If every sports fan loves a good comeback story, then Red Sox fans are particularly spoiled. They experienced the greatest comeback of all-time in 2004 when Boston became the first team in baseball history to win a best-of-seven postseason series after losing the first three games. Three years later, Jon Lester came back from cancer and was the winning pitcher in the decisive game of the 2007 World Series, which the Red Sox won despite trailing 3-1 in the ALCS. Last year the team went from worst to first, winning the World Series again thanks to rebound seasons from the likes of Lester, John Lackey, and Shane Victorino.
This year's outfit has another compelling comeback in the works. The subject is center fielder Grady Sizemore, formerly of the Cleveland Indians. Sizemore was one of baseball's best players in the mid-to-late 2000s before injuries derailed his career, causing him to miss 57 percent of his team's games from 2009 through 2011. He didn't play at all in 2012 and 2013, the result of undergoing seven surgeries in four years.
Now 31-years-old and playing on two surgically repaired knees, Sizemore is attempting to salvage his once-promising career. Last month he settled for a one-year, $750,000 contract that barely pays more than the league minimum but includes playing time incentives that could escalate his salary to $6 million.
It's peanuts compared to what most of his peers are earning, but Sizemore isn't playing for money anymore - he's trying to prove he still has something left in the tank.
Boston is giving him the opportunity to do that. Jacoby Ellsbury's departure left a gaping hole in center field, one the Red Sox expect to plug with Jackie Bradley, Jr. But Bradley batted just .189/.280/.337 in his major league debut last year, so he might not be the answer. That's why Boston took a chance on Sizemore: they could have a job opening soon if Bradley's struggles continue.
For now, Sizemore is a backup and will remain one until he proves he can handle big-league competition again. He must overcome a broken down body and the rustiness that results from missing two entire seasons.
Those obstacles may prove insurmountable for someone who hasn't played a full season since the second Bush administration. Sizemore has admitted that he's unsure of what he can contribute to the Red Sox this year, or if he can even stay on the field. He knows the odds aren't in his favor.
But spring training is a time for optimism, and few players in Red Sox camp are generating more positive news than Sizemore. He got good reviews in controlled offseason workouts earlier this winter, and the latest reports from Fort Meyers sound equally promising.
Manager John Farrell is "encouraged" by Sizemore's performance thus far and has every reason to be: Sizemore is hitting home runs in batting practice and running full speed in drills, re-establishing the skills that made him the sport's most valuable outfielder from 2005 through 2008.
More importantly, he's working hard to get in shape and put himself in position to succeed. The Red Sox aren't expecting Sizemore to be a key contributor, so anything he can do to help the team is a plus; there's even the off-chance he plays like the three-time All-Star and two-time Gold-Glover he was in Cleveland. Sizemore has the potential to be more than just a feel-good story. He was great before; maybe he can be great again.
It's a longshot, but at least he's come to the right place.
