Press conferences are nice. They break up the winter doldrums while allowing for smily newcomers wearing uniforms we won't see again until March.
Questions are asked. Answers are given. And at the end of the day, the hosts - in this case the Red Sox - hope some much-needed optimism has bubbled up a bit. The formula was put on display once again Tuesday afternoon thanks to Kenley Jansen's introduction.
Truth be told, the pomp and circumstance of such events haven't usually been centered around relief pitchers signed for just two years. But semi-desperate times sometimes lead to semi-desperate measures. Hence, the first Red Sox Fenway press conference of the offseason.
The takeway? It can't hurt. It will likely be the same vibe when the Red Sox introduce outfielder Masataka Yoshida later this week.
(Another spoiler: Media members like free a food and a reason to get out of the house.)
There was, however, a significant moment that came out of the endeavor. And it actually took place outside the formal setting that Jansen's introduction was built from. This was a simple quick comment down in the batting cages.
My reaction to when I first saw this ...
1. This should be at the top of list when it comes to the Red Sox' recruiting tools for any targeted free agents. Money and years are always going to be the driving force, but this sort of reaction should offer a powerful complement.
People in these parts care. They pay attention. And, whether or not they want to admit, hope for the best. When they see Jansen they view him as a semblance of hope during what had been a sledgehammer of an offseason.
The criticism, boos and frustration will come. The reality is that all people want is for there be a reason to actually attend games at Fenway Park throughout those summer months that bridge the gap to football season and/or baseball postseasons. That's why Jansen was afforded this on-the-street initial introduction.
"To me, it’s exciting," the closer added in the more buttoned-up question-and-answer portion of the afternoon. "When I got the call by my agent and knowing that I’m going to Boston, like I said, it’s one of the historic organizations in baseball. It’s just, immediately the weight, the name that the Red Sox carry, it just gets you excited. It gets your adrenaline going. You know this is a historic organization and it’s all about winning here. It definitely gets you even more focused to continue to get back in that weight room and work hard and try to be a better player next year. I’m excited and I’m looking forward for it."
2. While these sort of fan interactions can initially supply all the feels for a newcomer like Jansen, this is also another reminder what is bubbling below the atta-boys.
People here care more than most places, and with that will come the opposite of Yule Tide greetings for important participants such as Jansen. This has never been complicated: The Red Sox ask New Englanders to invest a ton both financially and emotionally in the team, so when payoff is a series of sad trombones, and nobody is getting their money back, those soaking in the thrill of being a member of the Red Sox better be ready.
This is what Jansen's observation should have reminded us all: The Red Sox may lead the majors when it comes to venom-per-victory. There is no place that will see the vitriol rise faster when victories are entering the equation. That is what those hovering around Kenley at that moment down by the cages should have warned him.
"Win and these vibes won't go away. Don't, and you better not walk to work."
A positive piece of this puzzle is that Jansen will be playing for a manager who knows what waits around the corner for the closer, and how he might not fully understand what awaits.
Alex Cora was the one who grabbed his former teammate with the Dodgers, Eric Gagne, and told him that as a member of the Red Sox you better be available to answer all the tough questions after all the tough outings. This isn't Los Angeles. It is a message the Sox manager will want to dust off for the former Dodger game-ender.
"One thing, going back to my first winter there, picking the brains of people who have been here a long long time, and seen a lot of ups and downs in this environment, what plays in Boston, what plays in our clubhouse, some of it is just baseball, stuff that plays anyway," said Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom. "But one thing that i was told by wise people who have been here a long time, there are a lot different types of people who have succeed here and who can succeed here if they’re competitors, don't back down and are not afraid of the moment. So that’s something we look for. Kenley brings a lot of intangibles. He’s going to set a tremendous example for all of our young pitchers about what experience in those moments means, what poise in those moments mean so that’s certainly a big part of it as well."
OK. But also understand, the teacher will have a lot to learn, as well, with Lesson No. 1 coming Tuesday in and around Fenway.
