The Red Sox Thread

[Yankees1962]

I'm waiting on the negative spin on Theo when his leaving is officially announced.

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

No but announcing you just landed Theo raises hopes. Best not to dash them.

I'm not in Chicago, so I can't say for sure, but this is pretty much THE story in New England sports right now -- even with the Patriots in full swing, and the Stanley Cup champions starting their season. I kind of doubt Chicago is buzzing in the same way about Theo.

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

I'm waiting on the negative spin on Theo when his leaving is officially announced.

In fairness, when Tito was let go, there were a lot of folks (fans too) pointing out that Theo was the one who had assembled the team. I actually don't think they are going to have to work very hard on that one

[Yankees1962]

In fairness, when Tito was let go, there were a lot of folks (fans too) pointing out that Theo was the one who had assembled the team. I actually don't think they are going to have to work very hard on that one

I agree Theo was at fault, but that's not the point. What is going to be said that crosses the line as to why he left. If they just go by his moves that didn't work out fine, but based on their prior history, they won't just stop there.

[Yankees1962]

I'm not in Chicago, so I can't say for sure, but this is pretty much THE story in New England sports right now -- even with the Patriots in full swing, and the Stanley Cup champions starting their season. I kind of doubt Chicago is buzzing in the same way about Theo.

Chicago is a much larger city with more than one baseball team which changes the dynamics quite a bit in which it's more than just the Cubs there. This move gives Theo an opportunity to operate in a much larger environment where he can go out and enjoy a dinner with his wife without being bombarded by angry Cub fans.

[hellonewman]

I kind of doubt Chicago is buzzing in the same way about Theo.

Maybe not, but Theo is the top story on the sports homepage for both the Tribune and Sun-Times websites right now, so yeah, I guess somebody out there is noticing.

Not sure why you want to make this about passion; of course Boston is more passionate about this. The biggest threat to the Cubs' business right now isn't angry passion, it's the fan apathy that has started to grow. A failed deal here would only contribute to that.

[Yankee Fan in Boston]

Maybe not, but it's not a buzz-o-meter contest; Theo is the top story on the sports homepage for both the Tribune and Sun-Times websites right now, so yeah, I guess somebody out there is noticing.

And, Theo is the top story on the Boston Globe page right now. NOT the sports page, but the home page.

Ah, those edits will get you every time. The original point was that the Sox have more to lose right now than the Cubs. I think the Cubs fans apathy could work for the Cubs in the short term (although this appears to be water under the bridge now) -- Theo staying here wasn't really an option for the Sox

[hellonewman]

And, Theo is the top story on the Boston Globe page right now. NOT the sports page, but the home page.

See my edit.

[b-ball-lunachick]

dang, just catching up on the days events.

Sox owners soon suspected the team’s poor play was related to lingering resentment over the scheduling dispute, sources said. The owners responded by giving all the players $300 headphones and inviting them to enjoy a players-only night on principal owner John W. Henry’s yacht after they returned from a road trip Sept. 11

what a whining bunch of millionaires.

I can't help but remember this incident when reading about this:

Theo Epstein, general manager of the Boston Red Sox, called Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina a "bad apple" for complaining about the team's trip to Japan in 2004.

The Red Sox open this season against the Oakland A's in Japan. Appearing on Boston radio station WEEI last Friday, Epstein said, "Kevin Brown and Mike Mussina spent the whole time bitching about it ... and by the time the Yankees team got back from the trip they were all using it as a crutch."

Told of the comments, Mussina said sarcastically, "Yeah, we used it as an excuse for winning the division."

http://blog.nj.com/ledgeryankees/200...heo_epste.html

[CalYankeeFan]

Maybe not, but Theo is the top story on the sports homepage for both the Tribune and Sun-Times websites right now, so yeah, I guess somebody out there is noticing.

Not sure why you want to make this about passion; of course Boston is more passionate about this. The biggest threat to the Cubs' business right now isn't angry passion, it's the fan apathy that has started to grow. A failed deal here would only contribute to that.

A failed deal here would just add to 100+ years of coming up short.

[CalYankeeFan]

what a whining bunch of millionaires.

Paraphrasing: "It's hard for a guy making $80,000 to tell guys making $15 Million to work out".

Yeah, that's where the guys making hundreds of millions need to back up the staff.

[NY Dude]

I'm surprised they didn't fire Theo just before he took the Cubs job. Would have been funny at least.

[hellonewman]

A failed deal here would just add to 100+ years of coming up short.

So? Even teams with 100+ years of failure want their fans to care. That's why they went after Epstein in the first place.

[frostdude1]

I just wanna say that it's hilarious to see Boston self destruct before our eyes Tito gone, "Boy Genius" gone, Ortiz pretty much coming out and saying he wants to go to the Yankees .. loll this is too good right now.

I just love how every athlete/coach/GM that leaves Boston gets the same treatment. No class at all in that town.

[CalYankeeFan]

So? Even teams with 100+ years of failure want their fans to care. That's why they went after Epstein in the first place.

My point was that after 100+ years, (going off your post saying apathy is growing) some fans would shrug it off, because of the apathy you mentioned.

[Yankeesfan924]

I just wanna say that it's hilarious to see Boston self destruct before our eyes Tito gone, "Boy Genius" gone, Ortiz pretty much coming out and saying he wants to go to the Yankees .. loll this is too good right now.

I just love how every athlete/coach/GM that leaves Boston gets the same treatment. No class at all in that town.

Lolz no thanks.

[ArodEra]

Does the Mistress Gammons find his way to Chicago? Stay tuned.

[gill2k]

From "Best Team Evaaaarrrrr!!!" in April to Red poop hitting the fan and splattering in all ways possible... Oh yeahhhh!!!!

I do wonder what games they were playing in the clubhouse though. Maybe they were playing World of Warcraft with Schilling.

[ArodEra]

Schilling on Sox ownership:

It starts at the top," Schilling said. "These are some bad people....

You remember Tito’s press conference, when Larry Lucchino and Tom Werner were talking to Theo about the [Carl] Crawford signing and said all our free agents are a collective effort. Then the comments in this article were that Theo did his own thing here and had to convince the owners. This was them preparing the road for the exits. A very low-class, horrible thing to do

If I’m a free agent, why would I go to that organization.

Schilling said he believes the collapse contributed to Epstein’s reported decision to leave for the Chicago Cubs.

“Why would he want to go back there?’’ he said. “I think we all know now what Terry was saying when he said I don’t feel like I had the front office’s backing. I think it was very clear why. And for the ownership to follow up that interview by saying I was kind of caught off-guard by the fact that he said that was disingenuous at best.’’

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-s...-assassination

[Yankees1962]

I'm surprised they didn't fire Theo just before he took the Cubs job. Would have been funny at least.

Then they would've been obligated to pay him 7M including his golden parachute bonus. By letting him walk away, they don't owe him a thing and the Cubs pick up that bonus.

[Gigi Buffon]

As a RS fan, I am extremely disappointed by this whole escapade. I wish whoever the team source was would get canned. The private stuff about Tito is unconscionable.

The deification of Tito is a little over the top. Yeah he comes out looking good v John Henry but that's not too hard and the usual smear job from the FO further illustrates that point.

On the flip side having lived in Boston for years now, the rumors around town of him not being such a faithful husband are a dime a dozen. You can say that's in the realm of the personal but is anything personal when you are one of the most recognizable and famous people in the city? Beyond that, he completely lost control of that clubhouse. Who's fault was that? I wouldn't have picked up his option either. Would you still want him managing the team?

[Yankees1962]

The deification of Tito is a little over the top. Yeah he comes out looking good v John Henry but that's not too hard and the usual smear job from the FO further illustrates that point.

On the flip side having lived in Boston for years now, the rumors around town of him not being such a faithful husband are a dime a dozen. You can say that's in the realm of the personal but is anything personal when you are one of the most recognizable and famous people in the city? Beyond that, he completely lost control of that clubhouse. Who's fault was that? I wouldn't have picked up his option either. Would you still want him managing the team?

Not picking up the option is one thing as the ballclub has the right to go in another direction, but the smear campaign wasn't necessary.

[Meecham4ever]

I just wanna say that it's hilarious to see Boston self destruct before our eyes Tito gone, "Boy Genius" gone, Ortiz pretty much coming out and saying he wants to go to the Yankees .. loll this is too good right now.

I just love how every athlete/coach/GM that leaves Boston gets the same treatment. No class at all in that town.

Ever since Henry/Lucchino bought the team in 2002 it's been the same old story.

[35Knucklecurve]

dang, just catching up on the days events.



what a whining bunch of millionaires.

I can't help but remember this incident when reading about this:



http://blog.nj.com/ledgeryankees/200...heo_epste.html

There's a little "history" on Theo's comments. He was a PR intern for the O's when he was only 18 years old. Theo went to Yale, Mike went to Stanford......just some food for thought. Also, some people didn't know that a week before the trip to Japan, Mike's father in-law died very suddenly of a heart attack.

During the interview with Ortiz I saw this morning on Sport Center, he stated that the same kind of behavior (drinking, playing video games and eating fast food) existed in 2007, but since they won the WS, it wasn't a big deal. Now it is because, of course, they imploded in September. He also admitted, when asked, that he has thought about playing for the Yankees.

I wasn't that shocked that Lackey and Beckett would be guilty of this kind of destructive behavior, but considering what Lester went through with lymphoma, you'd think that he would realize just how fortunate he is.

[Yankeeah]

http://www.boston.com/sports/basebal..._conditioning/

Fat Slide Show!