April 8, 2011

Theo Rallies The Troops

Before Friday's home opener, Theo Epstein spoke to the Red Sox players.

Daniel Bard:
On a scale of one to awesome, it was awesome. ... I didn't really know what to expect when he wanted to talk. But it turned out to be some good words and probably just what we needed. He's showing he still has faith in us. He has more than just the team money invested, he's emotionally invested. He wants to see us do well just as much as anybody.
Mike Cameron:
That was one of the best ones I've heard. ... It was refreshing to see that type of thing. I don't know how he came up with it, but he's right there with all the Nobel Peace Prize winners with that one. It just kind of put it all in perspective. We grind so hard sometimes, and expect to be great so much, we forget about shortcomings and how you overcome those things. It was nothing about baseball. It was about getting your mind right.
Adrian Gonzalez:
That talk was needed. He did a great job with it. He's a figure that people listen to, and so when it comes from a guy like that, you want to go out there and play hard for him and for the entire organization and the city of Boston.
David Ortiz:
I've been here nine years and I never thought he had those words all lined up for us. I never heard him talking before. He came out and put everybody in a good mood. I had goosebumps after he finished talking, I'm telling you. He should record that and throw it out there because that should get everybody in a good mood.
Ortiz:
I was shocked. Theo doesn't talk. Sometimes he walks right by you and doesn't see you. ... Before I saw it totally differently. Before it was, "What the [expletive] is going on? People want to go crazy after 10 games." But now I see it. This is the Boston Red Sox, not the Pittsburgh Pirates. I'm not trying to say anything bad about their organization, but you know what I mean. Every hit, every play, every at-bat, every swing, these people, they care. They worry about everything, and sometimes it gets out of hand. Trust me, there were a lot of sad faces these past six games. Even [with] the guys who had good games.
Jonathan Papelbon:
Once in a while the lead man has got to light the fire. That's what he did. He let us know we're a good team. And when it comes from the top, it trickles on down.
Dustin Pedroia:
We got back from the road trip, we're 0-6, that's the worst feeling as a player, with the expectations we had. I just came in here thinking, we have to find a way to win. I don't care how we do it. I don't care if it's the ugliest win of all time. We need that win. We played great, man. We played good and we'll continue tomorrow.

7 comments:

lougorman'slunch said...

Goodness, you do wonder what on earth Theo had to say. Some sort of Henry V type stuff? I am sure his first line was something to the effect of, "when I was playing intra-murals at Yale..."
Maybe not.

laura k said...

Whatever he said, the players liked it. That's probably more important than your mocking comment.

Amy said...

I wonder if we will ever see what Theo said. It must have been a lot more poetic than the usual baseball pep talk. I'd love to read it myself. It's really interesting to read how moved the players were. The power of language should never be underestimated!

Wings1295 said...

Wish we could hear/read what he said!

johngoldfine said...

I get the impression that Theo really likes baseball, players, the game in all its aspects, the business, the Red Sox, and just about every part of what he does except the part where he gets jerked around by dumbasses (see 'gorilla suit').

If he conveyed some part of that enthusiasm and confidence and happiness, I'm sure it was inspiriting.

laura k said...

Ah, here it is. (See thread re Felix Doubront.)

I wish I could have heard it, too.

Amy said...

Laura, is there supposed to be a link there? Is it on a different post?