a bunch of guys doing their own thing. Not playing as a team, as a cohesive unit. Lacking any good team chemistry. Not really caring about their teammates.

Soon, though, they started to play the way preseason prognosticators predicted. By the beginning of that September, they had the best record in the American League and it looked like they very well could be on their way to another World Series title.

But, then all hell broke loose. The clubhouse fell apart. ‘Chicken and beer’ became a part of our local lexicon. The malcontents showed themselves as such – and more. They appeared doomed any time they were down even a run. And, lacking that well of good will and good team chemistry from which to draw, the team fell apart and crashed with the most abysmal collapse in baseball history.

The Sox were saved when the Dodgers rescued them with the blockbuster trade in August 2012, taking the malcontents (along with collateral damage Nick Punto) out of Fenway, enabling the Sox to put together a roster of lesser-known, higher-character players who willed their way to the 2013 World Series championships.

Now, the Red Sox once again have a highly talented, highly compensated roster of all-star-caliber players. No, the starting pitching has not been good – it’s barely been adequate, although we’ve seen flashes of promise. But some preseason prognosticators told us the lineup of mashers would make up for that.

Instead the Sox entered the weekend better than only the Mariners and White Sox in runs scored in the American League. At .242, they have a better average than just three other teams. Their .370 slugging percentage and .683 OPS are better than only the White Sox.

With a payroll north of $180 million, they trail only the Dodgers at more than $270 million and the Yankees at more than $219 million. At 24-31, the Sox find themselves – yet again -- with a secure hold on last place in the American League East, better than only the A’s, at 24-33, in the AL. The Yankees and Dodgers meanwhile sit atop their respective divisions.

Luckily – maybe – for the Sox the A’s are at Fenway Park this weekend for a three-game set. If they can’t beat the A’s, who can they beat?

On the other hand, as poorly as the Sox have played, they entered the weekend ‘only’ five games behind the Yankees. Luckily for them, the once-dominant AL East has become as moribund and decrepit as the Sox have. It’s still possible for them to make a comeback. They’re not so far out that can’t still make a run.

So far, they’ve shown us some pretty ugly baseball.

Perhaps those alleged mashers will begin to mash, scoring enough runs to make up for any pitching shortcomings and the lack of a Cole Hamels in the rotation. It’s unlikely the Dodgers – or any team -- will once again come to their rescue.

Does this team, these players have what it takes – where it counts, when it counts -- to rescue themselves?

Until then, they’re just a bunch of guys playing baseball.

Maureen Mullen can be reached at mmullen@itemlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MaureenAMullen.