Did Hell Freeze Over?
There must be something in the water over there, because our favorite non-conformer Alfredo Aceves is.... conforming?
Well I will be the first to point out that I am not a fan of Alfredo Aceves and that I was not sad to see him fade off into the sunset to Triple-A Pawtucket. To me he was a ticking bomb, waiting to damage team unity and morale with his quirky antics. When he left he said all the right things while packing his bags, that he would work hard and do his best to help the team win.
Low and behold, he was not just mouthing the words. A few days ago he was seen in the stands during a 15-inning game, charting pitches like any Triple A starter the day before his next outing. He has been there for a week now and the Pawtucket manager Gary DiSarcina stated, "He's been a model citizen."
The Red Sox have not given up on him, sending none other than special assistant Pedro Martinez to oversee his between start bullpen session and have a chat. A little special attention for Alfredo Aceves seems to have worked as his Thursday start he threw 6 scoreless innings over 101 pitches. A few more starts like this might see him back soon with the various aches that have been rearing up in the Red Sox pitching staff.
I for one am happy to see his quirky behavior put on the shelf and that he dedicates himself to getting the job done one start at a time. Maybe a bit of humble pie has put things into perspective for him? Maybe the time off has helped him? Or maybe the Red Sox will just dump him on the trade market?
Post a comment or hit me up on twitter @ericschabell with your thoughts.
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