If you were to tell me in April that on October 12th, the Boston Red Sox are dominating sports radio and news cycles like ESPN then I would be thinking that Red Sox are in the ALCS and ready to go to the World Series again. Nope. Just more fallout from the greatest collapse in baseball history.
The long standing rumor of Theo Epstein going to take over the Chicago Cubs finally came to fruition late last night. Its not a surprise at all. I think we all saw it coming. The Red Sox have been greasing the skids for his departure since the season ended. Every time Theo's name was brought up it was followed with Ben Cherington's name. Ive never heard a guys name so much in my life in such a short period of time. Ben has been Theo's right hand man for awhile and he's likely to take over. There's a group out there of Red Sox fans that say Theo's overrated and good riddance. I say they are wrong. Yes, I am a Theo guy. I think he's a smart guy and he's in the top percentile of GMs in baseball. Yes, his big time free agent signings are spotty and most have blown up in front of his face. I have a hard time defending some of them, but his trades have been great and he's built one of the best farm systems in baseball. The Chicago Cubs are lucky to have him.
The Boston Globe came out with a great article about the collapse.I urge people to go out and read it. About how our supposed top 3 pitchers are sitting in the clubhouse during games, drinking beer, playing video games, and eating fried chicken. That's stuff that Ive done on occasion. That's stuff that people do while watching Beckett and Lester and Lackey pitch. I don't want my top 3 pitchers chugging beer and stuffing their face with KFC like a college fan boy. I'm so surprised that Beckett and Lester stopped working hard. We've seen them at their best. We've them locked in and dominate opposing batters. Beckett had a tough 2006 and he rededicated himself and dominated in 2007. Since then he appears to have gotten fat and happy. Literally. I never thought Lester would get to this point. The kid has been through so much. He had the long journey back from being diagnosed with cancer and came back and won a clinching World Series game and threw a no hitter. Hopefully this wakes both of them up and they rededicate themselves to be the aces they are supposed to be.
This organization, espically this ownership, has shown to always leak some stories about big name guys that leave. No star in Boston has ever left on good terms. Dating all the way back with Roger Clemens and Mo Vaughn to Nomar and Johnny Damon, ownership always leaks a negative story about the player. The latest victim- former manager Terry Francona. In the Globe story, it talked about martial problems and a drug problem with Tito. It talked about how Francona had been taking painkillers for his knees and it may have affected his performance as manager. Which, in my opinion, is total crap. Tito has been a guy here who has always taken the fall for the players and he still does to this day. If I were Francona, the day they fired me I would of came out and went after all the bums that didn't work out, that are drinking in the clubhouse, and that were lazy, entitled pieces of crap. Tito has always been a stand up guy and to trash him on his way out like they did to Derek Lowe, and Manny, and Pedro, and all the others is bush league. All those leaks has Larry Luchino written all over it. I've always thought he was a snake and a slime ball and I'm not the only one that feels that way. Now lets get ready to see how he shreds Theo on his way out.
If Cherington is named GM, as is expected, then he should clean house. See what you can get for Beckett, Lackey, Youk, and all the others. He should build around Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Papelbon. Those are three guys that want to win and were cited in the Globe piece as being the hardest workers on the team. Believe it or not, Theo leaving is just the tipping point for Red Sox moves this off season.
Until next time...
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