Home is Where the Heart Is
By Brian Mason
If David Wells were to keep a doormat in front of his Fenway locker, I believe it would say only two words: "Go Away." But last Sunday, when "Boomer" returned to the Bronx, would it really have surprised anyone to see a doormat decorating his Yankee Stadium locker with the comforting cliché "Home is Where the Heart Is?"
(Before I continue, I would like to note that I do, in fact, have a friend who decorates his front stoop with a "Go Away" doormat. Naturally, he is a Yankee Fan.)
I have yet to come to terms with Wells’ position as a Red Sox. His signing last winter is one of the few moves I have ever questioned by the usually-savvy Theo Epstein. I have always – and currently still do – associate Wells with the dominant Yankee teams of the late nineties. I believe that Boomer’s heart will forever reside in the Bronx. He played some of his best seasons and won a championship in pinstripes. No matter how many times he now gets booed by the New York crowd, David Wells will always be a Yankee.
My sentiments toward Wells are not based solely on the fact that he once received his paychecks from George Steinbrenner, for I do not hold a similar grudge toward the recently-acquired John Olerud (although Steinbrenner probably does not consider the first baseman to be a "true Yankee.") My dislike for Wells is a result of the sum total of all his actions during his career. I don’t see how I can be expected to accept a pitcher who once threatened to blow up Fenway Park if given the chance. Wells condemned the holiest of all ballparks, making it impossible to believe that he can make Fenway his new home.
When he was originally added to the roster, he was welcomed by many Boston fans for the fact that he would blend in as a fellow "idiot." Despite all the recent talk about team chemistry, last winter, it was rarely questioned that Wells would be anything but a welcome addition. But those same antics that prompted fans to prematurely accept Boomer were the very reasons that fans loathed him during his tenure as a Yankee. Have we really forgotten the old David Wells this quickly?
I just don’t trust Wells to put his heart into this team down the stretch. Yes, he was acquired for his postseason experience. But is he playing for his former enemy for the glory of another championship or for the money? If he became a Red Sox for the paycheck, I could care less about the number of playoff appearances he has.
Furthermore, Wells does not have the stuff right now to be a starter for this team once Curt Schilling returns. Granted, he did stick it to his former team last Sunday with a solid performance, but he is still only 3-4, with an ugly 5.96 E.R.A. His first two starts after returning from his injury were dismal. Boomer is old, overweight, and not even close to the power pitcher he once was. If Boston gets their act together and makes the playoffs, I do not want Wells in the postseason rotation.
David Wells made a statement last weekend in the Bronx, but I’m not exactly sure what that statement was. Was his win a triumphant return from his injury, a possible I-told-you-so to his former team, or a glimmer of hope for Boston? My bet is not on the latter of those three. I’ve heard fans say that Wells is a true student of the sport, continuing his career for the love of the game. As far as I’m concerned, David Wells is the Benedict Arnold of baseball – a traitor in every sense of the word.
I wouldn’t put it past Boomer to have longed for his nostalgic, pinstriped glory last weekend in the Bronx. When he took his old mound to face his former teammates, I could only pray that his paycheck would motivate him to pitch for a win. But, for now, I hope that Wells will someday heed the advice of his Fenway doormat, because in my opinion, he was never welcome in Boston.
{Statistics from mlb.com were used in this article.}
