It was exactly four years ago when John Henry stood on the field in London, reflecting on his team's performance just a few months after it had been crowned 2018 world champs.
"I don’t feel good about the way we’ve played thus far," the Red Sox principal owner told WEEI.com, with the Red Sox sitting at 44-39, two games out of the final Wild Card spot.
He continued when asked about potentially waiting out the following month to see how the Red Sox might approach the trade deadline, "We’ve been waiting and seeing. It’s not wait and see. It’s 'you expect to pick it up' in the second half."
The conversation continued, with Henry addressing the construction of the team. "It’s not a luxury tax issue, it’s a question of how much money do we want to lose," he explained. "We’re already over budget and we were substantially over our budget last year and this year. We’re not going to be looking to add a lot of payroll. And it’s hard to imagine fielding a better team. If we play up to our capabilities we’ll be fine. That’s the question: Will we? We’re halfway through and we haven’t.
"It’s a worthy team because we invested. Two years in a row we have the highest payroll. It’s not a matter of investment, it’s a matter of playing well. If we play up to our capabilities we will easily make the playoffs. That’s how I see it."
The takeaway? The desperation and drive to be good and relevant wasn't hard to decipher. And, you know what? After those two horrific games in England the Red Sox landed on June 27 just a 1/2 game out of the final Wild Card spot (believe it or not, behind the A's) after going 15-7.
Now, immediately following that July run the Sox lost eight games in a row, fell out of contention and found themselves looking for a new President of Baseball Operations just about a month later. But, looking back, that year's June 29 had a different sort of vibe than what we're presented this time around.
The Red Sox have currently lost four in a row, marking the fourth time they have had a losing streak of at least four - the most of such runs before July 1 by a Sox team since 2000. They sit one game under .500 halfway through the season, and reside four games out of the Wild Card spot.
Their shortstop situation is a mess. They are having a hard time scoring runs. Their starting rotation is made up of four starters. The defense has been not good. And the across-the-board talent level when playing teams many thought be fluky - such as the Marlins - doesn't seem comparable to their competition.
Trevor Story will help, but his likely entrance into the equation won't come for another month. Chris Sale and Tanner Houck? Most likely the same. In other words, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand there are more than a few holes to plug in this boat before anyone can start shouting "Land Ho!"
Patience and the process. That seems to be the vibe this time around, certainly more than in year's past during this stop on the calendar. On June 19, 2015, the Red Sox were six games back of fourth-place at 35-43. Ben Cherington was fired. Big signings were made. Big trades were made. The following three seasons on the same date ... 2016: 42-36, second-place; 2017: 44-35, first-place; 2018: 55-28, first-place.
There was no need for desperation a year ago at this time considering the Red Sox sat at 43-33, owning the top Wild Card spot. It seemed like the pieces were in place. That is not the case this time around.
It is time for the Red Sox to realize their lot in life and not just hang their hats on hope. It's time to show some urgency.
