The 2011 Boston Red Sox was a complete disaster!
By Matt Noonan
Let’s face it – the Boston Red Sox are a complete disaster.
General Manager Theo Epstein constructed this mess and now, he’s most likely headed to Chicago to resurrect the “Loveable Losers,” but it’s not exactly certain.
Yes, sources have confirmed that he’s gone, and have packed his bags, which leave many Sox fans quite disappointed, especially since we all adopted the idea that in Theo we trust, right? OK, he’s not Bill Belichick, but he did win two World Series titles, so I am sure some believed he was the man who was going to turn two back-to-back losing seasons into gold, as well as another championship too.
Yet, while Theo played hardball with the media, beat writers, correspondents and bloggers fired back at the front office and their team.
On Thursday, the Boston Globe’s Bob Hohler provided the ultimate press-pass to his readers, which had plenty of dirt and information on this so-called “collapse.” Hohler reemphasized the drinking issues, which was mentioned in a Boston Herald article recently, as well as highlighted Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and John Lackey’s fraternity parties in the team’s clubhouse during games. Finally, we also learned that team owner John Henry bribed his bunch of ignorant brats with $300 headphones and night on his yacht, but that didn’t help Boston overcome their September swoon.
So, while the days get shorter and the nights get longer, Red Sox fans are faced with many tough questions and thoughts.
Why exactly did Theo decide to interview for the Chicago Cubs General Manager position?
Why didn’t anyone in the Red Sox front office consider re-signing Manager Terry Francona to a new contract?
Can someone explain to me, why Beckett, Lester and Lackey felt it was necessary to play video games, drink beers and play videogames during Sox games?
Finally, where do we go from here? Also, who’s going to manage this club and who’s most likely to be the squad’s next GM?
Well, for starters, it seems most likely that Ben Cherington will be Boston’s newest version of Theo, yet that leaves one big void… a manager.
Don’t try to convince me by saying, “Joe Torre or Tony La Russa are the right guys for this team” because really, they’re not.
The Red Sox need a Bill Parcells or a Bobby Knight to come into this disgruntled clubhouse and change things around. Hey, maybe Knight would be the right guy, especially since he’s a master at throwing chairs.
Yet, while we wait patiently and ponder, what will the next move be in this epic game of “baseball chess,” I think it’s fair to state once again, this Red Sox team is a complete dysfunctional family. They need help. They need someone who can clean house, and press the restart button. Yet, unfortunately, this isn’t a videogame or monopoly, so we can’t avoid take fake money and throw it out the window, but the Sox do need someone who’ll get the team back on the right tracks.
It’s going to be a long off-season, so put on your seatbelt and enjoy the ride because come February and March, we’ll have a brand new ballgame.
