What a difference a year can make. Last season, the Boston Red Sox entered the 2011 season the odds-on favorite to win the World Series, but this year is a complete different feeling says CEO/President Larry Lucchino, who sees his team as the underdogs.
"I am absolutely not concerned about [the fact that some are predicting the team to finish third in the AL East]. In fact, I relish it," Lucchino said some time after the morning press conference. "I’ve had enough of the overestimation, the hype attached to last year’s team."
Though, Lucchino says this team may not be the favorite to win it all this year. The expectations that Boston will do so is still there.
"When I say [championship-caliber team], I mean playoffs, because after that, everyone knows it’s a crapshoot. But do I think we have the talent to get into the postseason? I do," said Lucchino. "But we’ve got to have a safe and healthy year. We’ve got to have highly motivated players, individually and collectively. A lot of things have to go right. We need the baseball leadership to do its job.
"But I’m optimistic and excited about 2012, not just about the ribbon cutting [at JetBlue Park, a ceremony that took place on Saturday]. It’s exciting. This is the first day of the 2012 season. I’m excited -- more so than I’ve been in several years."
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