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Dombrowski reflects on Papi, looks to future
- Updated: October 8, 2016
It has been 14 months since the Red Sox stunned the industry when they effectively replaced Ben Cherington with Dave Dombrowski, the longtime executive with a penchant for bold moves and big winning percentages. The switch signaled that the Red Sox were about to make some serious waves on the transaction front, and Dombrowski came as advertised, signing David Price and trading for Craig Kimbrel last offseason to put the Red Sox in prime position to make the most of David Ortiz’s final season.
Alas, this American League Division Series against the Indians, which continues Sunday (4 p.m. ET, TBS) at Fenway Park, has not been nearly as kind to the Red Sox as the regular season that preceded it. And so, in an 0-2 hole that only seven other teams have recovered from in 53 tries, Dombrowski’s club is trying to extend not only their season, but the Ortiz era.
Game Date Time Matchup TV/Highlights Gm 1 Oct. 6 CLE 5, BOS 4 Gm 2 Oct. 7 CLE 6, BOS 0 Gm 3 Oct. 9 4 p.m. CLE @ BOS TBS *Gm 4 Oct. 10 6 p.m. CLE @ BOS TBS *Gm 5 Oct. 12 6 or 8 p.m. BOS @ CLE TBS *- If necessary | All times listed ET • Division Series start time scenarios • Red Sox vs. Indians ALDS coverageShop for postseason gear: Red Sox | Indians
It is a fascinating juncture for the Red Sox, because, while Ortiz’s pending departure is going to leave a huge hole in the middle of the order, the development of AL MVP Award candidate Mookie Betts, shortstop Xander Bogaerts and outfielders Jackie Bradley Jr. and Andrew Benintendi gives Boston a strong young nucleus around which to build. And on the verge of completing his first full season as the club’s president of baseball operations, Dombrowski will be the one directing the post-Ortiz era.
MLB.com caught up with Dombrowski in the midst of the ALDS to get his thoughts on Ortiz and a team in transition.
MLB.com: You’ve been here a little over a year now. When does a team really start to feel like “yours.” When do you feel you’ve really put your imprint on an organization?
Dombrowski: That’s a hard question to answer for me. Because I think, when you’ve been somewhere for so long, you’ve sort of got an imprint there. Coming here, it’s like a gradual process. So some of the stuff feels that you’ve got that imprint and there’s other parts of it that are still in a transition state. But I think as you go through a whole year and then head into the wintertime again — last year, it was so new. Even though being there for seven weeks [previously] helped, it was still a rush. I didn’t have the full pulse of things. So I think when I go into the wintertime, I’ve got a better pulse, because I’ve got my own opinion on things. It just takes a while to get that total feel.
MLB.com: This is an interesting time, because we’re talking about Ortiz’s pending retirement, but, at the same time, so many young guys have taken that next, huge step for you guys.
Dombrowski: We have a tremendous foundation, no question. Not only here but still some guys in the Minor League system that are really good. A lot of guys have taken a step forward.
What will end up happening, which will be an interesting thing, is they will become the center of the attention without David. Although you still have Dustin [Pedroia] and Hanley [Ramirez] here — and Hanley’s had a tremendous year — and you’ll have Price and Kimbrel, it’ll be a whole different scenario because [the younger guys] will be the guys who will be counted on to do it. So that’ll be a transition for them. I think they’ll handle it and do well with it, and I think it’s a situation where the foundation is so good in so many ways. The core is here for years to come.
MLB.com: Indians manager and former Red Sox manager Terry Francona was saying Boston is a really tough place for a young player, because you’re not in a situation where they can “sink or swim.” The spotlight is so intense and the expectations to perform are …
