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Homegrown: How the Red Sox Built a Champion from the Ground Up
The captivating inside story of the historic 2018 Boston Red Sox, as told through the assembly and ascendancy of their talented young core the culmination of nearly a decade of reporting from one of the most respected baseball writers in the country. The 2018 season was a coronation for the Boston Red Sox. The best team in Major League Baseball indeed, one of the best teams ever the Sox won 108 regular season games and then romped through the postseason, going 11-3 against the three next-strongest teams baseball had to offer. As Boston Globe baseball reporter Alex Speier reveals, the Sox success wasn t a fluke nor was it guaranteed. It was the result of careful, patient planning and shrewd decision-making that allowed Boston to develop a golden generation of prospects and then build upon that talented core to assemble a juggernaut. Speier has covered the key players Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Jackie Bradley Jr., and many others since the beginning of their professional careers, as they rose through the minor leagues and ultimately became the heart of this historic championship squad. Drawing upon hundreds of interviews and years of reporting, Homegrown is the definitive look at the construction of an extraordinary team. It is a story that offers startling insights for baseball fans of any team, and anyone looking for the secret to building a successful organization. Why do many highly touted prospects fail, while others rise out of obscurity to become transcendent? How can franchises help their young talent, in whom they ve often invested tens of millions of dollars, reach their full potential? And how can management balance long-term aims with the constant pressure to win now? Part insider s account of one of the greatest baseball teams ever, part meditation on how to build a winner, Homegrown offers an illuminating look into how the best of the best are built.
1 pages, Audio CD
Published August 13, 2019
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March 28, 2020
Well. I thought this would be depressing because Mookie left. But it turns out, it was depressing for a whole other reason! When I started reading this, the world hadn't turned upside down and it seemed like baseball would be back soon. So I read this in mourning for the 2020 Red Sox. I miss baseball. I hope it isn't gone for too long.
I actually found that Mookie's departure didn't affect my enjoyment of this book too much. They did it, after all. The Red Sox carefully nurtured this homegrown core of players - Betts, Bogaerts, Bradley Jr., Benintendi, Vasquez, etc. - and they won. And really we should consider the whole little era of 2016-2018, when they won the AL East three times running and then the World Series. This burst of very productive farm system provided us with multiple years of winning baseball.
It was really interesting to read about how all these guys were scouted and drafted, and about the other guys who didn't play out, to compare with the guys who did. I really got a better appreciation for Ben Cherington. I knew we owed him a lot (and I was kind of irritated with the Red Sox for letting him go) but I didn't realize exactly how much we owed him. He drafted these guys, and carefully tended this group for years. I know that Dombrowski made some great moves, and that was a big part of it too, but Cherington really did a lot. I also couldn't help thinking about all of Dan Shaugnessy's columns complaining about the Sox and basically demanding that they make changes when they were building the team in 2014/15. If they had listened to him, 2018 probably wouldn't have happened. Good lesson from this book - don't listen to Dan Shaugnessy.
I actually found that Mookie's departure didn't affect my enjoyment of this book too much. They did it, after all. The Red Sox carefully nurtured this homegrown core of players - Betts, Bogaerts, Bradley Jr., Benintendi, Vasquez, etc. - and they won. And really we should consider the whole little era of 2016-2018, when they won the AL East three times running and then the World Series. This burst of very productive farm system provided us with multiple years of winning baseball.
It was really interesting to read about how all these guys were scouted and drafted, and about the other guys who didn't play out, to compare with the guys who did. I really got a better appreciation for Ben Cherington. I knew we owed him a lot (and I was kind of irritated with the Red Sox for letting him go) but I didn't realize exactly how much we owed him. He drafted these guys, and carefully tended this group for years. I know that Dombrowski made some great moves, and that was a big part of it too, but Cherington really did a lot. I also couldn't help thinking about all of Dan Shaugnessy's columns complaining about the Sox and basically demanding that they make changes when they were building the team in 2014/15. If they had listened to him, 2018 probably wouldn't have happened. Good lesson from this book - don't listen to Dan Shaugnessy.
September 1, 2019
After Michael Lewis' "Moneyball," the book on how the Oakland As used Sabermetrics, on-base-averages and other stats to create a winning team, in 2003, several similar books have been published.
There's "Big Data Baseball" about the Pittsburgh Pirates and "Astroball"about the Houston Astros, and "The Best Team Money Can Buy" about the L.A. Dodgers.
"Homegrown," although about the Red Sox, which I'm not a fan of at all, is one of the better books, I think, in showing how luck plays into developing a championship team. It got down at one point, Alex Speier writes, of how the Red Sox team was able to pick above the Cubs in the 2015 draft because the Cubs had swept them in a series during the2014 season. Had the Red Sox won a game, they would have had a better record than Chicago and would have fallen below the Cubs in the draft order. Instead, the Sox chose Andrew Benintendi and he became a vital cog in Boston's World Series run last season.
Speier does an excellent job of writing about something many would find boring. He adds anecdotes, lively quotes, inside observations of his coverage of the team and nice game recaps. It all boils down to luck, either in the draft or by trusting scouting reports and Speier really shows that element in "Homegrown."
I can vouch for as being a good book. I am a Yankees' fan (Actually, a Minnesota Twins' fan first) and really don't like the Red Sox. But for Speier to be able to hold my interest in reading about the despised team shows just how well of a writer he is.
There's "Big Data Baseball" about the Pittsburgh Pirates and "Astroball"about the Houston Astros, and "The Best Team Money Can Buy" about the L.A. Dodgers.
"Homegrown," although about the Red Sox, which I'm not a fan of at all, is one of the better books, I think, in showing how luck plays into developing a championship team. It got down at one point, Alex Speier writes, of how the Red Sox team was able to pick above the Cubs in the 2015 draft because the Cubs had swept them in a series during the2014 season. Had the Red Sox won a game, they would have had a better record than Chicago and would have fallen below the Cubs in the draft order. Instead, the Sox chose Andrew Benintendi and he became a vital cog in Boston's World Series run last season.
Speier does an excellent job of writing about something many would find boring. He adds anecdotes, lively quotes, inside observations of his coverage of the team and nice game recaps. It all boils down to luck, either in the draft or by trusting scouting reports and Speier really shows that element in "Homegrown."
I can vouch for as being a good book. I am a Yankees' fan (Actually, a Minnesota Twins' fan first) and really don't like the Red Sox. But for Speier to be able to hold my interest in reading about the despised team shows just how well of a writer he is.
September 23, 2019
A super fun read for any Red Sox fan! I wish that Speier had spent more time on some of the prospect that didn’t work out (Swihart, etc) - some of them feature as major aspects of the narrative early on, then just sort of disappear without explanation. I would have loved a deeper dive on the mentorship that older guys provided to the young core, such as Holt and Nunez. Nunez in particular is barely mentioned, which struck me as odd considering his impactful clubhouse presence. Vazquez also seems to get short shrift. His development is not covered at all.
I guess you can’t cover everything, but I found some of the holes frustrating. Overall fun for a Red Sox fan to learn some more history and strategy coming from the front office. Wouldn’t recommend to a non Sox fan. Not much groundbreaking on trends within baseball as a whole.
I guess you can’t cover everything, but I found some of the holes frustrating. Overall fun for a Red Sox fan to learn some more history and strategy coming from the front office. Wouldn’t recommend to a non Sox fan. Not much groundbreaking on trends within baseball as a whole.
August 23, 2020
4.5 stars rounded down to 4. This is a well-written and thoughtful analysis focusing on the Red Sox' draft class of 2011 and their role in the 2018 World Series championship. Given the Red Sox' present abysmal on-field performance, it was an interesting time to read a tale of effective organization-building characterized by the wisdom of developing talent from within. The book pays particular attention to the Red Sox' aggressive pursuit of signing this draft class since there were expectations that baseball's new collective bargaining agreement would impose harsher restrictions on paying above slot values for draft picks, something the Red Sox have done for years.
I had hoped to gain some insights into two of the worst free agent signings in Red Sox history, namely those of Carl Crawford in December 2010 and of Pablo Sandoval in November 2014, but there is only passing mention of both. I had to go back and look at some of the reporting on Sandoval at the time, but there was some thinking that his offense would improve in a more hitter-friendly environment (Fenway Park vs. AT&T Park), that he would provide plus defense, and that he represented a long-term solution to the problem presented by Will Middlebrooks' implosion in 2014. In hindsight, though, I've thought for a while that it didn't make sense to bring in a player with an obvious weight problem, pronounced old-player skills, and limited on-base and power potential. I would have liked to have heard more of Alex Speier's analysis of this signing, particularly since it seemed an odd departure for what I have always thought of as an analytics-based organization. Crawford came in before the draft class that was the focus of the book, but I would think that both signings illustrated the cautionary tale of over dependence on free agent solutions thus helping to make the case for homegrown talent. Bringing Crawford in also makes a strong anti-analytics statement, given his on base limitations and uncertain lineup fit. It was interesting to learn that at the time of Ben Cherington's dismissal in 2015 when Dave Dombrowski was hired, the Red Sox were down to only three full-time analytics personnel, each of whom had other responsibilities. It's odd to reflect that this organizational retreat from an intensive empirically-based evaluation philosophy culminated in hiring an executive that served to push them further toward traditional evaluation. It's almost as though they recognized what the problem was and concluded that the solution was more of what caused the problem.
The other element of roster-building I would like to have seen addressed more fully is pitcher development since the Red Sox haven't had an effective homegrown starter since Clay Bucholz debuted. Speier does a good job of pointing out the difficulty of developing quality pitchers since it's harder to allow them to make mistakes at the major league environment because these mistakes often result directly in losses. This reality is anathema to the win-all-the-time Red Sox and their fan base.
All-in-all the book is well worth the time of anyone interested in the analysis, philosophy, and economics that go into constructing a major league baseball team.
I had hoped to gain some insights into two of the worst free agent signings in Red Sox history, namely those of Carl Crawford in December 2010 and of Pablo Sandoval in November 2014, but there is only passing mention of both. I had to go back and look at some of the reporting on Sandoval at the time, but there was some thinking that his offense would improve in a more hitter-friendly environment (Fenway Park vs. AT&T Park), that he would provide plus defense, and that he represented a long-term solution to the problem presented by Will Middlebrooks' implosion in 2014. In hindsight, though, I've thought for a while that it didn't make sense to bring in a player with an obvious weight problem, pronounced old-player skills, and limited on-base and power potential. I would have liked to have heard more of Alex Speier's analysis of this signing, particularly since it seemed an odd departure for what I have always thought of as an analytics-based organization. Crawford came in before the draft class that was the focus of the book, but I would think that both signings illustrated the cautionary tale of over dependence on free agent solutions thus helping to make the case for homegrown talent. Bringing Crawford in also makes a strong anti-analytics statement, given his on base limitations and uncertain lineup fit. It was interesting to learn that at the time of Ben Cherington's dismissal in 2015 when Dave Dombrowski was hired, the Red Sox were down to only three full-time analytics personnel, each of whom had other responsibilities. It's odd to reflect that this organizational retreat from an intensive empirically-based evaluation philosophy culminated in hiring an executive that served to push them further toward traditional evaluation. It's almost as though they recognized what the problem was and concluded that the solution was more of what caused the problem.
The other element of roster-building I would like to have seen addressed more fully is pitcher development since the Red Sox haven't had an effective homegrown starter since Clay Bucholz debuted. Speier does a good job of pointing out the difficulty of developing quality pitchers since it's harder to allow them to make mistakes at the major league environment because these mistakes often result directly in losses. This reality is anathema to the win-all-the-time Red Sox and their fan base.
All-in-all the book is well worth the time of anyone interested in the analysis, philosophy, and economics that go into constructing a major league baseball team.
September 6, 2019
Alex Speier’s ability to wax poetic seamlessly transitions from the gritty pages of the Boston Globe, to the delicate pages of a hardcover. His ability to turn an often monotonous side of the game, player scouting and development, into a page-turning exploration of how the 2018 club came to be, is exceptional. From the group’s nadir to the coronation of the franchises’ strongest 25-man roster ever assembled, Speier makes clear how special a group this really was. And although the mention of the 2018 Red Sox is often met with celebration, “Homegrown” is far from 300 pages of praise. On the contrary, the book details the lows as much as the highs, expertly illustrating what the journey from the cellar to the throne feels like to the members of a Major League Baseball organization. Re-living the magical moments of October was a joy for me, and I anticipate the same for any other Red Sox/baseball fan. I can not recommend “Homegrown” enough!
September 18, 2019
Another incredible “how they did it” championship chronicled. Alex Speier does a brilliant job of showing how the Boston Red Sox drafted and developed a championship winning core, how management styles change team culture, and how even 108 win teams can use the underdog card to their advantage. A truly outstanding book to celebrate everything that went into the greatest Red Sox team any of us have ever seen.
November 19, 2023
Good look at the behind the scenes maneuvering done to build a baseball team from last place to World Series winner.
October 20, 2019
There is plenty of info in here, but at times I had trouble following any main narrative line. There is a main narrative - the Sox built their 2018 champions on the basis of their farm system - in particular based on a great 2011 draft. But the book follows the ups and downs of the ensuing seasons too closely - and a lot of that didn't have much to do with the club that became the 2018 champions. The main story of the book ends up displaced for much of this account.
December 30, 2024
In Homegrown, Alex “Stat Masterson” Speier weaves a broad web of interconnected stories that converge in epic proportions up to the 2018 MLB season. It is a narrative wide in scope that truly follows the growth of each player and office member on the Red Sox that impacted the championship run in 2018. It follows every thread of a player back to the days they were being scouted and keeping with them up through their debut makes for a compelling narrative that brings you more empathy for players you thought you already knew. . In parallel, the novel also tells of the goings on at the big league level each year from 2011 on in an effort to accurately paint the broader picture and set the stage for the confluence of culture, talent, and drive that made the 2018 Sox so special. Littered with firsthand accounts and insider stories from players and front office members, there isn’t a moment that goes by that doesn’t feel like you’re being told the story directly from the protagonists themselves.
Honestly, I could listen to anything Alex Speier had to say for hours and hours and be endlessly fascinated regardless of what the topic was. He has an innate storytelling ability that, especially in the context of this book, just made me want to keep reading. This is a story that provides context to how baseball front offices work, how scouting and directing work, how minor league systems develop players, and much, much more. I recommend it highly for not only red sox fans but baseball fans in general.
Honestly, I could listen to anything Alex Speier had to say for hours and hours and be endlessly fascinated regardless of what the topic was. He has an innate storytelling ability that, especially in the context of this book, just made me want to keep reading. This is a story that provides context to how baseball front offices work, how scouting and directing work, how minor league systems develop players, and much, much more. I recommend it highly for not only red sox fans but baseball fans in general.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2023
The formula for winning championships has changed dramatically in the century between 1918 and 2018: in 1918, the Red Sox experienced both sides of the free agent coin, winning a championship after signing Babe Ruth, and then sitting pat after trading the Bambino to the Yankees and witnessing New York's incredible run in the 1920s. In 2018, the Red Sox won with a core of "homegrown" players from the farm system: Xander Bogaerts; Mookie Betts; Jackie Bradley, Jr.; Rafael Devers; Christian Vazquez.
Speier artfully rewins the tape to 2011, when the Red Sox expended a heap of money on young college, high school, and international prospects, as a last salvo before collective bargaining rules impinged on this strategy. Mixed in with plenty of misses were the gems of Devers, Betts, and JBJ, though the path to the major leagues was not linear. In far-flung Caribbean islands and second-tier American cities, the Red Sox focused the organization on the development of this young talent, eventually resulting in one of the greatest regular and post-season runs of any modern baseball team.
For anyone interested in the Red Sox, this is arguably the definitive take on the team through the 2010s.
Speier artfully rewins the tape to 2011, when the Red Sox expended a heap of money on young college, high school, and international prospects, as a last salvo before collective bargaining rules impinged on this strategy. Mixed in with plenty of misses were the gems of Devers, Betts, and JBJ, though the path to the major leagues was not linear. In far-flung Caribbean islands and second-tier American cities, the Red Sox focused the organization on the development of this young talent, eventually resulting in one of the greatest regular and post-season runs of any modern baseball team.
For anyone interested in the Red Sox, this is arguably the definitive take on the team through the 2010s.
January 30, 2025
This book sets a new standard of long-form sports journalism. Amazing read that gives an exclusive insight into the Red Sox clubhouse and front office. I personally aspire to a career in the sports world in front office or communications and this book had special significance to me as it gave me invaluable insight to the inner workings of the Red Sox organization from executive decision-making to player development and how analytics are used in the modern era of baseball. From a fan perspective, it was fascinating to be able to experience part of the history of the Red Sox teams of the 2010s--as I was a younger kid then, and less attuned to the off-the-field elements of the game, this book showed me the history that the relatively newly diehard Red Sox fan in me craved. The book remained easy to follow even as so many different characters in the story of the Boston Red Sox were introduced; Speier did a wonderful job of highlighting individual players', coaches', and executives' perspectives, talents, and accomplishments, as well as some entertaining and informative anecdotes, while effectively weaving them into the larger story. Well done, Alex Speier.
August 8, 2023
Alex Speier traces the roots of the Red Sox 2018 World Series title, going all the way back to the drafts of 2011 and 2012. The story follows the rise of young stars like Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers.
After reading this book it is apparent that during the 2010s the Red Sox had a knack for making solid draft picks and also developing their young talent. The organization struggled through last place finishes in both 2014 and 2015. Additionally, they went through changes at the general manager position and manager, firing John Farrell and bringing in the young but talented Alex Cora. Through all of that their long-term plan worked and they were rewarded with a 2018 World Series victory over the Dodgers.
However, the epilogue is that most of the 2018 Red Sox roster is now elsewhere and the Sox are mired in last place. This all goes to show how hard it is to build and maintain a winning organization in today's MLB.
After reading this book it is apparent that during the 2010s the Red Sox had a knack for making solid draft picks and also developing their young talent. The organization struggled through last place finishes in both 2014 and 2015. Additionally, they went through changes at the general manager position and manager, firing John Farrell and bringing in the young but talented Alex Cora. Through all of that their long-term plan worked and they were rewarded with a 2018 World Series victory over the Dodgers.
However, the epilogue is that most of the 2018 Red Sox roster is now elsewhere and the Sox are mired in last place. This all goes to show how hard it is to build and maintain a winning organization in today's MLB.
March 26, 2020
Speier is probably my top choice of Red Sox writers that I follow. I was excited to know that he’d written this book, which really struck a chord with me because it covers the main chunk of years of my so-far short tenure as a Red Sox fan. It was so beautiful to relive some of the best moments of the 2018 WS run through Speier’s eyes, too, as I vividly remember his solid, tireless cover of all of it through his social media posts.
Most of the players I know and love in this Homegrown cast came through my town to play on the farm league team, and I have such happy memories of seeing them all play here. Knowing more about their stories and how they came together to accomplish what they did has been really special for me as I journeyed through this book.
Thanks, Alex, for such a wonderfully written and delightful read about my favorite team of my most favorite sport.
Most of the players I know and love in this Homegrown cast came through my town to play on the farm league team, and I have such happy memories of seeing them all play here. Knowing more about their stories and how they came together to accomplish what they did has been really special for me as I journeyed through this book.
Thanks, Alex, for such a wonderfully written and delightful read about my favorite team of my most favorite sport.
December 28, 2019
The timing of the book is interesting--a month after publication, the Red Sox fired Dave Dombrowski and speculation now swirls about trading Mookie Betts and a rich team suddenly pinching pennies--but it is good to look back and see how the Boston Red Sox were at the top of the baseball mountain, finished in last place in back to back years, made several changes in middle and upper management, and came out five years later with the best team in the team's history. While the Patriots are the model franchise in football, and the ultimate no-nonsense professional sports organization, the Red Sox find themselves in constant chaos, and nevertheless, have the most titles of any team in their respective sport all the same. Such is baseball. Such is life.
December 17, 2021
This is a must-read for Red Sox fans. Alex Speier not only broke down everything that happened between drafting the cornerstones of the franchise consisting of young talent to the aftermath of a championship, but did so with such ease. He explained in-depth about the talent that we grown to love, the factors that went into the formation of a championship team from a team perspective, while providing clarity on broad situations that we knew existed but didn’t quite understand the outcome in it’s entirety. Every move, every decision, and every move was thoroughly explained and tied into the quest for a title (2018). I absolutely loved this book for its insight of upper management and players/coaches mindsets during the up and down seasons. Bravo, Alex, Bravo!
June 23, 2024
The summer of 2018 was a perfect storm of events that allowed me to watch almost every game, even down in Florida. This team was historic and you knew they were never out of any game they played it. I've followed the minor leagues since the mid 2000s, so it was nice to hear all of the refreshers on the core of this home grown team (at least the hitters).
Speier did a great job illustrating how every single move led to this powerhouse of a team. 6 years later, it's amazing how much the ball was dropped after this historic team. Almost everything went wrong following the 2018 team. I would enjoy reading his take on the events that have unfolded since that time.
Speier did a great job illustrating how every single move led to this powerhouse of a team. 6 years later, it's amazing how much the ball was dropped after this historic team. Almost everything went wrong following the 2018 team. I would enjoy reading his take on the events that have unfolded since that time.
August 11, 2020
Love the depth of the player's paths through the minors. Good inside knowledge that helps you to see baseball players as real people instead of easily tradable "chips" or "prospects." Puts value into seeing players develop as people and players - and making sure their environs are suited to see that goal through.
Goes into real depth of how GMs, owners, managers, etc all interact. Love the research and countless quotes put into this.
Great way for a Red Sox fan to appreciate the 2018 119-win team even more. I love the Red Sox.
Goes into real depth of how GMs, owners, managers, etc all interact. Love the research and countless quotes put into this.
Great way for a Red Sox fan to appreciate the 2018 119-win team even more. I love the Red Sox.
May 1, 2022
This is a must read, not just for Red Sox fans, but for baseball fans. How did the 2018 team become the best Red Sox team ever?
It turns out that it is because a lot of things went right. A perfect blending of talent, chemistry, and luck contributed to an improbable juggernaut. That championship felt pure in a way that others do not. These were Red Sox, akin to the teammates from bygone eras like Williams, Pesky, and Dom DiMaggio. Teams don’t have cores like that anymore. This book does an excellent job in presenting how the Red Sox did it. This is a great baseball book.
It turns out that it is because a lot of things went right. A perfect blending of talent, chemistry, and luck contributed to an improbable juggernaut. That championship felt pure in a way that others do not. These were Red Sox, akin to the teammates from bygone eras like Williams, Pesky, and Dom DiMaggio. Teams don’t have cores like that anymore. This book does an excellent job in presenting how the Red Sox did it. This is a great baseball book.
November 30, 2022
4 ✨
I scrolled through some reviews looking for even a single Stat Masterson reference and i couldn’t fine any. Which is kinda wild to me! Anyway, for being Stat Masterson, I do wish we were given even more stats in this book.
Overall, I think I enjoyed this book because it felt very nostalgic for me. I know 2018 wasn’t that long ago, but it was such a special time to be a Sox fan. It reminded me of a lot of memorable moments I personally had through the season. But it did take me a minute to get through.
I scrolled through some reviews looking for even a single Stat Masterson reference and i couldn’t fine any. Which is kinda wild to me! Anyway, for being Stat Masterson, I do wish we were given even more stats in this book.
Overall, I think I enjoyed this book because it felt very nostalgic for me. I know 2018 wasn’t that long ago, but it was such a special time to be a Sox fan. It reminded me of a lot of memorable moments I personally had through the season. But it did take me a minute to get through.
October 5, 2019
The last chapter is mostly just a recap of the postseason (which as a Sox fan I loved) but the rest of the book was a great behind the scenes look at the evolution of this team. Seeing the effect a coach, GM changes, and clubhouse chemistry had - stuff that from the outside feels like nothing (doesn’t winning fix these problems? Maybe. But a team that isn’t dominating can have issues exacerbate by all of this leading to severely under performing teams)
Fascinating read.
Fascinating read.
February 21, 2020
Two things make this one of my favorite books about a single team ever, along with Big Data baseball and Moneyball (and no, am not part of Red Sox nation-despite living in Boston for 5 years and happily marrying someone from there, I grew up in NY a Yankees fan so...)
First, Alex Speier not only knew the 2018 Red Sox as the beat writer and columnist for the Boston Globe (since 2015), but he followed the team’s minors system for Baseball America before that since 2007. His knowledge of the players coming through the system is fantastic, far exceeding what anyone who covered the team the year they won the series could do in a quick turnaround book without knowing those players intimately for years before as they came up.
Second, it’s a rare skill for a columnist to be able to write a book length piece with transitions and a big picture sense of the whole story that reads like an actual book and not a series of stitched together columns. There is a flow to this book that you rarely find and makes it hard to put down. Just great long-form writing (and am an editor in my professional day job).
Also love how little of the season the book tries to replay, focusing on how the team was constructed, not how they performed except for the highlights of the playoff run in the final chapter.
Truly the book I would point to as the model for anyone thinking about writing about a team’s season, but would be so hard to replicate unless someone had the background with that team that Alex had.
Just spectacular.
Would love to see a version with the decision to break up the band (trade Betts) especially with the chaos in completing the deal.
First, Alex Speier not only knew the 2018 Red Sox as the beat writer and columnist for the Boston Globe (since 2015), but he followed the team’s minors system for Baseball America before that since 2007. His knowledge of the players coming through the system is fantastic, far exceeding what anyone who covered the team the year they won the series could do in a quick turnaround book without knowing those players intimately for years before as they came up.
Second, it’s a rare skill for a columnist to be able to write a book length piece with transitions and a big picture sense of the whole story that reads like an actual book and not a series of stitched together columns. There is a flow to this book that you rarely find and makes it hard to put down. Just great long-form writing (and am an editor in my professional day job).
Also love how little of the season the book tries to replay, focusing on how the team was constructed, not how they performed except for the highlights of the playoff run in the final chapter.
Truly the book I would point to as the model for anyone thinking about writing about a team’s season, but would be so hard to replicate unless someone had the background with that team that Alex had.
Just spectacular.
Would love to see a version with the decision to break up the band (trade Betts) especially with the chaos in completing the deal.
May 6, 2020
The worst part about quarantine is not having baseball season!! I miss baseball so much, I’ve been rewatching all 108 Red Sox wins from the 2018 Championship season! To go along with the rewatch, I listened to Homegrown: How the Red Sox Built a Championship from the Ground Up. It’s really cool to hear a summary of the last years in Red Sox Nation, particularly how the current young stars played in the minors - before anyone knew how much they would achieve at such a young age.
December 31, 2020
As a Red Sox fan who enjoys baseball books, I’m pretty much the target demographic for Homegrown. I enjoyed getting more context on how the team assembled the young players that made up the core of the 2018 championship team. That said, it felt like a glaring omission by Speier to completely leave out any of Boston’s cheating scandals that makes those years. Maybe that will come with the release of the paperback version.
July 7, 2022
Speier has written a fantastic book about the development of talent in baseball overall and specifically the core of homegrown, talented players that contributed to the Red Sox championship in 2018. There a great quotes and behind the scenes stories. It’s thoroughly researched and completely enjoyable. Admittedly, as a Sox fan my 5 star rating is biased, but it is no doubt worth 4 stars for non-Sox fans who love baseball.
May 25, 2023
Homegrown: How the Red Sox Built a Champion from the Ground Up is about the 2018 Red Sox team. This book shows the growth of all of the young players who started in the organization in as early as 2009. It talks about the years leading up to it 2018 and all of the trades made before and during the season.
The reason I gave this book a 5-star review, was because I didn't know how much had led up to them wining this World Series and it was very interesting to me.
The reason I gave this book a 5-star review, was because I didn't know how much had led up to them wining this World Series and it was very interesting to me.
August 20, 2019
Excellent Baseball Book
For Red Sox Nation and any baseball fan that wants to get an inside look at the process of building a baseball organization from top to bottom. Yes it still takes a lot of luck. This is a good well-written evenly paced book that I really enjoyed reading.
For Red Sox Nation and any baseball fan that wants to get an inside look at the process of building a baseball organization from top to bottom. Yes it still takes a lot of luck. This is a good well-written evenly paced book that I really enjoyed reading.
March 6, 2020
Read this on and off because it was kind of a painful read knowing the fallout of the 2019 season. Some focus on prospects that didn't pan out would have been good as well instead of relegating the likes of Blake Swihart to the epilogue. Other than that, a great read - I got chills reading through the Sox's 2018 postseason run.
April 10, 2020
Interesting to read about the most recent crop of Red Sox prospects as they navigated through the draft and minor leagues. Makes me even sadder that they traded Mookie Betts for a bag of balls and the rights to unload David Price's contract. It, of course, was published before the Astros' sign stealing was brought to light and the subsequent firing of Alex Cora.
February 17, 2023
A must read book for any Red Sox fan. It was great to read behind the scenes on how they built a team that went on to have such a historic year. Remembering that year like it was yesterday, it was great to relive the highs and lows and all the behind the scenes from the draft in 2011 to the winning of the World Series in 2018.
May 9, 2024
Traces the roots of the 2018 World Series Champion Red Sox. From the disastrous Bobby Valentine 2012, through the John Farrell years and paying special attention to the continued growth of the young home-grown players that made up the core of the 2018 team. Well written. Sad to think of how this team is scattered to the wind.
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