With Chris Sale, Red Sox return to normalcy

Normal. What a concept. The last eighteen months have been anything but normal, though the return of Chris Sale to the Fenway Park pitcher's mound on Saturday afternoon for the Boston Red Sox felt like the closest thing.

Upon arrival, the fans in Boston cheered for him like he was John Lennon rolling up to Madison Square Garden during the 1960's. His mere presence on the mound brought back feelings of seasons past. After all, it had been nearly two years to the date since Sale last pitched for the Red Sox due to recent elbow surgery. And whether the tall southpaw wanted to admit it or not, the Sox desperately needed a jolt and he provided just that. Boston beat Baltimore 16-2 and Sale hurled five solid innings, allowing just two solo home runs - both of which came back-to-back after nearly retiring the side.

Boston had been plummeting for almost three weeks, losing ground in the standings seemingly each day since the tepid trade deadline. But on Saturday, the feeling at Fenway was simple; Chris Sale was back and so were the Red Sox. Of course whether or not that is a fair assessment remains to be seen. I have said since the season began that the club should look at Sale as an obvious future asset, but nor rely on him as a panacea for their inefficiencies or even their recent woes.

Even if the optimism is too high, it's hard to deny that Sale commands excellence of himself and his team. During his post-game press conference, he humbly thanked his supporters and healthcare staff and vowed to not take another game for granted. To me, this is the kind of player I want leading the franchise. Chris Sale was born to play for the Red Sox, and it would be a shame to see him pitch anywhere else.

There's still a long way to go, but something about seeing Sale strike out hitters against the August sun just felt normal.