You can't run isolations for outfielders.
This was perhaps my favorite saying when getting into debates regarding paying so much of a baseball team's payroll to one position player. In other words, Major League Baseball is not the NBA where you can prioritize the athleticism and skill of just one or two when drawing up your winning blueprint.
It's a reality that came to mind the first time Alex Cora dropped his first "we need to get more athletic" when talking about the Red Sox.
That sounds good, but what exactly does it mean.
Sure, you lost one of the game's best athletes in Mookie Betts, but he was replaced by a fairly spry outfielder in the form of Alex Verdugo. Other than that, really how had what we saw in the way of athleticism change over the last few seasons?
Also, where exactly are you going to supplement this athleticism? Are you going to find a centerfielder with more baseball athleticism than Jackie Bradley Jr.? The only other spot seemingly available for some sort of turnover seems to be second base, and does getting an upgrade when it comes to running and jumping doesn't seem more important than simply reeling in more overall consistency?
The fastest guy on the Red Sox last season Jose Peraza is gone. Their second-fastest Xander Bogaerts was just the 14th speediest of all MLB shortstops, but he's not going anywhere.
The only position player acquisition the Red Sox have made to date has been outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who does carry a good amount of athleticism, but no more than Kevin Pillar.
So, we asked.
First the question was posed to new Red Sox bench coach Will Venable, who had represented about as good an athlete as you will find on a baseball diamond during his playing days. (You won't find many better hoop players than the former Princeton star.)
It turns out the subject had been broached during his initial conversations with Cora.
"We have talked about it," Venable said on his recent appearance on the Bradfo Sho podcast. "What Alex’s plan to get there is stuff I’m still digging into and still learning about. But what he is talking about is tapping into whatever athleticism each guy has and there are ways to go about doing that. Before the pitch even comes, let’s say for defenders, there is a mentality that you have to have. There is an understanding of situations. If this ball is hit to me how I’m matching my intentions with the situation. And so there is kind of that mindset that is important in our preparation to get ready for that moment so we can be athletic and not be hindered by confusion or pressure. Just really having a clear thought of the mentality of what we need for each pitch. But also physically putting yourself in the right position.
"Dustin Pedroia with his pre-pitch hop. Jackie Bradley Jr., the way he gets ready before a pitch. It’s a very athletic move. It’s an athletic move you see with tennis players returning serves. I think they call it a split-step. There is that step in preparation of this moment, a timing nuance to it. There is space. There is a lot that goes into it. But the guys who do it really well are able to tap into their athleticism in the moments they need it most and with great timing. That’s really what we’re talking about."
So, there's one answer: Making the most out of every movement.
But there is another element to the equation, one which Cora surfaced Thursday during his Zoom meeting with the local media.
Using Andrew Benintendi as an example, the manager surmised that a big step forward can be taken by individual players and the team as a whole if priorities shift a bit more from power to speed.
Throughout Benintedi's career, he has seen his sprint speed and home-to-first times go in the wrong direction, with Rafael Devers seeing a similar downward trend from 2019 to 2020.
"The Andrew that we saw in October 2018, right, that's the Andrew we want," Cora said. "I know a lot of people talk about the second half. I don't think it was that bad. In '19, talking to him, he tried to make some adjustments as far as hitting the ball in the air. You saw him. He became a little bit stronger. He wasn't out of shape, actually, he was in great shape. His mindset was a little bit different. Last year, talking to him, he never felt right in the batter's box, although it was 50-something at-bats, but the swing and misses, we talked about it in '19, we saw it in '20, we need to find a balance between driving the ball and not swinging and missing.
"I'll take the Andrew Benintendi the complete player. I don't want Andrew, just to say a number, to hit 35 or 40 home runs. It doesn't matter. I want him to get on base, be fast on the basepaths, steal bases, play better defense the way he played in October. If we get that guy back, we're in a good position. I've been saying all along in our meetings and to the media, I want our group to get back to playing fast. It seems they were one step behind last year as a unit, and we need to be better. The communication has been there. I'm a big fan of Andrew. At 7:05 (p.m.) or 7:35, I know he gives his best, but we need him to get back to stay level in the strike zone, drive the ball all over the field, run around, and be a complete player. I don't want him to be one-dimensional."
It sounds good. People like watching athletic teams. But can it become a reality? After a spring training of breaking out the running shoes and jump ropes we will find out.
"There’s a few guys that, although they can hit the ball out of the ballpark, we can ask them to do other stuff in the batter’s box," Cora said. "That’s what I mean. Playing fast, moving from first to third, scoring from first base, having better leads, advancing on dirt balls, trying to put pressure on the opposition. We’re not going to be careless. One thing’s for sure, we’re not going to be giving outs away, but if the situation comes up and we do believe we can take advantage of the opposition in certain ways, we’ll do that. You look around. That also goes defensively. Defensively, we have to play fast. I watched a lot of the Padres games, the Dodgers, the Rays, even the Indians. You can see it – defensively, offensively, there’s a different pace of their game. That’s something we’re going to try to get back to."