It would be hard to say that the outfielder is beloved in Boston, or that he was in previous stops in St. Louis and Atlanta and Los Angeles. There is pure hatred for him in Philadelphia.
He does not get the same admiration as his predecessor in right field, Trot Nixon, a man who fit the Boston mold. He is not a dirty-uniform player, a hustle guy, a guy who demonstrates much emotion at all. He is not likely to hit .300 or drive in 100 runs. Yet those around the game, including his employers, are hardly concerned with that. They prefer to concentrate on what he is: one of the better all-around outfielders in the game, and one of the best at getting on base.
“We have somebody who can play a good right field at Fenway Park, which is hard to find, and get on base at a really high level and hit for power,’’ general manager Theo Epstein said. “That’s a rare combination, someone who could hit in the middle of our lineup and play that position. So it’s a valuable asset to the club. He’s done a really good job since he’s been here.’’
Concentrate on Drew’s walk totals, on his on-base percentage, on his slugging, on his baserunning, on his defense, and therein lie the reasons that his front office believes he has been well worth $42 million over the first three years of his five-year deal.
But also understand that, in some ways, it’s more about what Drew is not doing than what he is doing. He is not making outs. And, in this game, for this team, that is wildly valuable.
RBIs not important
He does not hit mammoth home runs, or steal loads of bases, or inspire legions of fans to buy his jersey. He engenders more controversy than support in many corners. And still, he reaches base better than almost anyone.
