The Boston Red Sox are in the World Series. Their theoretical window is closing in due time (2020 at the latest) and this has to be easily the organization’s best shot at a championship title. This is the best team the Boston has put out on the field in quite some time, and we’ll probably never see a more talented Red Sox team in our lifetime. They won 108 games in the regular season, 115 now in total. They’re a collective, utter machine and that quickly became apparent once the calendar turned April earlier this year. So: they must pull out every single stop in order to hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy.
Contrary to sudden and popular belief, the Red Stockings do NOT need to play Mookie Betts at second base and they SHOULD NOT. I don’t think they’ll do it, either. I’ll tell you why. Grab a snack and take a couple minutes to read my reasoning, pretty please. Okay, thank you.
I don’t even know where I want to or should begin, in all honesty. There are so many varying things I hate about the thought of putting my precious Markus Lynn Betts in the infield in any situation in the World Series. For starters, I suppose, he hasn’t played second base in over four years. No, I do not count him playing at second for part of one meaningless game in an emergency situation back in August. He has not consistently played second base in real baseball games since 2014 when he initially came up to the big leagues, and that was only 14 games at the very end of a terrible season on a terrible baseball team.
I can kind of understand why people panic and suddenly come to the conclusion that Boston must start Betts at second in order to keep this lineup together in the most important series on the biggest stage of the season. At the same time, we must remember that playing second base is not easy, especially when you haven’t taken ground balls in live action and haven’t physically and mentally dealt with an opposing player sliding into your knees in over four years. A second baseman’s body must complete extremely unique body movements regularly in order to successfully play the position that Betts has not been accustomed to for over four years now. That alone is a recipe for disaster.
The beatings Betts would take, in the World Series of all series, nonetheless, would be overbearing in so many ways. Yes, there are now sliding rules that protect infielders now more than ever after Chase Utley destroyed Ruben Tejada’s leg in the 2015 NLCS. Again, this is the World Series we’re talking about. Players are naturally more likely to break the rules, either consciously or unconsciously, on such a high-pressure stage like this one in late October. I’m not taking any risks with my MVP right fielder at second base with both Manny Machado (labeled ‘dirty player’ by Christian Yelich only a few days ago) and Chase Utley sliding into him. Sorry, I’m just not.
At the same time, you can’t be afraid of players in any given game, much less the World Series. I don’t think the player or the team are afraid of the opposing players, necessarily. There’s no “worry” in this Red Sox clubhouse. This is more about putting the baseball team in its best position to win (a la William Belichick). If your outfield looks like Benintendi-Bradley Jr-Martinez and Betts is at 2B at Dodger Stadium in Game 3 of the World Series, defensively are you putting your team in an ideal position to win? No. The World Series is not the time to sacrifice defense. Yes, even if that means benching your ALCS MVP who *ahem* has actually hit .200 this postseason thus far with only three hits (given, big hits) and .234 in the regular season. No way in hell am I taking such a risk and downgrading my defense at two positions, right field and second base nonetheless.
There is nothing wrong with an outfield of Martinez-Benintendi-Betts for three games on the road in the World Series. Martinez played many games in left at Fenway, and solidly, may I add. Dodger Stadium doesn’t have wacky dimensions like Fenway, either; their left field is perfectly normal and won’t mess with JD. I assure you. We know Benintendi can play center and, well, I think Betts is okay out in right. Pretty sure.
It absolutely baffles me how people genuinely think that putting Betts at second base is a logical idea. If it seems like such a masterful plan, then why not put him at first base? It’s easier to play first than second, so why not? Put Kinsler at shortstop and Bogaerts at third? *sarcasm, folks* It makes zero sense to me. The team will in fact survive if Jackie Bradley Jr sees less playing time than two MVPs in Mookie Betts and JD Martinez, trust me. An outfield with Betts in it is light years better than an outfield without him in it, and this is essentially a proven fact. There is no good reason to take a 2x Gold Glove winner (in 3 seasons) out of their position in a championship series.
Look, if something absolutely disastrous happens in the following week (knock on wood) and Betts must play second, okay, go for it. But, right now? No way. Not happening. There’s no good reason to screw with his head and his rhythm in the biggest series of his life. I hope Cora has talked to him about this, at least, and have a set plan laid out so Betts doesn’t have to deal with questions about it and let it all get to his head. The only thing Betts should have to be focusing on right now is the routine he’s had going since Opening Day and preparing attacks against pitchers, not whether or not he’ll be thrown into the infield for the first time in what seems like an eternity.
Go Sox, kid.
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