BOSTON — It’s been nearly three months since the Boston Red Sox won the 2013 World Series. Mike Napoli still hasn’t shaved, according to manager John Farrell.
Farrell, who participated in Tuesday’s Hot Stove Cool Music Baseball Roundtable at Fenway Park’s State Street Pavilion, said Napoli’s beard is as burly as ever, which makes sense considering the Red Sox first baseman has been growing his facial hair since last spring training. A trim — albeit a minor one — might be in order before Boston breaks camp this year, though.
“Napoli came in the clubhouse the other day. He has not shaved,” Farrell said Tuesday, drawing laughter from the 200 or so fans in attendance. “We did have a little conversation, and he promised it’d at least be, we might need a weed whacker, but he’ll rein it back in a little bit.”
Farrell was joined Tuesday by a number of other panelists, including Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington, vice president and assistant GM Mike Hazen and reliever Craig Breslow. The discussion centered on the topic of building and maintaining a winning culture, which was fitting given the Red Sox’ success last season. It didn’t take long before Boston’s amazing beards became a talking point.
“Inside the framework, there’s always an opportunity to be an individual, and the beard was this group’s way of showing it,” Farrell said shortly before revealing Napoli’s beard status. “It became a little bit of a rally point. It became maybe, in certain ways, a distraction to take some of the focus off of something else. They certainly rallied around it.”
Napoli clearly intends to keep the beard movement rolling in 2014.
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