There is much to be learned from the Indians’ sweep of the Red Sox.
Hopefully, for their sake, the Yankees were taking notes. First and foremost is the flexibility shown by Indians manager Terry Francona. He commanded this ALDS, and as a result, the Indians celebrated their first playoff sweep since 1995.
Joe Girardi, especially, should have taken notes.
The biggest and most important aspect of managing against the Red Sox is not allowing this team to gain momentum. The Red Sox are a much different team when they get rolling. The young stars excel when they gain confidence, and that is where Girardi can learn from Francona, if he only will put aside his infamous binder and manage the game and not just manage the numbers.