I am a fan of data. I like things that I can quantify. I believe in measurement. I have trust that if you analyze the data correctly, more often than not you will end up with the right answer. Despite my faith in numbers, I also realize that there are some things that simply elude statistical understanding. Just because you can't measure it doesn't mean it's not there.
When we want to compliment someone without being able to adequately define what it is that deserves praise, we often give them credit for "intangibles". We believe in our hearts that this person will add to the team. We just can't put the finger on exactly how that will happen....
I grew up in Hawaii. In many ways, it's like living in a small town. People born in Hawaii usually don't leave the islands. Since there are very few athletes from Hawaii who advance to professional sports of any kind, I often find myself rooting for the players more than the teams. It's a double blessing when one of them lands in your lap. Such is the story with Shane Victorino, the "flyin' Hawaiian."
Last year, the Boston Red Sox had a brutal season. On paper, they had a team of All-Stars. On the field, their performance was not quite as stellar. Filled with overpaid crybabies and saddled with a self-centered attention-hogging manager, the team limped to its worst finish in a generation as the laughingstock of baseball. After a dramatic mid-season trade last year, management decided to go in an entirely different direction. They announced that they were going to focus on "high character" individuals. They loaded the team with mid-tier players. These new additions would be solid contributors but not stars of the first rank.
Not everyone agreed with this approach. I remember the days after Victorino was signed to a three-year, $39 million contract. Talk radio exploded with vitriol that such a "mediocre" player would be rewarded so handsomely. There were many naysayers who thought that "character" was a subtle way of saying that the Red Sox were not going to invest in their team.
It turns out that the results have exceeded expectations. Wildly. The team has gone from worst in their division last year to the American League Championship series (one step from the World Series). The crucial hit to give the Red Sox the lead in the 7th inning of the deciding game was none other than Mr. Victorino. He managed to distract the pitcher who threw a wild pitch to allow the tying run to score. He then hit a weak grounder to short that he managed to turn into an infield single to drive in the tie-breaking run. The Sox would go on to post a 3-1 win to advance.
No matter what the final outcome of this team, I am quite proud of them. I think that the Sox have truly put together a team as opposed to a collection of superstars. Because of that focus, each player knows that they will only succeed if everyone is performing. Throughout the season, there were a number of stirring comebacks and improbable victories. It seemed that each night a different unheralded player would be the hero.
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