Roche: Victorino's Attitude A Promising Sign For 2015 Turnaround
BOSTON (CBS) -- I think most athletes perform their best when they have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. It's human nature.
Which leads me to Shane Victorino.
He's had a fire in his belly from the first day he arrived in Fort Myers this spring ... and I love it.
He agreed to a three-year, $39 million deal with Ben Cherington and the Sox after Boston's disastrous 2012 season under Bobby Valentine. And, even if Victorino doesn't see the field once in this 2015 season, in my opinion he was worth the contract.
Victorino showed guys how to play the game on the field -- how to give everything you have day in, day out in helping the Sox win their third World Series title in 10 seasons back in 2013.
In 122 games in 2013, the "Flyin' Hawaiian" scored 82 runs, hit .294 with an .801 OPS while stealing 21 bases and winning a Gold Glove in one of the most difficult right fields in all of baseball. His manager appreciated his approach, his passion, and his enthusiasm for the game.
And then in the postseason, he was clutch. He hit the game- and series-winning grand slam in a 5-2 Game 6 ALCS win over Detroit and he had a four-RBI night in the World Series-clinching Game 6 win over St Louis ... all while wrecking his body along the way for the sake of winning.
And those 2013 postseason injuries basically ruined his 2014 campaign, as he appeared in only 22 games before facing back surgery.
He entered this spring ready to go, even though his 34-year-old body may be telling him to slow down a bit. He called himself the underdog, daring people to write him off. Of the more than 18,000 players in MLB history, only 39 are Hawaii natives, so the two-time World Series winner has been battling the odds from day one.
And now everyone but his manager has seemingly written him off. He doesn't want to hear it.
He comments about the possibility of the Sox acquiring his old teammate Cole Hamels, saying the Sox should give up top prospects to get him because Hamels can be a difference-maker, and that leads to chatter that Victorino wants to get rid of his competition, Mookie Betts. He lashes out at Tony Mazz and Mike Felger for their interpretation of his comments.
Good.
This is how you want not only Shane Victorino to come out of camp but also Dustin Pedroia, Mike Napoli, David Ortiz, Clay Buchholz, and other veterans. Tell them they aren't good enough, broken down, old ... whatever you want. They welcome it.
And you should too. It will set the tone for a turnaround 2015.
Follow WBZ-TV's Dan Roche on Twitter @RochieWBZ.
