2011 Boston Red Sox

[Dispatch]

Teams en fuego right now. Teams 1st in Batting Avg, Runs, OBP, and Slugging.

Should continue to be a fun season

[EnigmaNemesis]

This final race will definitely get very interesting with the Rays visiting the Yankees.

Sometimes sports seems "scripted" on how things work out.

[Reaman]

Youk with the hip injury.

[EnigmaNemesis]

[SoxFan01605]

Never doubted it would happen, but sucks all the same if true:

Quote:

The Red Sox and manager Terry Francona will part ways, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (all Twitter links). Francona's three-year, $12MM deal included club options for 2012-13 worth $8.75MM in total ($750K buyout) and the Red Sox could announce their decision to decline the options today. Francona, 52, has led the Red Sox to two World Series Championships this decade. The Red Sox won it all in 2004, their first season under Francona, and again in 2007. The Red Sox have a 744-552 record in eight seasons under Francona. They finished the 2011 season with a 90-72 record and missed the playoffs by one game after an extended late-season slump. The White Sox are looking for a manager, but Heyman hears Francona isn't high on Chicago's list of candidates.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/0...part-ways.html

[EnigmaNemesis]

Yet there is this...

Quote:

Epstein said that club officials already had been meeting to discuss how the team crumbled, and that, “nobody blames what happened in September on Tito.” "That would be totally irresponsible and shortsighted,” Epstein said. “As an organization we have to look at our successes and failures, and what happened in 2011 — we take full responsibility for it. All of us collectively look at it as a failure. I'm the general manager, so I take more responsibility than anybody. “But I know we don't believe in scapegoats, particularly blaming Tito for what happened in September. We all failed collectively. We're all together in this; we've got to live with that. We're not pointing fingers at any one person in particular.”

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/m...red-sox-092911

So it appears to be at ownership level. Sad really.

[SoxFan01605]

Quote: Originally Posted by EnigmaNemesis

Yet there is this... http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/m...red-sox-092911 So it appears to be at ownership level. Sad really.

Yeah, most of those quotes from Theo were mainly from the press conference yesterday and kind of a "we're not saying yet" thing more than anything.

It is also believed that Francona might not even want to come back either due to frustration with the general attitude of the team (something that was referenced surprisingly directly from both he and Theo).

So it could kind of be a "mutual parting" of sorts. On the one hand, I can see it-after awhile it can be best to move on, no matter how good things were overall. It'll suck to see him go though as I feel he had a great grasp on what it took to manage in Boston (from a player and media standpoint).

There are rumbling Theo might leave too. It would be a sad end to a nice tenure by both if that's actually the case. Either way, it's clear that there are some definite behind the scenes issues with the team.

[EnigmaNemesis]

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/pr...276522832-1022

Quote:

BOSTON, MA - Boston Red Sox Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein released the following statement today: "John Henry, Tom Werner, Larry Lucchino, Ben Cherington and I met with Terry Francona this morning at Fenway Park to exchange thoughts and information on the 2011 season and discuss areas for improvement going forward. We all plan on taking some time to process the thoughts expressed in the meeting. There are no immediate plans for an announcement."