Remember when being a Red Sox fan meant something? Like, real pride?
Like crying in 2004, yelling in 2007, and kissing random strangers in 2013 and 2018? Good times.
Now? Being a Sox fan feels like showing up to your favorite restaurant and realizing they’ve replaced the chef with a guy who doesn’t wash his hands after blowing up the crapper.
Let’s talk about the Fenway Sports Group, the corporate overlords who are slowly but surely turning the Red Sox from a powerhouse into a punchline.
First, there was Mookie Betts. Literal MVP. Homegrown. Fast, fun, could hit, could field, could probably fix a leaky faucet if you asked him nicely. He was the kind of player you name your dog after.
But no, Fenway Group took one look at Mookie and said, “Hmm… how about we trade him for some expired scratch tickets and a half-eaten sandwich?”
So off he went to the Dodgers, where he immediately helped win a World Series because, surprise, Mookie Betts is very good at baseball.
And just when we were starting to emotionally recover, they hit us with the worst Father’s Day gift ever in the Rafael Devers trade. Devers!
Big smile, big bat, and the only guy who’s made watching the Sox fun the last few years. Gone.
Why?
Because the Fenway Group’s strategy seems to be: “Let’s never pay our best players unless they come with a Groupon.”
It’s like they’re running the team out of an Excel spreadsheet. Forget heart, hustle, or loyalty, if the advanced metrics say, “might cost money,” then it’s time to pack your bags.
Meanwhile, Fenway Park is still charging $12 for a hot dog, and NESN is showing more car commercials than baseball. But hey, at least Liverpool’s doing great, right?
Look, we’re not asking for a super team.
We just want to keep our superstars. Is that so much to ask? Baseball is supposed to be about magic, not margin.
The Fenway Group needs to remember that the Red Sox aren’t just a line item on a global portfolio, they’re our team.
Until then, we’ll be here. Watching the games. Shaking our heads. Wondering who they’ll trade next. Maybe Wally the Green Monster.
No one is safe.