Red Sox Gonzalez: 'Owe It To Fans To Get Into Playoffs'
BOSTON (CBS) – Boston Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez says the 2011 collapse is in the past, and the goals and expectations for this season are clear.
"It's always the same; our goal is always to win the World Series," the sox slugger said from an event in New York to promote MLB 12 The Show, which he graces the cover of.
In his first season in Boston, Gonzalez and the Sox looked primed to make a playoff run as they entered September, with a .5 game lead over the Yankees for the AL East, and as a fallback, a nine game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays for the Wild Card.
Everyone knows what happened next. Beer. Chicken. Collapse. You get the picture.
But Gonzalez does not think the team needs to address any of that. Not even for the fans.
"It's a different team. We owe it to them to get into the playoffs and to play hard," he said. "For us, it's about 2012 now."
Gonzalez Looking Ahead To 2012
Gonzalez did say earlier this week there were some things he wants to change this season. He expects a better offensive output from himself, now 100-percent healthy after battling a bad shoulder for much of last season. He also said he wants to be a better leader, and have a stronger voice in the locker room.
With a new manager, he is also excited for all the changes Bobby Valentine will bring to the team.
"I've had a few conversations with him; really good conversations," he said of Valentine. "I'm very excited about all his ideas and what he wants to bring to the table. It'll be a good thing, him being our manager."
And as for being on the cover of a video game, it's something the 29-year-old always dreamed about.
"It's really cool. Definitely a dream come true. Growing up playing video games, I never thought this day would come," he said before taking on Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia in a friendly game. "I'm real excited."