Red Sox’s Young Core Soaking Up Veteran Teammate’s Fighting Mentality

Sox Talk with Will Middlebrooks is a recurring content series on NESN.com. Middlebrooks, a former Red Sox player and current NESN analyst, gives his insight and opinion on pertinent Red Sox storylines throughout the season. You can read the latest stories from the series here.

Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story could have packed up shop and put his focus on next season. But Story did the exact opposite.

Instead of giving in to what many believed was a season-ending shoulder injury, which he sustained just eight games into the campaign diving for a grounder, Story fought back following surgery.

He stuck with the grind and monotony of any rehab process until he got back on the field and started games for the Red Sox in early September. Surprisingly, Story came back to play in 16 games and bat a respectable .268 with two home runs, six RBIs and five stolen bases heading into Boston's final series of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Returning to the lineup wasn't only beneficial to the oft-injured Story. It also signaled to his Red Sox teammates, especially the young core, that he is a player worth following with the mentality he took to get back from injury even when Boston's playoff odds were slim.

"Trevor holds a very important piece as far as leadership goes in this clubhouse," former Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks told NESN.com. "I think him practicing what he preaches of putting in the work and some every day to get better, and in his case, that was in his rehab. He's taken guys like Jarren Duran under his wing. He's taken Ceddanne Rafaela, (Wilyer) Abreu (under his wing). There's so many young guys on this team that needed guidance and still need guidance."

Middlebrooks always saw the leadership quality in Story. The 2013 Red Sox World Series champion has known Story since Story was 19 years old as they trained in the offseason together with other big leaguers, like Torii Hunter, in the Dallas area.

Middlebrooks described Story as a "very reserved, mature, slow heart beat-type guy." With that type of demeanor, Story can handle the rollercoaster ride that comes with a long baseball season. It's only natural for there to be ups and downs through 162 games, but finding a way to remain steady through it all is the key.

It's something Story can impart, along with other wisdoms, on his younger teammates, which the Red Sox relied on heavily this season. It seems like Story has the ears of those younger players, too, especially Duran. And it doesn't seem like a coincidence that with Duran getting advice from Story, the All-Star outfielder had the best season of his career this year.

"His mindset has come from Trevor Story and he'll tell you that," Middlebrooks said.

Every baseball season brings lessons. The Red Sox learned plenty of them out on the diamond this season.

But there was also a valuable one taught to them inside the walls of their own clubhouse by Story. His determination to get back from injury shouldn't be taken for granted. It should be copied and used to get the Red Sox and their young core to take their step.

"I just think he understands how important his role is to these guys," Middlebrooks said. "It was very important to him to make sure, while everyone told him there was no chance of playing this year, that he got back. Even if it for one game just to prove, 'Hey you know what? No matter what people tell you, you put the work in, you put your head down, you put your blinders on, you go to work and you can make it happen.' And I think that's going to go a long way with these young guys."