Yes I’m still in beautiful Hawai’i (sunset pictures from Ala Moana Park and Diamond Head) and right now my biggest decision is whether to stay for a few more days or another week at least. The one thing I can say is that when the Boston Red Sox season ended, with the exception of what transpired with Terry Francona, I decided to not want to talk about it.
At the time, I didn’t want to face the truth of what really happened.
What seemed like the Red Sox being a lock to make the playoffs in early September (I remember saying something like “unless something catastrophic happens, the Red Sox and Yankees are playing for the AL East title”). And now, here we are six days removed from the greatest collapse we’ve all ever seen (you’re welcome New York Mets) and having to the face reality and the future.
We will have a new person at the helm of the USS Red Sox. There’s the chance we could have a new general manager as well.
But if current Red Sox GM Theo Epstein stays and doesn’t go the Chicago Cubs or any of the other teams who have GM openings, there will more than likely be changes to the team that ended the season (I’m not talking about the callups or anything like that). That was one of things Theo harped upon during his end of the season presser.
If the rumors are true of the beer drinking and other stuff, he better do something about it. There’s a reason why Fenway Park has the longest sellout streak in MLB history. Simply put, we love our Red Sox. But honestly when you hear about the stuff whether it’s true or not, it’s been put out there. And that to me is a little disconcerting.
If you were at your job and said well heck, no one’s around, let’s have a few beers or drinks and someone found out. You’d be finding yourself out of work and trying to explain to your wife and 2.5 kids why daddy doesn’t have a job no more. But if you play baseball for the Red Sox, you might be okay.
That needs to change folks. Personally, I think it’s totally unprofessional of the players to be lounging around having a few beers while the rest of the team is out there busting their collective asses off to try and get the team to the postseason. Now I will say this. If it was after the game, I have no problem with it all.
People have asked me if I thought Francona left on his own accord.
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I’m not totally 100% convinced he did. Sure he said it was his own decision. But it sounded more of a PR spin than anything.
Think about it for a second folks. They got rid of the man who brought TWO, yes count’em TWO World Series Championships to Boston. They came in 2004 and 2007 if you forgot.
Name me one Red Sox manager since 1918 that can say that. You can’t because it didn’t happen.
Again, if he left because he wanted to, I have no problem at all. I’ll just say Thanks Tito for what you did.
If Theo leaves, I don’t think they’re will be the same outpouring of emotions that there were when Francona left. Sure he’s been the architect of the team since late 2002 with the exception of the time he left in the gorilla suit for a while.
I’ll end with this.
Theo, if you decide you’re going to leave the team you grew up rooting for and brought two World Series titles to that team, can you do us all a favor and take that mouth-breaking sucky ass pitcher you gave a boatload of money to (John Lackey) with you.
That’s all I ask.
And oh for the record, I have not watched one second of baseball since the playoffs started. I’m just not ready for it.
To open the links up in a new tab or window, use Control+click
Hired to be fired: History says teams need managerial change [Alex Speier – WEEI.com]
Search model found [Boston Globe]
If Epstein leaves, price must be high [Boston Globe]
Terry Francona’s departure a ‘surprise’ to Adrian Gonzalez [Boston Herald]
Papelbon aside, relief needed [Boston Herald]
Looking ahead: The bullpen [Boston Herald]
Kevin Youkilis, Sox mates not stand-up guys [Boston Herald]
Uncertainly mounts on Epstein’s future [CSN New England]
Rivers on Francona: ‘Like losing a brother’ [CSN New England]
Psychology of loss for fans, players [ESPN Boston]
Youkilis upset by ‘so much finger-pointing’ [ESPN Boston]
Source: Phils’ Mackanin on Sox list [ESPN Boston]
Terry Francona would manage next season if offered job, source says [ESPN Boston]
Kevin Youkilis on teammates leaking info to media: ‘Don’t be a coward’ [Full Count]
Red Sox Will Likely Need to Figure Out What Theo Epstein’s Future Holds Before Hiring New Manager [NESN.com]
Too many Lackeys, not enough . . . [Projo Sox Blog]
Sox had no relief in sight [Providence Journal]
Dice-K plays catch for first time since surgery [RedSox.com]
Adrian named Aaron nominee for Red Sox [RedSox.com]
A look at what the future holds for Red Sox position players [Rob Bradford – WEEI.com]
For 2011 Red Sox, there was plenty of blame to go around [Tony Massarotti – Boston Globe]
For more slices of Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, CSN New England, ESPN Boston, NESN, Providence Journal, RedSox.com and WEEI websites.
Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.
Lamb and Oriakhi are two of 10 selections from the BIG EAST Conference. Connecticut was one of nine programs that had at least two players selected. North Carolina became the first program in the history of the award with four players selected to the preseason list. UConn’s Kemba Walker (’11) was a finalist for the award in 2011.
Reassigned by the Whale to Greenville (ECHL):
