Garrett Crochet has quickly entrenched himself as a clubhouse leader for the Boston Red Sox.
After registering an MLB-high 251 strikeouts in the regular season, Crochet will start Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. The ace set a standard for the team before they left Boston.
Alex Cora told reporters Monday that Crochet called an audible on the dress code for their trip to New York.
“He has such a big voice that he changed (the dress code),” Cora said. “We were traveling ‘comfortable’ here, and he decided to go business casual. He sent the text out. He overruled the manager.”
Cora said Crochet was in the clubhouse when getting news of the expected attire before requesting a different approach. His teammates complied.
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“He told the guys, ‘No, no, no. We got to make it a business trip.’ So they dressed up yesterday,” Cora said.
Crochet explained his rationale ahead of his first career playoff start. The 26-year-old pitched out of the Chicago White Sox bullpen during the 2020 and 2021 postseason.
“This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some guys on this team,” Crochet said. “So I think that we should treat it with the dignity that it deserves.”
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Cora noticed Crochet develop into a leader at spring training, noting that the left-hander would spend hours reviewing a bullpen session that didn’t meet his standards. The manager likened his presence to Alex Bregman.
“He was trying to connect to players in the beginning, but right away he knew what he wanted to do,” Cora said of Crochet. “Similar to Alex. ‘Hey, if we’re gonna play in October, we have to help.’ He’s been great.”
Crochet will look to lead the Red Sox to a Game 1 win on Tuesday, which starts at 6:08 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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