I'm Sully and I approve this off season for the Red Sox

The Red Sox had post season dreams that fell just short... like Carl Crawford's diving attempt on the last play of the season.

The manager is gone. The closer is gone. The Captain may have played his final game.
A new GM is in charge but undermined by the owners.

It's time to make tons of changes to the Sox, right?

NO!!!!

I have been advocating that the Red Sox take a step back and heaven forbid REBUILD FROM WITHIN.

Let the Angels cough up years and picks for Albert Pujols. And 5 years for C. J. Wilson? Gee whiz I wonder if they will regret that.
Let the Marlins pony up cash for Jose Reyes and a closer like Heath Bell.
Let the Rangers pay Yu Darvish's posting fee.

Jimmy Rollins? He belongs in Philadelphia.
Carlos Beltran? It's amazing that he syncs up his best season in years with a free agency stint. Have fun in St. Louis.

Aramis Ramirez? Mark Buehrle? Grady Sizemore? Jim Thome? Jason Marquis?

Who in that group is a good long term answer for the Red Sox?

And who is left in the free agent market? Prince Fielder? Roy Oswalt? Edwin Jackson?

And forget the trade market.

Yeah the Red Sox could have had Trevor Cahill or Gio Gonzalez.

But Cahill cost Arizona some of their top prospects including Jarrod Parker, their phenom pitcher who made a cameo in the post season.

And Gio Gonzalez cost Washington some of their best young players.

The Red Sox don't need to empty their farm!
They need to try out as many PawSox as they can.
The Red Sox need to fill in holes and they don't need to do it with high priced free agents, blockbuster trades that send the future packing and surrendering draft picks.

The Sox are making smart moves.
Mark Melancon? Not sexy but talented and can help in the pen.
Nick Punto? Won't make many headlines but gives the Sox some infield depth,
Kelly Shoppach? OK, he can't hit. But how can his bat be worse than Varitek's now?

Don't be worried about making noise for December 2011.
Focus on turning the page and seeing what the team needs.
Pile up draft picks and see what gems are hidden in the system.

Let the Marlins, Angels and Nats make the splash now.
I'm thinking about 2013 and beyond.

Keep up the good work of not doing anything big.

It's not going unnoticed by THIS Sox fan.

I'm glad that Ortiz will be with the Red Sox for 10 years

David Ortiz will be the DH for the Boston Red Sox in 2012.
At least there will be THAT stability and reminder of the championship seasons.

And he'll be a member of the Red Sox for at least part of 10 seasons.
It's a nice round number and a lot of great Red Sox players recently never got to 10.

Mo Vaughn lasted 8 seasons in Boston.
Pedro Martinez was with the Red Sox for 7 seasons.
Nomar Garciaparra was traded during his 9th season.
Manny Ramirez was dealt in the middle of his 8th.
Jonathan Papelbon gave the Red Sox 7 seasons.
Derek Lowe pitched all of or part of 8 seasons.

10 is nice.
Nice round number.
And with Varitek and Wakefield not guaranteed to come back, Ortiz could become the longest tenured Red Sox player.

And hey, he's still kind of productive if not all pumped up the way he used to be.

Flaws and all, I will always love Big Papi.
Glad it has been a decade.

5 Reasons why the Red Sox should trade Josh Beckett NOW

I thought the Red Sox should have dealt Josh Beckett after his All Star season in 2009. He had one year left on his contract, was affordable and was probably at peak value. Instead the Red Sox signed him to an extension.

Well here I am 2 years later and I am more than saying the Red Sox would be smart to trade him. I am saying the MUST trade him.

There are 5 factors of the current baseball climate that make a Josh Beckett trade imperative and forward thinking for the Red Sox.


REASON ONE: THE STAR TREK EFFECT

I wrote at the beginning of the season that, like the Star Trek films, Beckett is good every other year.

2007, 2009 and 2011 he was an All Star.
2006, 2008 and 2010 he was underwhelming.

So 2012 looks like he is due for a sub par season. And if his 5.48 ERA in September was any indication, he might have a head start on a bad year. If he is going to lose with a high ERA, I'd rather it be with another team.


REASON TWO: C.J.WILSON AND THE HORRIBLE CROP OF AVAILABLE PITCHERS

C. J. Wilson is the most sought after free agent pitcher on the market right now. He was born the same year as Josh Beckett (1980) and he has 2 good seasons as a starting pitcher under his belt. Beckett has 3 All Star seasons with the Red Sox to go along with some good years in Florida.

Wilson has a spotty playoff record while Beckett has a World Series MVP and an ALCS MVP on his mantle.

I've been saying that C. J. Wilson is a contract disaster waiting to happen. But the need for starting pitching and the terrible crop of current pitchers will mean that SOMEONE will pay him over $100 million over the next six years.

Or they can pay Josh Beckett $45 million over the next three years. A team that loses (wins?) the C. J. Wilson derby after he signs elsewhere can get a cheaper shorter term contract with a pitcher the same age with a better career and a much sharper post season record.

Sounds like a good move to me.

REASON THREE: THE RED SOX LACK OF DEPTH

I don't think the Red Sox are winning the 2012 pennant. They lack depth in the rotation, in the bullpen, on the bench and even in the lineup.

Besides Lester, who can be trusted in the rotation? Buchholz is too much of a health risk to be counted on. The bullpen is a no man's land. The corner outfield spots, catcher and shortstop are a mystery and there is little firepower off the bench. The Red Sox need to address some of those problems and a trade for a younger player (or hopefully younger players) would help solve some problems. If the Sox can swing a deal and get a corner outfielder of the future or a good young reliever that can be a factor for the next bunch of years, then it is a deal worth making.


REASON FOUR: BOBBY V AND BECKETT WILL BE A MATCH MADE IN HELL

We all know this is true. Beckett isn't exactly Mr. Cute and Cuddly and he was an ornery dude with a lovable lug like Terry Francona running the team. Now he will be in the clubhouse with the Know-It-All who trashed Beckett down the stretch on ESPN.

How can this end well?
How will they coexist?
The answer is they won't. And on the heels of the great collapse of 2011 and Valentine putting his thumb print on the club, it is probably best not to do an experiment and put them in the same clubhouse.

Oh it would be entertaining. But I prefer peace and winning.

REASON FIVE: BECKETT DID HIS JOB. IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON.

If there is one thing the modern history of the Red Sox has shown us, it is Boston is quick to let stars rot on someone else's watch. Nomar, Pedro, Mo, Damon, Mueller, Millar, Lowe and Manny all had their "grumbling and limping" seasons on someone else's dime. No doubt we will add Papelbon to that list.

It means the Red Sox are not exactly a sentimental team. But the Sox should make the deal with Beckett while our memories of him are still positive.

He owes Red Sox fans nothing. He was brought in to be the brash bad ass ace that was missing from Fenway after Pedro Martinez left. He rewarded us Sox fans with a memorable 2007 regular season and a totally dominating post season. He went 4-0 with a complete game shutout, the ALCS MVP and probably would have won the World Series MVP if he had a second start.

He did what he was supposed to do.
He secured that second championship, the won that showed 2004 was not a fluke.
Let's remember THAT Josh Beckett instead of the player who will inevitably breakdown soon.

As a Red Sox fan I can't possibly thank Josh Beckett enough. But it is time to move on.


I have a feeling all of these reasons will fall on deaf ears.
But dealing him makes sense.

Trust me.

Bobby V, The Lobster and Arnie Beyeler

OK, Bobby V is coming. The Red Sox are Valentine's team now. And the idea that it will be a calm player friendly environment is as likely as the Red Sox retiring Grady Little's number.

I think there is only one way Bobby Valentine's authority can work in Boston: Give him TOTAL authority. Make it clear that it is indeed his way or the highway. Take away as many obstacles as possible of people to challenge him.

Normally I think it is positive to challenge authority. But bringing in Valentine means a change in the culture, and that can't be done in a half assed manner.

It HAS to be Bobby V's ship. No "That's not the way we did it before."
Otherwise they just should have kept Francona or promoted one of his lieutenants.

Which brings a challenge regarding The Lobster.
Readers of Sully Baseball know that I believe Jason Varitek's nickname should be The Lobster.

The Red Sox captain is a free agent right now and the reasons to bring him back are hard to find.

He brings a tiny bit of power to the plate and he hasn't as awful as he was in 2009 when his .209 average and .703 OPS led to the Victor Martinez trade. But he has become subpar offensively.

The traditional arguments to retain The Lobster are his ability to call a great game and his leadership skills.

Well his game calling and handling the pitching staff didn't help the Red Sox in their historic nosedive. The pitchers all had ERAs with area codes and game plans seemed to change from pitch to pitch.

And his leadership skills didn't get Beckett, Lester or Lackey's act together when the team needed them more than ever. If it was indeed Francona's team and Varitek's clubhouse, then that needs to totally change with the arrival of Bobby V.

In a way, Varitek would be a relic of the Francona years and one that could possibly act as a tension point to the new manager.

Varitek could represent the classic "It's the way we do things around here" barrier.
And of course Bobby V is the "If that way was so great, then why was I hired?" counterpoint.

If the Lobster returns, and it isn't for his bat or pitch calling, then what else could he offer except a place for the veterans to turn to when Bobby V gets under their skin (which he will)?

So yeah, I am advocating that the Red Sox 14 inning win in the Bronx on September 25th be Varitek's last game as a player in a Boston uniform.

Now the Red Sox are not exactly a sentimental organization. Just witness how quickly Nomar, Pedro, Lowe, Foulke, Damon, Bellhorn, Embree, Manny and Papelbon were shown the door when they were considered to be done. Ask Theo and Tito how cute and cuddly the Sox are.

So Varitek just might not come back and turn up being a backup catcher for the Yankees for all we know.

I think they should keep him in the organization, but away from Bobby V.
How can they do that?

Drive 45 minutes south of Fenway and make Varitek the manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Seriously, his playing days are done and putting The Lobster on Bobby V's coaching staff could be a recipe for disaster.

Manage the top farm club. Help the pipeline of young players up to the big club, be part of the organization and let Bobby V put his own stamp on the team.

And if (when?) Bobby V implodes and the situation becomes intolerable, he can be let go and Varitek can take over the club with managerial experience and familiarity with the young players he managed and the veterans who he played with.

All that is good, but where does that leave Arnie Beyeler, the current PawSox manager?

Make him the one provision for Bobby V. "You can pick your entire coaching staff except you need to bring Arnie Beyeler in."

Beyeler has been in pro baseball as a player, scout, minor league coach and minor league manager since 1986 but has never made it to the majors. He's not about to make waves.

Stick him as the first base coach and Bobby V can have his own bench coach, third base coach, hitting coach, pitching coach and bullpen coach. And that way the young players who played in Pawtucket last year will have a familiar face.

So let's review what this does...

Bobby V would have real control of the team (and why hire him if you don't give him control?) The remnants of 2011 leadership would be gone.

The Lobster Varitek would remain in the organization and build up his credentials to come in and bring back some 2004 and 2007 magic if Valentine doesn't fit. But we also would avoid seeing him clash with Valentine and continue to erode at the plate as he approaches 40.

And Beyeler gets to contribute at the major league level after more than a quarter century of dues paid.

Makes perfect sense to me.
Which is why it probably won't happen.

Mr. Francona Goes To Washington (at least he should)

Terry Francona has had a rough few months. In the first week of September he looked like he was going to coast to his 6th playoff berth in 8 years in Boston. He was the dignified leader of the only 2 World Series titles the Red Sox have had since selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees. I thought he was going to be the manager for the next 10 years, being like Tom Kelly. He was a steady manager with multiple titles who gave the team an aura of class and professionalism.

On August 31st, the Red Sox beat the Yankees 9-5 and had a game and a half lead over the Yankees. Their 83-52 record was the best in the American League. If they weren’t World Series bound, they were simply going to be formidable.

After that day, the Red Sox lost 20 of their last 27 games. They finished in third place on the last day of the season. They never won back-to-back games the rest of the season. Francona was out as manager. It was revealed that the clubhouse was a mess on his watch and his own personal life was in disarray with a pending divorce.

He was passed over for both the Cardinals and Cubs managing job. Can you blame him that he wants to take a year off?

You’ve earned it Tito. I would argue that he never has to manage another ballgame in his life and he won’t have to answer to anyone.

But no doubt he’d rather go out like Tony LaRussa than have Carl Crawford’s failed dive for that ball be his swan song.

Well, Mr. Francona (he has earned the respect to be called Mr. Francona), get your life back in order. Fix your family situation. Relax and spend the summer away from the press.

Then in 2012, get your butt to the Nationals!

Davey Johnson, a fine manager in his own right, is in charge in Washington. But he is not a long-term solution. He was an emergency stopgap when Jim Riggleman suddenly thought he was Earl Weaver and wanted a mid season extension.

The Nats had a nice September (17-10) and finished just under .500 (80-81). That was the team’s best season since they broke even in 2005, their first year in the capital. They haven’t had a winning season since 2003 when they were the Expos.

But there is talent in place. Obviously Ryan Zimmerman, Danny Espinosa and the safe and sound from his ordeal Wilson Ramos are in place.

Young pitchers like John Lannan, Jordan Zimmerman, Drew Storen, Henry Rodriguez and Ross Detwiler all have talent.

And oh yeah… by 2012 Stephen Strasberg would be recovered and allowed to pitch without kid gloves. Plus Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon will be in all likelihood on the big league squad. If the projections are any indications, a nice nucleus in Washington would be adding a Franchise pitcher and two franchise players.

And by then would age catch up with the Phillies?
Would Ozzie’s mouth catch up with him in Miami where Jeffrey Loria can’t stop firing managers?
Would the Mets still be a mess?
Would the Braves not be clicking?

By 2012 the National League East might be a winnable Division for a young talented team getting an influx of top tier talent.

A winning season would be the first Washington fans had seen since 1969.
And when you consider most baseball fans in DC grew up Oriole fans, they haven’t had a good team to root for since 1997.

Using my “You don’t follow a team before you are 7 years old” rule, no baseball fan 21 years old or younger in Washington or Northern Virginia who was an Oriole fan before the Nats arrival has ever rooted for a winning team.

So imagine what it would be like if the Nationals became a good team (which it looks like they are about to be!)

They will probably need a solid manager to hold the reigns.

That could be Mr. Francona.
And the bar is a little lower than in Boston.

It’s a perfect fit.
And it could be the perfect ending for a manager who deserves one.

Red Sox fans... remember THIS Jonathan Papelbon

Jonathan Papelbon is no longer a member of the Boston Red Sox.
When he walked off the mound that awful night in Baltimore, that was his last day pitching for Boston.

He signed a big mongo contract with the Phillies. Four years and $50 million.

I'm not saying the Red Sox should have matched that deal.
He will be 34 years old when it is over.
And most closers have about a 5 or 6 window of being really good. Papelbon has already had 6 solid years as a closer.

And cynically I can say "I'd rather have him breakdown on someone else's dime."
The Red Sox got his young energetic All Star closer days and the Phillies will pay for his expensive 30s.

But let's NOT be cynical.

Let's celebrate Jonathan Papelbon.

He came up as an energetic spot starter down the stretch in 2005. It's too bad Francona didn't stick him into the closer role. The Red Sox needed a closer in that stretch run (Schilling and Timlin couldn't cut it) and the Red Sox lost the Division by one game.

Keith Foulke broke down at the start of the 2006 season and Papelbon stepped in. The symbolism is wonderful in retrospect. Keith Foulke and Jonathan Papelbon are the only two pitchers since 1918 to clinch a World Series for the Red Sox... and the baton was passed during that first series in '06.

The Sox had a cool, cocky and arrogant closer. And we LOVED it!
He was fun.
He was silly.
He did the whole Riverdance routine.
He had Shipping Off To Boston as his theme song.
And more often than not, he shut down the opposition.

Three times his season ERA was sub 2.00.
In 2006, he finished with a 0.92 ERA. His strikeout per 9 innings regularly was in double digits. And in the 2005, 2007 and 2008 post season, he posted a 0.00 ERA.

And let's never forget the wonderful party that was the clinching Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS. The Red Sox clinched the 2004 AL Pennant and World Series on the road. But in '07, they had their pennant celebration at Fenway. And while the final score was lopsided, he faced the tying run at the plate in the 8th inning. He got out of it before Pedroia and Youkilis put the game out of reach in the bottom of the 8th.

And NEVER forget that he struck out Seth Smith and gave Red Sox fans a second World Series title to savor.

Never forget he came out in the 7th inning of the great comeback of Game 5, 2008 ALCS and threw 2 key shutout innings to let the Sox avoid elimination.

And never forget that when Lester, Lackey and Beckett were bombing, Papelbon was accountable to the media and gave his all, even after he lost the final game.

And never forget that he was fun.

Red Sox fan got a lot of great memories courtesy of Papelbon, including a World Series clincher.

So wish him well, Red Sox fans.
Say thank you for the memories.

And one more time, for old time sake... Let's Ship Out To Boston.

The Padres will win the pennant before the Red Sox, Cubs or Mets

Call this a hunch.
Call this a long shot.

But I think I am right about this.
I think the San Diego Padres will be in a position to be in the World Series BEFORE big market teams like the Red Sox, Cubs or Mets.

Yeah yeah yeah, I know. The Padres were a whole lot of suck last year. And I know their penny pinching ways aren't going to end in 2012.

And their chances of winning in 2012 are slim to none.
You know... like the Diamondbacks' chances were in 2011.

I know the Padres will be in full "Let's see what we've got in the minor leagues" mode in 2012 and the mantra will be "Patience while we give some talented players some experience."

But guess what? That's a better place than the Red Sox, Cubs or Mets will be in for 2012.

The 2012 Red Sox will still be reeling from a September that took them from a potential World Series to the scorched Earth purging of the front office and management. Nobody even knows who is running the show.

The 2012 Cubs have a nice story with the arrival of Theo Epstein. But when he took over the Red Sox after the 2002 season, they had just won 93 games and were a contender until the last week of the season. This Cubs team is a 91 loss mess with the Soriano and Zambrano contracts making it damn near impossible to make any major moves this season.

And those two teams are locks for the playoffs compared to the Amazing Messed Up Mets. They have unmovable contracts, injured stars, their marquee player (Jose Reyes) is a free agent and who knows what their financial situation is. Will they be sold? Will MLB focus on the Mets after the Dodger debacle is cleared?

The Padres are in a much better place. They KNOW what they are doing. They are playing young prospects and have a low payroll.

Heath Bell could leave via free agency and give them even more payroll flexibility and draft picks. Or he could stick around and anchor the bullpen and give the young pitchers some built up confidence.

Mat Latos had a step back season but still wasn't bad. And he will only be 24 next season. Clayton Richards, Cory Luebke, Josh Spence and Ernesto Frieri are all young and pitching in one of the best pitchers parks in the league.

Um... that is potentially a staff 6 pitchers deep.
Can the Red Sox, Cubs or Mets say that? Honestly?

Plus they have young Robert Erlin, Anthony Bass, Joe Weiland and Casey Kelly not far away.

They have the likes of Cameron Maybin and Kyle Blanks who seem to have been around forever but they are both still only 25 years old.

They have the young Anthony Rizzo who has already made his big league debut. So did another minor league stud, James Darnell. Third baseman Jedd Gyorko is working his way up the system.

Mix that all in with the fact that they play in a totally unpredictable division.

Between 2005 and about 2 weeks to go in the 2007 season, it looked like the Padres had control of the NL West.

Oh wait! The Diamondbacks won the 2007 Division title and about midway through the 2008 season it looked like it was theirs for a while.

Oh wait! The Dodgers won it in 2008 and 2009. And for many years to come it was going to be the Dodgers' division.

Except that the Giants won it all in 2010. And their repeat in the NL West was preordained...

But nobody told the Diamondbacks who suddenly became the Division standard bearers again.

Throw in a pennant and a Wild Card in Colorado and this Division is anyones.
Teams turn around, flame out and turn around again quickly in the NL West.

And the Padres would have almost all of the names I mentioned controlled for a few years and be allowed to gel and have a few reasonable additions to the payroll. By 2013 or 2014 they will have a legit shot at the playoffs.

As we saw by the last few Octobers, a team can make it to the World Series if they get on a roll.

The Padres have a DIRECTION.
Can you honestly say that about the Red Sox? The Cubs? The Mets?

New Sully Baseball Video - "The John Lackey Horror Show."

In the latest Sully Baseball video, I reacted to the news that the Padres were supposedly interested in picking up John Lackey.

They didn't make a deal before Lackey had season ended surgery.

Awful news. But I don't get mad. I make videos.

As always, all the Sully Baseball videos can be found on my ShortForm TV channel.

Curt Young... thanks for a great season in Boston

Seriously... bang up job Curt Young as a pitching coach.
The team under your watch saw the staff totally implode in September with a starter E.R.A. of 7.

SEVEN!
I didn't think that was possible.
Evidently John Farrell ran a tight ship when he was pitching coach and Curt Young was more relaxed.

As in having the guys sh*t faced, eating chicken and getting drunk relaxed.
Maybe a tight ship is in order.

About a month ago, I said Curt Young should get his resume in order.
Well someone WANTS him. The Oakland A's, where he pitched in a few World Series and got a ring in the process.

Good for him. Nothing against the guy, but it wasn't going to work in Boston.

Oh let the great purging of the 2011 stench continue!

Ortiz to Yankees?.... oh why not?

It just keeps getting worse for a Red Sox fan.
Each day I wake up there is another factor to throw on to the "Winning 2 World Series should buffer the pain of this" pile.

You have the great collapse.
You have that agonizing last day.
You have the dismissal of Francona.
You have Theo jumping ship.
You have the disgusting character assassination of Francona.
You have the realization that the players remaining were gutless down the stretch.
You have to fear that the corporate stooges are going to turn the Red Sox into the Mets... expensive, old and non contending.

And today?
Ortiz says he might jump ship to the Yankees.

It's not going to happen. Not because of some team loyalty but because it makes sense for the Yankees to make Alex Rodriguez their full time DH.

But can anyone be stunned anymore?
Can anything else even rile us Red Sox fans up?

Right now, I am in full Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump mode, screaming at the rain and wind. "You Call This A Storm!"

I can take anything.

I will write a lot more about Tito and Theo...

I will write a LOT on this subject. But you will excuse me that I am actually interested in the teams that MADE the playoffs, not the former pennant contenders imploding from within.

But I'll say 2 things right now:

1) The character assassination of Terry Francona is despicable. To try and portray him as a pill popping bad husband is deplorable. To bring his son fighting over seas is disgusting. I will root for whatever team will hire him. (I think he should go to Washington.)

2) Epstein has had a rough few years but before everyone throws him under the bus and says how rotten he is, can he get some credit for the moves that put the Red Sox over the top in ways we NEVER imagined?

More later.

A payroll observation about Milwaukee vs Arizona

The Brewers and Diamondbacks played a thrilling 5 game Division Series.

The Milwaukee Payroll was $86 million.
The Arizona Payroll was $53.8 million.

The Brewers payroll was lower than what the Yankees paid for A-Rod, Sabathia, Teixeira and A. J. Burnett in 2011.

The Diamondbacks payroll was lower than what the Red Sox paid for Lackey, Crawford, Drew and Dice K for 2011.

Keep that in mind when discussing payroll in baseball.

A payroll thought about the Red Sox and Diamondbacks

Here's something to think about when people bring up payroll and how money brings in pennants.

The Diamondbacks won 94 games, overtook the World Champion Giants and nearly got into the NLCS.

The Red Sox collapsed under the weight of their overblown expectations and lousy pitching staff.

The Diamondbacks payroll was $53.6 million.
The Red Sox payroll was $161 million.

Let me put that a different way:
The Diamondbacks payroll was lower than what the Red Sox paid John Lackey, Carl Crawford, J. D. Drew and Daisuke Matsuzaka for their 2011 seasons.

It might be time for the Red Sox to get younger.

Don't gloat today, Red Sox fans... just grin

Hey fellow Red Sox fans... do me a favor. Stay off the Yankee message boards today.
Don't write on Yankee blogs and don't gloat.

Yeah the Yankees did a faceplant and couldn't take advantage of having Verlander rained out to only one start. They stranded a 25 man roster on base last night and A-Rod is back to being a goat.

Trust me, I understand. I LOVE the sight of the Yankees staring from the dugout with the collective "How did it get to here?" 1,000 yard stare.

It's great.
I'm reading all the articles breaking down the Yankee's disappointing ending which are all basically the same article that has been written EVERY fall since 2001 with the exception of 2009.

I'm watching the clips.

But I'm not gloating.

The Red Sox did an epic collapse and couldn't make the playoffs.
The Yankees collapse wasn't epic. It was more of a whimper.

So yeah, it takes a little of the sting out knowing that there won't be ANOTHER parade in New York.

But that's not reason to gloat.
Just grin and revel in a little Schadenfreude.

Terry Francona... the greatest manager in Red Sox history

That's the only way Francona should EVER be referred to by a Red Sox fan.
Yes he inherited a good team that could have won the 2003 pennant had Grady Little not been the manager.

Sometimes, despite what Billy Beane and the producers of Moneyball think, the manager DOES matter.

Sometimes part of a managers job isn't to check up the latest VORP or WAR or whatever algebra is trendy now. Sometimes it is managing the egos, the pressure and the media market.

Little wasn't the guy. He proved that not with the Red Sox but when the Dodgers fell apart under his watch.

Francona learned from his rocky tenure managing the Phillies and became Joe Torre lite in Boston. Doesn't get too high or low. Manages the insane Boston media and a fan base that was literally about to commit mass suicide in the wake of 2003.

And the city was going to burn to the ground when they were down 0-3 to the Yankees with Rivera on the mound. And Francona had the calmness and peace of mind to give Dave Roberts a wink when he came in to pinch run for Millar.

This guy was different.
He didn't bring in Jim Burton instead of Dick Drago in the 9th inning of Game 7 like Darrell Johnson did in 1975.
He didn't bench Bill Lee in favor of Bobby Sprowl and wear Butch Hobson and Carlton Fisk down the stretch like Don Zimmer did in 1978.
He didn't bring Calvin Schraldi into every pressure situation in 1986 like John McNamara did.
He didn't make a series of absolutely bizarre decisions long before he left Pedro in too long like Grady Little did.

He made the right ones.
He pushed Keith Foulke and Curt Schilling.
He out managed Joe Torre BADLY in 2004.

He won 95 games the next season without a reliable 3, 4 or 5 starter nor a decent closer.

He came back from 3-1 AGAIN in 2007, never losing faith in struggling J. D. Drew and having it pay off with his series turning Grand Slam in Game 6 against Cleveland.

And he nearly came back from ANOTHER 3-1 hole against Tampa in 2008.

Yes Joe Cronin won more games as a Red Sox manager, but Cronin never had to manage with the pressure of the 24 hour media.

Cronin never had the burden of the Curse.

And Cronin never won ONE World Series, let alone TWO!

Francona's main job was to manage the clubhouse and the media. And he felt he couldn't do it anymore and he is gone.

The 2011 collapse wasn't Francona's fault. The blame should lie on the front office who assembled this mismatch of players.

But Francona, oozing with class right until the end, took responsibility and blamed nobody but himself.

He will wind up somewhere else. (Baltimore? The White Sox? The Cubs? The Astros?) But he should have been a Red Sox lifer.

I really thought a third pennant would put him in a Hall of Fame discussion. Maybe it will.

But when he returns to Fenway in another uniform, there had better be a 20 minute standing ovation for him.

We wanted one title before we died.
Tito made sure we had two.

I for one will miss our manager.

I frankly don't care if the Red Sox were drunk

The way they were playing down the stretch, I don't blame them for at least trying something different.

Man next year is going to suck.

Some cold Fenway years are coming

I had really hoped that I'd be talking about Game 1 and 2 versus Texas and how the Red Sox fared.

Instead I am looking at an aftermath of a collapse so horrible that we Red Sox fans are thinking "How did THIS happen again?"

(And Braves fans are thinking "Thanks for deflecting attention away from us.")

Now there is a logical way to look at The Great Collapse of 2011.
The team's pitching staff was thin. Buchholz and Dice-K were hurt, Wakefield is done, Lackey is a bust and Andrew Miller showed why the Tigers and Marlins gave up on him.

Throw in some key injuries (Youk and Drew) and an inconsistent Lester down the stretch (and a shockingly awful Daniel Bard) and you have a lousy September.

Logically you look at it and say "Get rid of some deadwood, use the money coming off the books from Drew and Dice-K for arms but don't get seduced by a Lackey deal again."

Instead what is the aftermath?
Francona is gone.
The clubhouse is fractured.
Some of the not exactly cuddly personalities are running the asylum.
Theo, whose post 2007 record hasn't exactly been sterling, is escaping blame.

And no doubt Papelbon, Ortiz, Wakefield, Varitek and others will be gone soon.

Get used to John Lackey in a Sox uniform.
Don't expect Carl Crawford to go anywhere.

Someone else will be the manager.

This era is over. And with it be prepared to have some lean times and some REALLY embarrassing baseball.

Look at the Cubs and Mets. Big budget and big market teams who can't put a winner on the field. Two teams hamstrung by the "We just went for it" contracts of a few years ago. The managers have gone as have the post season appearances.

That's going to be the Red Sox starting in 2012.
Expensive, not competitive and hard to watch.

Oh I will root for them and hope to be surprised. But everything is pointing to a bunch of empty Octobers in Fenway.

The best teams I remember seeing in my life include the Yankees, Royals, Phillies and Dodgers of the late 1970s, early 1980s... the Mets of the mid 1980s... the A's from 1988-1992, the Blue Jays from the mid 1980s through the 1993 World Series... the Braves from 1991 to 2005... and the Joe Torre Yankees.

They all ended.

This era for the Red Sox is ending.
There will be another Red Sox champion. Maybe Pedroia and Ellsbury and Lester will be the veteran champions who lead that team.

But it won't be soon.
This is Philadelphia's time to shine.

And someday soon they will return to earth.
Just like the Sox did.

Terry Francona to leave the Red Sox... STUPID STUPID Red Sox

Terry Francona is not coming back to the Red Sox.
It is a monumentally stupid decision.

Terry Francona didn't assemble this pitching staff.
Terry Francona didn't make a series of bone numbingly stupid moves.
Terry Francona isn't an incompetent pitching coach.

Had Dan Johnson and Nolan Reimold swung and missed he would have had the Red Sox in the playoffs using four pitchers with ERAs over 5 in the month of September.

This wasn't Terry's fault.
And the man who outmanaged Joe Torre in 2004 and won the only 2 World Series the Red Sox have won since World War I is being booted.

Stupid stupid stupid.

New Sully Baseball Video "It Wasn't Bill Buckner's Fault"

Maybe it is appropriate that I bring up the Bill Buckner play the day after the Red Sox did the Great Faceplant of 2011.

In the latest Sully Baseball video, I am starting a new series.

"Baseball Myths and Facts." And it turns out there are so many of them that I will do a few videos on this topic.

I tackle the Buckner error first because even really good baseball people get that one wrong.

Enjoy the video.

And as always, you can see all the videos at my ShortForm TV page.