FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As the Boston Red Sox stepped out into the sun Monday for their first full-squad workout of spring training, owner John Henry maintained that he's more concerned about Ws and Ls than the team's Q-Rating.
"We really don't need to be popular," Henry said. "We need to win."
But despite winning 93 games and the American League East title for a second straight season in 2017, questions were raised about the Red Sox's likeability. Although attendance at Fenway Park remained almost unchanged, regional television ratings were down 15 percent on New England Sports Network, according to Nielsen Media data, while sports-talk airwaves were filled with the grievances of dissatisfied fans.