In Boston, Pete Abraham notes there were “only small crowds in attendance” for the nine days the Red Sox held workouts at JetBlue Park before the spring training games started. It was partly because of the “unusually chilly weather” for Florida, but mostly because of “the team’s lack of star power coupled with low expectations for this season” ( BOSTON GLOBE, 2/24 ). In N.Y., Mike Lupica wrote the Red Sox, as an organization, "now look like the biggest give-up job in all of baseball." They have an owner in John Henry who "seems far more interested in his Liverpool soccer team and his investment in pro golf than he does the Sox." Ownership is "starting to make 2018 seem like as distant a memory as 1918 once was" ( N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/24 ).
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHT : In San Antonio, Nick Moyle noted the Spurs revealed the schedule for “Spurs Week,” with the festivities "set to promote the team’s I-35 series at Austin’s Moody Center in March.” The main highlight is “Spurs Night” at South by Southwest. The free Community Concert “includes games, photo ops, giveaways and a raffle that will benefit Play ATX and the Austin Parks Foundation” ( SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 2/23 ).
