One season after winning the 2013 World Series, the Boston Red Sox sit in fourth place in the American League East, seven games behind the division-leading Baltimore Orioles.
Things are looking bleak for the Sox in 2014, but outfielder Jonny Gomes said he’s still focused on the division title.
Gomes disagrees with those who feel the Red Sox should be sellers at the trade deadline at the end of July. He said the focus is on winning now, not playing for the future, as multiple outlets have reported.
“Our mind is still set on winning the division,” Gomes said, via CSN New England. “There’s no reason we can’t (win the East).”
Gomes played for the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays and 2012 Oakland Atheltics — two teams that overcame adversity to win a division title — and said the Red Sox could pull off the same type of comeback that those teams had. Oakland only became division leaders on the final day of the season that year.
“€œ(In) 2008, the Rays, the team I was on, went to the World Series with a $42 million payroll,” Gomes said, via WEEI. “(In) 2012, the Oakland A’€™s, we were in first place for four innings. Four innings of a 162-game season.”
Even if Boston can’t win the division, Gomes said he is OKÂ with winning one of the wild card spots. Since 2002, four teams that have won the wild card went on to win the World Series — including the 2004 Red Sox.
“Plenty of teams have won the World Series by winning the Wild Card,” Gomes said. “It’€™s not about going in the front door, there’€™s side doors and back doors too now.”
Photo via Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
