Not all was seashells, balloons and children asking Eloy Jimenez “thin crust or deep dish?” at SoxFest on Saturday, the place the overwhelming temper amongst gamers, membership officers and followers was optimism concerning the coming season.
While nonstop speak of the postseason echoed by way of McCormick Place West, one couldn’t blame those that stay pessimistic. One guarded skeptic at a query reply discussion board with supervisor Rick Renteria and common supervisor Rick Hahn Saturday reminded them of a Sox offseason gained with the additions of Jeff Samardzija, Adam LaRoche, Melky Cabrera, David Robertson and Zach Duke and an ensuing 2015 fail. Another questioned, inside good purpose, the Sox’ questionable protection.
Another advised to Renteria that he’ll be underneath a better microscope managing a staff constructed to win slightly than one in rebuild mode.
The questions appeared to gentle a fireplace underneath Renteria, who dropped two phrases not appropriate for print in his responses.
“Ricky’s apology for language lasts the entire hour,” moderator Jason Benetti quipped.
“Pressure?” Renteria stated. “I’ve bought gamers. You need stress? Have a restricted bench, have restricted pitching. That’s stress.’’
That was what Renteria had throughout his first three seasons on the helm. Now that he lastly has a roster constructed to win, he’s not backing down from letting everybody know his expectations are lofty, as they need to be.
“Not knocking any staff I’ve had — these children gave us every thing that they had,” he stated. “But now, expectations are opportunities. Expectations don’t scare me. I don’t hedge my bet. If I suck, you can tell me I suck and that’s the way it is.”
Renteria hasn’t had a robust roster to handle, not with the Cubs and never with the Sox. This will likely be his greatest one on paper, and he will likely be judged accordingly. It comes with the territory.
“Absolutely the message is different [now],” he stated. “It’s more refined. The difference is players are telling me – the young core – they are telling me now we’ll take over some of the things [the coaching staff has] been doing the last few years. We will tell these guys to get their head out of their [butt] and let’s start playing the game. It’s no longer time to say, ‘It’s all right, let’s go.’ The players are telling me that.”
The gamers are telling listeners they’re all in with Renteria. Catcher Yasmani Grandal cited Renteria, whom he had as a coach, as a consider selecting the Sox in free company. Of Renteria, shortstop Tim Anderson stated, ‘We have the precise man main us.”
Renteria is aware of Anderson has so as to add excellence on routine performs to excellence on the powerful ones. He is aware of left fielder Jimenez must be higher. There are others.
They have been challenged.
“We’ve got a lot of defensive work planned [for spring training],” Renteria stated. “These guys are understanding the truth of how they defend being an necessary a part of profitable baseball video games.
“I’m as optimistic as I’ve been since I’ve been right here. We have a sturdy lineup. We must pitch and catch the ball.
“We push these guys extraordinarily arduous. Now you have got a gaggle of younger gamers who’re beginning to be taught and really feel very assured about their ability set. Now we have now [veteran] guys who’ve been in that fireside, been in that battle. And our guys are telling our younger gamers, ‘Hey, ‘it’s time to go. We don’t have time to fiddle. We have a window of alternative, let’s take it.’ ”