Russ Booth-USA Today Sports
Day One. Game One. Opening Day. It doesn’t get much better then this.
Today the Boston Red Sox face the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium, trying to put the disaster that was the 2012 season in their rearview mirror.
Related: Arizona Diamondbacks’ Projected Opening Day Starting Lineup
It’s a new season and a clean slate for a roster that vastly underachieved last season and will likely return back to form this season. John Farrell and Juan Nieves’ impact on the pitching staff can’t be underestimated in the potential for the Red Sox to rebound.
Jon Lester will be front and center — exhibit A for the Red Sox in their search to reach the postseason after missing out the past three seasons. Lester has looked everything like the ace that everyone expected this spring.
Both teams will look radically different then the squads that ended last season. Boston has loaded up on strong character-based veterans like Shane Victorino and Jonny Gomes to help this 2013 Red Sox rebound and rebuild the vibe in the clubhouse.
The Yankees will be missing three-quarters of their 2012 playoff infield plus Curtis Granderson. New York and manager Joe Girardi will be faced with the challenge of keeping their heads above water until their stars return.
MLB baseball is changing dramatically, and both teams will have to evolve in order to get back on top. Stars are staying with their home teams, taking the big budget teams out of the mix and making more difficult for the teams to make mistakes with long-term contracts.
At the end of last season, the Red Sox limped into Yankee Stadium and were beat up by the Yankees’ lineup to end the season. The contrast between the two teams was obvious. It was a fitting end to a brutal season, and forced the Red Sox to look in the mirror and realize that things were as bad as they appeared and that they would have to change.
Today is the first day for the Red Sox to see if they have made the necessary adjustments in order to contend in the AL East this season.
