Rough patch will prove whether or not the Sox are contenders

Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Sam Galanis
Contributing Writer

There will never be an undefeated baseball team in a 162-game season. If there ever was, the sport would just have to be over, because baseball is a test of endurance. Teams go for long stretches without a single day off. They fly all over the country, sometimes getting on a plane immediately following a night game so they can make a day game in the next city. Players strain their bodies and their minds. It’s all about who can last from April to October.

Basically, no one should be surprised about what’s happening to the Red Sox. It happens to all teams. But this is exactly how you prove which teams are the best. It’s about who can come back from the injuries, what team can go day in and day out without their players getting overworked.

If anything, the Sox are lucky that things are slightly unraveling early in the season. Will Middlebrooks and David Ross are hurt. Well, that’s too bad because they’re both strong offensive and defensive players. But imagine if their injuries came in early September instead of early May. There would probably be little hope for a strong comeback from either of them. There’s also the issue of the Sox’s lack of closer. But who knows? Maybe Junichi Tazawa will be a good fit. Maybe Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey will be able to come back and get the job done. Right now, the Sox have a chance to show that they can fight through this and still (hopefully) come out as one of the best teams.

So forget the series in Texas. Forget last night’s game against the Twins. These games aren’t the ones that will take any team to the playoffs. These games are part of the test to see which teams can overcome a list of hardships they’re sure to rack up after six months. Most teams that make the playoffs aren’t dominant every single month. They all have their ups and downs. Some teams who have started the season at the bottom may eventually find their way to the top. And the Sox are no different. If they can make it to the All-Star break without falling too far behind and continue strong after that point, the Sox will be able to prove that they have what it takes.




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