BOSTON — Cheer up, John. You’re not that old.
Travis Shaw powered the Red Sox to an 11-7 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday at Fenway Park. Boston manager John Farrell was asked after the victory whether he sees any similarities personality-wise between Shaw and the 25-year-old’s father, Jeff Shaw, with whom the skipper played alongside in Cleveland in the early 1990s. The question took Farrell down memory lane.
“No. Jeff never shut up. Travis is quiet,” Farrell joked. “They both have the last name ‘Shaw,’ but very different.”
The Red Sox recalled the younger Shaw from Triple-A Pawtucket before Saturday’s game, marking his fifth stint with Boston this season. He rewarded them by hammering two home runs, reaching base five times and scoring five runs amid the Red Sox’s offensive assault.
Shaw certainly didn’t learn how to hit from his father (a two-time All-Star closer), but as Farrell switched to a more serious tone, the Red Sox manager couldn’t help but wonder about the family impact.
“It makes you feel old that your teammates’ kids are now playing for you, that’s one thing,” Farrell said with a smile. “But still, son of a major leaguer, maybe that’s why a lot of this he keeps it in stride. He’s been around it his entire life.”
Shaw admitted after his breakout performance that growing up with his father in The Show has helped his own baseball career. If nothing else, he has a better idea of what to expect.
“He’s gone through everything I’ve gone through in my career so far, so he’s experienced it firsthand, so he kind of guides me through this whole process,” Shaw said.
If Farrell someday manages Travis’ kid, then maybe we’ll start tossing around the word “old” in connection with the Red Sox manager. But we’re not there yet, skip.
Thumbnail photo via Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY Sports Images
