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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Red Sox' Trevor Story, in midst of toughest stretch in his career: ‘It's been bad.'
MILWAUKEE — Trevor Story missed the first four months of the 2023 season with an elbow injury before making his season debut in August. Last year, a week into the 2024 season, he suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him until September. Advertisement Rehab was no fun. The waiting was the hardest part, but Story knew it was mostly a matter of giving his body time to get healthy, and then he would do what he'd always done: play shortstop. But this season has delivered a different challenge. For the first time since joining the Red Sox, Story is fully healthy. But his performance has left a lot to be desired. He entered play Wednesday with a slash line of .217/.26/.319. Over the last month, it's gotten worse: He's hitting just .127 (15-for-115) with six RBI and just two extra-base hits. Even one of those extra-base hits came with a caveat, since it was hit off a position player. Perhaps no stat better reflects his struggles than his 63+ OPS, suggesting he's 37 percent worse than the average player. Among qualified players, his .583 OPS ranks 161st among 169 players. Advertisement For the two-time All-Star, this is surely the most challenging time in his 10-year major league career. 'I'll probably agree with that,' said Story. 'I'm certainly not performing the way I want. And it's kind of coming when the team's not playing good, too. Both of those things never line up good for anybody. It's been a grind, man.' Making it all the more difficult for Story is that the season began so well for him. April saw him hitting .378 with 15 RBI in a stretch of 18 games. He was flashing his familiar pull power at Fenway and his offensive awakening was enough for the Red Sox to believe that this was, at last, the player they had signed to a six-year, $140 million contract shortly after the 2022 spring lockout ended. Instead, Story's numbers nosedived, and he's been unable to reverse the freefall. Advertisement 'Since then, it's been bad,' acknowledged Story. 'You go through these runs in baseball. But where I need to be better is, the highs have been high, but the lows have been really low, too. I'm not oblivious to that. That's part of being a good player and an everyday player, too — you have to kind of calm those waters when it's not going good. And I haven't done a good job of that. 'I feel like I'm on the right path here, the last few days. I've felt much better in the box and I feel much more like myself. I just have to keep building on momentum like that because I still have the belief that I can be one of the better players in this league. The second I don't believe not good. But that's still very much a belief of mine and I know I'll get there.' Like all struggling players, Story has watched video and consumed the data, to the point of overkill. In fact, if anything, he said one of his biggest battles has been not getting too much inside his own head. Thinking too much about what he needs to change, what adjustments he must make, can be entirely unproductive. Advertisement 'It's very easy to look at your mechanics and be internal about hitting,' Story said. 'But there's really no time for that. For me, it's about being an athlete, being as external as I can and letting the athlete in me come out. Because that's my biggest attribute. 'When I think about mechanics or I think about anything other than what I'm trying to do out there with that ball coming at me and, from one of the best pitchers in the world, that takes away and causes a touch of hesitation. I'm focused on getting back to being an athlete.' Story concedes he did some tinkering with his swing and approach at the start of his slump, and nothing changed. 'It's hard. There kind of becomes a time where you're like. 'Alright man, you've got to make an adjustment and you tired to fix your swing,' '' said Story. 'It's about realizing that my swing is my swing, my mind is clear, and I'm on the attack and I'm feeling like an athlete. And the swing will come out as it should. But it's not easy.' Advertisement Story has the support of manager Alex Cora, who has stuck with him and, other than the occasional re-set day, continued to have him serve as the team's everyday shortstop. 'I've seen some trends the last two games and I feel good about it,' said Cora Wednesday morning. 'He's been able to get behind the fastball. He's had a lot of 3-and-2 counts the last few days. Those are good signs. Now, it's a matter of hopefully we can cash in and get him going.' 'He's always got our back,' said Story of Cora. 'We have a great relationship. It's always an open line of communication. There's no surprises. If we're making decisions like that, we talk through it. At the end of the day, he's the manager and he makes those decision. He's stuck with me; always appreciate that. He believes in me just as much as I do and that means a lot.' For the past few years, Story has heard talk of Marcelo Mayer as the Red Sox' shortstop of the future. With Mayer's promotion to the parent club last Saturday, he and Mayer are now teammates, sharing the same clubhouse. Advertisement But Story insists he's not looking over his shoulder at the talented rookie. 'Obviously, it's a natural assumption there,' Story conceded. 'But all of our energy and all of thoughts go into winning the next game and how we're going to do that. I think if you ask him, it's the same thing. He's playing third well and he's figuring out how to get into his routine here. 'That's what it's about, man. It's about winning that night It doesn't necessarily matter how we get it done; it's just a matter of whether we do or not. That's always been my approach and he's done a great job of that, too.' Over the course of a decade-long career, Story has endured his good streaks and bad. He recalls the first half of his 2017 season, his second with the Colorado Rockies, when he posted a .699 OPS. But the second half saw him rebound to an .834 OPS. Advertisement 'That's part of the game — you're going to go through ups and downs," he said. 'Finding your way out is hard, but I think I've proven that I can do it. It helps a lot that I know that I've been at the bottom but come back to play at the top of my game. That matters.' In the meantime, Story works to not let the mental grind wear him down and defeat him. 'I would say it's a battle,' he said. 'The easiest thing to do in this game is to overanalyze and go inward. It can definitely eat you up if you let it and at times it has. 'But one of the things that I've learned is that the fewer thoughts that I have, the better I play and the better I feel about my game. It's a simple thing, but it's a balancing act.' More Red Sox coverage Read the original article on MassLive.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Trevor Story is in one of the worst hitting slumps in Red Sox history, but he's convinced he's close to coming out of it
It's impossible for such struggles not to weigh on a player. Advertisement 'Performance hasn't been there, and that's been frustrating,' Story said. He's also aware that, Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'It never feels good when you get pretty much told, 'Hey, you're not playing.' But you can understand it,' said Story. 'It's about winning the game. Sometimes you're in a spot where you're not going to help that day. [Cora] is always really good about it. He'll tell you to disconnect that day, just take the mental day and don't dive into anything about it. Just be ready and present for the next day.' Advertisement That view reflects Story's efforts to shift his focus from his performance to that of his team. With the Sox struggling, the veteran — in his 10th big league season — feels he can help a young team understand how a team-centered approach can pull the club out of its malaise. 'My mentality is trying to get my focus off me and make it more about the team, being a good teammate,' said Story. 'I think we'll be where we want to be if we continue to prepare the way we need to.' Still, while there are no questions about Story's preparation, there are plenty about his production. Story and Cora saw signs of encouragement during this week's series in Milwaukee. Though just 2 for 11 with a walk, three strikeouts, and his first sacrifice bunt since his rookie season of 2016, Story had better takes, chased fewer pitches out of the strike zone (six swings in 27 out-of-zone pitches), and had fewer swings and misses (three in 55 pitches). 'It just takes one at-bat, one swing, one take to get back on the right track,' said Story. 'I feel like I'm getting towards that.' Still, evaluators have wondered if Story's slide is reversible given the injuries he experienced and time he missed from 2022-24, particularly the A number of players have seen their approaches crumble after undergoing labrum repairs, which can affect not only shoulder strength but the looseness, adjustability, and extension of a swing. Story doesn't feel as if his shoulder is an issue. His bat speed is up from a year ago and his strength is measuring well. But he acknowledges an ongoing search for consistent feel with his swing. He has bat life but hasn't had barrel accuracy, resulting in missing pitches he thinks he should handle. Advertisement 'Adjustability is something I've always had. That's what made me a really good hitter. I wouldn't say that it's the shoulder that takes away from that, but more of just, call it time away from the game,' said Story. 'I wouldn't say it's necessarily the shoulder that holds me back, but more about just making the right adjustments.' Story has gone down rabbit holes trying to re-create his 2018-19 swing, when he was an All-Star in back-to-back years. But he recognizes limits to the undertaking. 'It's easy to dive into how your swing looks and compare it to old stuff. That can be very exhausting. There's not time for that when you're in the box,' he said. 'Micromanaging the mechanics, being in the weeds there, can distract you. So, just really letting my athleticism play and trust my eyes, because that's my greatest strength.' Whatever his greatest strengths are, the Sox need Story to tap into them. At a time when the team is reeling, Story recognizes his role in the skid and the importance his improvement could play in helping the team regain some offensive footing. Though Marcelo Mayer is now in the big leagues and the Sox are moving players all over the field without [Alex] Bregman, Cora said Story will remain anchored at shortstop, suggesting that unflattering defensive metrics (Statcast has him as three outs below average at short this year) are distorted by a few early-season misplays. 'He's our shortstop and we've just got to get him going offensively,' said Cora. Advertisement Story remains convinced that a reversal is close at hand. It has to be. 'I've said that for a while, but that confidence, that belief, it truly doesn't leave me,' said Story. 'The second I don't believe that, then I don't think I should be playing this game.' Story is nowhere close to such a conclusion. To the contrary, as maddening as his slump is, he sees hope in the opportunity to work through it. A year ago at this time, he had no idea when he'd be able to play again. This year, he's healthy enough to try to solve the riddle of improving his performance. It is a challenge he doesn't take for granted. 'Sometimes it feels heavy. It's not the greatest feeling when you're not playing well,' said Story. '[But] it's much better to play this game and be able to figure it out and work through it as opposed to not have the chance to do it. Every day I wake up grateful to be able to have the opportunity to play this game. That never leaves me.' Alex Speier can be reached at
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
How three L.A. students turned working as caddies into life-changing scholarships
Saint Monica Prep students Macayla Story, Johnnie García and Nicolás Vallejo received life-changing scholarships thanks to golf. Story vividly remembers the moment she received the acceptance letter. She was in Palm Springs when her mother called to tell her that a large envelope had arrived. The envelope contained a letter informing her she would be receiving the $125,000 Chick Evans Scholarship, a program supported by the Western Golf Assn. that will allow her to attend a university without having to worry about housing costs or tuition for four years. Advertisement 'When I came back, I opened it with her by my side. I showed her the letter and she started crying. It was an incredible moment,' Story told L.A. Times en Español. Story traveled to Chicago to work as a caddie for two months at Skokie Country Club, and Garcia and Vallejo did the program locally with Los Angeles Country Club. All they were guaranteed was pay for their work and a chance to apply for the lucrative scholarships. The three students went through an interview process along with other applicants in February. The scholarship winners were announced in April. They were recognized by the largest privately funded scholarship program in the country. The scholarships are awarded to student caddies who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need, dedication on the golf course and exemplary character. Raised by a single mother, Story always knew that financing college would be a challenge. The scholarship represents not only an academic opportunity, but also a huge relief for her family. Advertisement Story's entry into the world of golf was, as she puts it, 'by accident.' She knew nothing about the sport when she enrolled in the summer program. 'I was very shy; I didn't know if I was going to make friends or what I was supposed to do as a caddie,' she recalls. But over time, she not only adjusted, but grew personally and professionally. 'As a teenager in Los Angeles, it's very easy to get lost in cellphone screens all summer. But being in the field helped me socialize, be outdoors, talk to adults. It made me grow up.' Los Angeles Country Club, which hosted the 2023 U.S. Open, hosted Garcia and Vallejo. They became the club's first scholarship recipients in its first year participating in the scholarship program. The caddie experience also began with uncertainty for Garcia, but it soon became a challenge that he took seriously. Advertisement Read more: Bradford family: Giants in height and volleyball 'At first, I didn't know anything about golf. I just wanted to do well because I understood that there was a real possibility of going to college without my family having to go into debt,' said Garcia, 18. During three summers, Garcia worked five days a week, accumulating more than 100 rounds as a caddie, one of the conditions for applying for the Evans Scholarship. 'It was heavy, but I learned to be responsible, to be on time, to have initiative. You learn to read people, to understand what they need without them saying it.' Garcia, whose father is Mexican and mother is from Belize, comes from a family that has worked hard to provide him with opportunities. Advertisement 'My mom works with foster kids. She helps assign cases to them. She basically helps them find a suitable home for them, because I know what a family means to me and I know she loves what she does. And my dad basically works with FedEx. He drives to Burbank every day for the whole time there, just working,' Garcia said proudly. Vallejo also dedicated three summers to the caddie program, getting up early, enduring the heat and carrying heavy bags, always with a fixed idea in mind. 'I knew the scholarship existed, but not that I was going to get it. I just focused on doing my best,' recalled Vallejo, who is a second-generation student of Mexican descent. Read more: Prep talk: Seven of eight women's College World Series teams have SoCal players Advertisement 'My mom was a homemaker and my dad worked in a grocery store. We didn't have much, but they were always there,' Vallejo recounted. 'They always worked hard enough to send me to private school, to give me a good education and for me to have everything I wanted, everything I could have. So I would say our financial situation could be a lot worse. ... This money is going to help a lot in the long run.' Saint Monica Prep Principal James Spellman celebrates the scholarships as a sign that the school's educational model is working. 'These students represent the best of our community: resilience, hard work and real aspirations to excel. Many of our students are from families facing economic hardship, but with the right support, they achieve great things,' Spellman said. Spellman notes that the school has had a close relationship with the Caddie Academy for many years, dating back to when the program decided to expand into the Los Angeles area. Advertisement Read more: Prep talk: Grant Leary of Crespi is a golfer to watch 'At first, for many parents, golf was an unknown world. But when they saw that their children could earn a summer income and have access to a scholarship like this, they were convinced,' he said. 'Beyond the money, the students acquire skills that will serve them all their lives: responsibility, leadership, communication skills. It's a well-rounded education." The Chick Evans Scholarship has been awarded to more than 12,000 caddies since its inception. There are more than 1,190 scholarship students at 24 universities across the country. For three Angelenos, the journey began with a backpack on their shoulders, walking in the sun, carrying other people's golf clubs. Now they can consider attending colleges that would have otherwise been out of reach. 'Originally the student had to go to Chicago for the summer and the beauty of that is they work and make $3,000 to $4,000 as caddies, and they come back with it to help their families,' Spellman said. 'These students here, all three of them are very similar, but they're very different. And they're great ambassadors, not only for the school, but for the program because they're athletic, they're outgoing, they have good grades. They weren't golfers before, so they really took advantage of the opportunity and stuck with it. They did well in the classroom and that was a big part of it too.' Advertisement This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
How three L.A. students turned working as caddies into life-changing scholarships
Saint Monica Prep students Macayla Story, Johnnie García and Nicolás Vallejo received life-changing scholarships thanks to golf. Story vividly remembers the moment she received the acceptance letter. She was in Palm Springs when her mother called to tell her that a large envelope had arrived. The envelope contained a letter informing her she would be receiving the $125,000 Chick Evans Scholarship, a program supported by the Western Golf Assn. that will allow her to attend a university without having to worry about housing costs or tuition for four years. 'When I came back, I opened it with her by my side. I showed her the letter and she started crying. It was an incredible moment,' Story told L.A. Times en Español. Story traveled to Chicago to work as a caddie for two months at Skokie Country Club, and Garcia and Vallejo did the program locally with Los Angeles Country Club. All they were guaranteed was pay for their work and a chance to apply for the lucrative scholarships. The three students went through an interview process along with other applicants in February. The scholarship winners were announced in April. They were recognized by the largest privately funded scholarship program in the country. The scholarships are awarded to student caddies who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need, dedication on the golf course and exemplary character. Raised by a single mother, Story always knew that financing college would be a challenge. The scholarship represents not only an academic opportunity, but also a huge relief for her family. Story's entry into the world of golf was, as she puts it, 'by accident.' She knew nothing about the sport when she enrolled in the summer program. 'I was very shy; I didn't know if I was going to make friends or what I was supposed to do as a caddie,' she recalls. But over time, she not only adjusted, but grew personally and professionally. 'As a teenager in Los Angeles, it's very easy to get lost in cellphone screens all summer. But being in the field helped me socialize, be outdoors, talk to adults. It made me grow up.' Los Angeles Country Club, which hosted the 2023 U.S. Open, hosted Garcia and Vallejo. They became the club's first scholarship recipients in its first year participating in the scholarship program. The caddie experience also began with uncertainty for Garcia, but it soon became a challenge that he took seriously. 'At first, I didn't know anything about golf. I just wanted to do well because I understood that there was a real possibility of going to college without my family having to go into debt,' said Garcia, 18. During three summers, Garcia worked five days a week, accumulating more than 100 rounds as a caddie, one of the conditions for applying for the Evans Scholarship. 'It was heavy, but I learned to be responsible, to be on time, to have initiative. You learn to read people, to understand what they need without them saying it.' Garcia, whose father is Mexican and mother is from Belize, comes from a family that has worked hard to provide him with opportunities. 'My mom works with foster kids. She helps assign cases to them. She basically helps them find a suitable home for them, because I know what a family means to me and I know she loves what she does. And my dad basically works with FedEx. He drives to Burbank every day for the whole time there, just working,' Garcia said proudly. Vallejo also dedicated three summers to the caddie program, getting up early, enduring the heat and carrying heavy bags, always with a fixed idea in mind. 'I knew the scholarship existed, but not that I was going to get it. I just focused on doing my best,' recalled Vallejo, who is a second-generation student of Mexican descent. 'My mom was a homemaker and my dad worked in a grocery store. We didn't have much, but they were always there,' Vallejo recounted. 'They always worked hard enough to send me to private school, to give me a good education and for me to have everything I wanted, everything I could have. So I would say our financial situation could be a lot worse. ... This money is going to help a lot in the long run.' Saint Monica Prep Principal James Spellman celebrates the scholarships as a sign that the school's educational model is working. 'These students represent the best of our community: resilience, hard work and real aspirations to excel. Many of our students are from families facing economic hardship, but with the right support, they achieve great things,' Spellman said. Spellman notes that the school has had a close relationship with the Caddie Academy for many years, dating back to when the program decided to expand into the Los Angeles area. 'At first, for many parents, golf was an unknown world. But when they saw that their children could earn a summer income and have access to a scholarship like this, they were convinced,' he said. 'Beyond the money, the students acquire skills that will serve them all their lives: responsibility, leadership, communication skills. It's a well-rounded education.' The Chick Evans Scholarship has been awarded to more than 12,000 caddies since its inception. There are more than 1,190 scholarship students at 24 universities across the country. For three Angelenos, the journey began with a backpack on their shoulders, walking in the sun, carrying other people's golf clubs. Now they can consider attending colleges that would have otherwise been out of reach. 'Originally the student had to go to Chicago for the summer and the beauty of that is they work and make $3,000 to $4,000 as caddies, and they come back with it to help their families,' Spellman said. 'These students here, all three of them are very similar, but they're very different. And they're great ambassadors, not only for the school, but for the program because they're athletic, they're outgoing, they have good grades. They weren't golfers before, so they really took advantage of the opportunity and stuck with it. They did well in the classroom and that was a big part of it too.' This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Red Sox $140 Million Veteran in 'DFA Territory' After Harsh Benching
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Boston Red Sox are back to a sub-.500 record as their losing streak grew to three games on Monday. The team has been hit with some bad injuries and several areas of the roster are underperforming, making it hard to pinpoint blame for the rough start. But as shortstop Trevor Story endures a brutal slump in the fourth year of a $140 million contract with the team, he could soon be the center of a drastic move. "This is a guy who came out super hot," Chris Cotillo of MassLive said during a recent episode of the "Fenway Rundown" podcast with Sean McAdam. "We were talking on this show about, will he opt out at the end of this season? I don't think he will. Will the Red Sox opt out I think is the bigger question." Cotillo was referring to a $25 million opt out clause in Story's contract for 2026. But he added that the Red Sox could consider a more sudden change for Story as he's now in danger of being designated for assignment (DFA) and essentially released from the team. ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 6: Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox looks on in the dugout during a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 6, 2024... ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 6: Trevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox looks on in the dugout during a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 6, 2024 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by) More Sloter/Getty "You hate to see a guy who's a good guy and a good clubhouse leader, someone you and I both really like, be in DFA territory," Cotillo added. In 203 at-bats for the Red Sox so far this season, Story is slashing just .222/.269/.325 with 65 strikeouts against only 45 hits. Recently, that slump was bad enough for manager Alex Cora to bench Story against the Baltimore Orioles. Story returned to bat seventh against the Milwaukee Brewers and went 1-3. However, the Red Sox could soon feel they're unable to carry Story on the roster any longer, particularly as they look to get at-bats for top prospect Marcelo Mayer after Alex Bregman returns to third base. More MLB: Yankees Urged to Acquire All-Star Starting Pitcher From AL Rival in Shocking Blockbuster
