Steven Bisig – USA TODAY Sports
Remember Daniel Nava, the Boston Red Sox outfielder who came through in the clutch so many times this season? I really was starting to like that guy, but apparently he has been relegated to pinch running duties for this team.
Nava just can’t catch a break. Ever since high school he’s been trying to prove people who think he can’t play wrong. In high school, he was too small. At Santa Clara, he was the water boy before they finally gave him a shot. As a professional baseball player, he seemed destined for a career in the minor leagues before finally being called up to Boston at age 27. Even then, though, he was designated to a role as a bench player and utility outfielder.
Finally, in 2013, Nava got the chance to prove himself, and thus far he has run with it. Through the first three months of the season, he was batting .290 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI. Those numbers put his name into All-Star Game consideration, and it seemed like Nava’s days of being a backup were long gone.
Then July happened. For whatever reason, Red Sox manager John Farrell seems to have lost trust in Nava. He had only 63 at-bats this month, after having 100 in June. The lack of trust in Nava seems to be unfair. Yes, July was his slowest month of the season, but it wasn’t that bad. Although his power numbers significantly dipped, he did still maintain a .270 average for the month. Even the greatest hitters go through slumps much worse than Nava’s July.
Nava deserves the chance to show that he can get himself out of a funk. He’s been a steady contributor all season, and his at-bats are being taken recently by Jonny Gomes. This doesn’t seem to make much sense since they are both right handed hitters, but Gomes is a career .240 hitter. Gomes has had his chance to show that he is an everyday player, and he’s shown time and time again that he’s not.
Let’s hope Farrell comes to his senses and puts Nava back in the starting lineup.
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