The objective for 2021, first baseman Jose Abreu says, is clear.
“We have to win,” Abreu said Friday morning through translator Billy Russo on a Zoom call. “That has to be our mindset. We have to win no matter how, we have to win. That’s all we need to think about and we need to take care of because we have to win. We have the talent, we have the resources to win. We can’t have any more excuses. We have to win.”
That’s five “we have to wins” and counting.
Is there anything else?
Named American League Most Valuable Player Thursday night after leading the Sox to a 35-25 season and the first playoff experience of his career, Abreu has one accomplishment to check off that matters to him. Winning a World Series.
The Sox made a controversial hire two weeks ago, bringing 76-year-old Tony La Russa out of managerial retirement to take them there. La Russa owns three World Series rings but hasn’t managed since 2011, when he won his last one with the Cardinals.
La Russa got around to calling some players in recent days, including Abreu on Thursday morning. It was a brief chat, and Abreu told him he would have the manager’s back.
Under fire for a second DUI charge, La Russa can use any support he can. He certainly hasn’t got much outside the Sox organization. Getting some in the Sox clubhouse from the AL MVP is a worthwhile start.
“La Russa has been one of the greatest managers in the history of the sport,” Abreu said. “I knew that. That is something you have to respect.”
When La Russa was hired Oct. 29, Abreu said he reached out to Albert Pujols, who played for La Russa for the Cardinals, with whom La Russa won two of his three World Series rings.
“Pujols just told me he was a great manager, an outstanding person and one I would like to play for,” Abreu said. “I am looking forward to it. I know these things happen, this is a free country and you can have on opinion, but you have to respect each one’s opinion. But as a baseball player you have to appreciate what you have, and right now he is our manager and his record as a big league manager is one of the best. And we’re going to have a chance to play for one of the greatest managers in the history of the game.”
Abreu was always in fired manager Rick Renteria’s corner.
“We’ve been fortunate to be around good people,” Abreu said, “people who care about you, care about us. And Ricky was one of those people. Ricky was a friend, he was a father. And he will continue to be for me because I am sure he is going to stay in baseball.”
