John Henry on Felger & Mazz: Stick it to 'em, John!

[The Village Idiot]

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/10/14/felger-mazz-john-henry-invades-felger-and-massarotti/

 

Finally, we hear from the ownership group.

 

This is the first time I'm posting in the middle of all this chaos, because I've known all along, for a fact, that all this hullaballoo from the media has been a bunch of shite. Let's just recap what's happened in the past month:

(1) The Red Sox were in first place.

(1a) The Red Sox STARTING PITCHING started sucking donkey balls.

(1b) The Red Sox bullpen had its moments, and at times, the offense struggled too (which usually follows when your pitchers' ERA all of a sudden turns north of 6.0)

(2) The Red Sox dropped to second place.

(3) On the last day of the season, the Sox dropped to third place and don't make the playoffs.

(4) The Boston media absolutely loses its s***, and there's scandal in river city within 3 days of the "epic collapse."

 

Seriously, everybody needs to GET A GRIP.

 

Now I know how Nazi Germany happened. PROPAGANDA.

 

Listen to Henry, and feel better about the Sox team you love and are invested in. Go.

[Gringo]

River City?

[The Village Idiot]

I say we got trouble.

Right here in River City.

With a capital C, and that rhymes with P, and that stands for pool!

(Chorus: That stands for Pool!)

[SoxSport]

Just listened to most of that interview.

 

Henry is upset because the personal stuff mentioned in the Hohler interview are being attributed to him or Lucchino (Werner seems to be a nonentity). He says no, and thinks the media is trying to smear him and Lucchino.

 

Hohler, of course, will not disclose his "team sources", so the media can spin this any way they wish.

That's where they have everybody over a barrel.

 

The important stuff about the lack of conditioning on the Red Sox gets sidetracked in the media in favor of the more sensational, pills, beer, divorces and fried chicken. That's the media.

 

The problem is the whole organization got soft--from Henry on down to Lucchino to Theo to Tito to the coaches--to many of the players.

 

Ok. So they're changing manager and GM. But the coaches have to go, and some of the players.

 

The top guys, Lucchino and up, are too high to get the blame. That's the American way.

[The Village Idiot]

Just listened to most of that interview.

 

Henry is upset because the personal stuff mentioned in the Hohler interview are being attributed to him or Lucchino (Werner seems to be a nonentity). He says no, and thinks the media is trying to smear him and Lucchino.

 

Hohler, of course, will not disclose his "team sources", so the media can spin this any way they wish.

That's where they have everybody over a barrel.

 

The important stuff about the lack of conditioning on the Red Sox gets sidetracked in the media in favor of the more sensational, pills, beer, divorces and fried chicken. That's the media.

 

The problem is the whole organization got soft--from Henry on down to Lucchino to Theo to Tito to the coaches--to many of the players.

 

Ok. So they're changing manager and GM. But the coaches have to go, and some of the players.

 

The top guys, Lucchino and up, are too high to get the blame. That's the American way.

 

SoxSport, with all due respect, when you say that the "whole organization got soft," that is based on pure speculation. You're making the jump that because a pitching staff, and by an extension, a first place team, failed to perform for 4 critical weeks of a 6-month season that this means that the entire organization, from top to bottom, as you state above, got soft?

 

How do you know they "got soft?" You don't know.

 

Did you listen to Pedroia on EEI the other day? Did anything at all about Pedroia's comments, answers, demeanor/how he sounded in that radio interview give even an inkling of an impression that he or his teammates or coaches or coaching staff or upper level management "got soft?" The answer, of course, is no.

 

The media LOVES the fact that so many fans/readers are buying into this very speculation that they're feeding you in order to--guess what--sell papers and increase readership/listeners. That is all. Do you really believe that 90% of the sports journalists are really that interested in getting to the so-called truth? And for the remaining 10% of the sports journalists who may care about the truth, it's probably fair to say that the ONLY one who reports with any degree of analytical ability and real understanding of what goes in the sport of baseball is Alex Speier (thank GOD for him). All the other yahoos with the Globe and EEI and the mainstream press (Edes is occasionally OK, but only occasionally when you're really honest with yourself)? They don't seem to know the first thing about baseball if you really read what their assessments are of this team on a regular basis.

 

Look, everyone has a right to have their opinion. It is, after all, a free country (sort of). But just be careful about how quickly journalists go from reporting the facts to complete, utter and abject conjecture and manipulation of the facts to put forward their own personal and professional agendas.

[VA Sox Fan]

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/10/14/felger-mazz-john-henry-invades-felger-and-massarotti/

 

Finally, we hear from the ownership group.

 

This is the first time I'm posting in the middle of all this chaos, because I've known all along, for a fact, that all this hullaballoo from the media has been a bunch of shite. Let's just recap what's happened in the past month:

(1) The Red Sox were in first place.

(1a) The Red Sox STARTING PITCHING started sucking donkey balls.

(1b) The Red Sox bullpen had its moments, and at times, the offense struggled too (which usually follows when your pitchers' ERA all of a sudden turns north of 6.0)

(2) The Red Sox dropped to second place.

(3) On the last day of the season, the Sox dropped to third place and don't make the playoffs.

(4) The Boston media absolutely loses its s***, and there's scandal in river city within 3 days of the "epic collapse."

 

Seriously, everybody needs to GET A GRIP.

 

Now I know how Nazi Germany happened. PROPAGANDA.

 

Listen to Henry, and feel better about the Sox team you love and are invested in. Go.

 

I agree and no matter what, I will be a Red Sox fan, as I have been my entire life. Taking the great with the horrible. Personally, nothing hurts me more than game 7 in 2003.

 

But, hey......Nazi Germany...are you Hank Williams Jr.? LMMFAO. Joking. Nice post.

[SoxSport]

SoxSport, with all due respect, when you say that the "whole organization got soft," that is based on pure speculation. You're making the jump that because a pitching staff, and by an extension, a first place team, failed to perform for 4 critical weeks of a 6-month season that this means that the entire organization, from top to bottom, as you state above, got soft?

 

How do you know they "got soft?" You don't know.

Did you listen to Pedroia on EEI the other day? Did anything at all about Pedroia's comments, answers, demeanor/how he sounded in that radio interview give even an inkling of an impression that he or his teammates or coaches or coaching staff or upper level management "got soft?" The answer, of course, is no.

 

The media LOVES the fact that so many fans/readers are buying into this very speculation that they're feeding you in order to--guess what--sell papers and increase readership/listeners. That is all. Do you really believe that 90% of the sports journalists are really that interested in getting to the so-called truth? And for the remaining 10% of the sports journalists who may care about the truth, it's probably fair to say that the ONLY one who reports with any degree of analytical ability and real understanding of what goes in the sport of baseball is Alex Speier (thank GOD for him). All the other yahoos with the Globe and EEI and the mainstream press (Edes is occasionally OK, but only occasionally when you're really honest with yourself)? They don't seem to know the first thing about baseball if you really read what their assessments are of this team on a regular basis.

 

Look, everyone has a right to have their opinion. It is, after all, a free country (sort of). But just be careful about how quickly journalists go from reporting the facts to complete, utter and abject conjecture and manipulation of the facts to put forward their own personal and professional agendas.

 

Teams just don't breakdown suddenly like that without deeper problems that have been festering for awhile. They broke down last year, too, with injuries in the 2nd half. That was a warning sign to some who thought maybe there might be a conditioning problem and perhaps the manager's laissez faire policy wasn't working. And then there was the bad signings and misjudgements of the GM the past couple of years. Maybe a sign the problems went higher than the manager.

[SoxSport]

Pursuing my comments a bit further, I think Hohler's comments about specific clubhouse problems

(beer, chicken, etc) are well taken--because he was using them to support his basic premise that there was a problem with conditioning and attitude. The stuff about Tito is debatable--I don't think they were relevant. Tito has pretty much stayed the same type of laid back manager all along--it just caught up with him with this bunch of guys.

 

As for Pedey's defensive approach, what do you expect? He isn't about to criticize his teammates.

Certainly not publicly in the current environment.

[Elktonnick]

I think it was Steve Buckley and Sean McAdams who raised conditioning coming out of spring training on Comcast's Baseball show in April. At the time they believed it represented an organizational philosophy because this wasn't the first year that the Sox broke camp in what they called relatively poor condition. I recall at the time that Buccholtz couldn't go 7 innings in an early start because he wasn't properly stretched out after breaking camp. If this is correct that was a sign that the problems were bigger than Francona.

[ORS]

Teams just don't breakdown suddenly like that without deeper problems that have been festering for awhile. They broke down last year' date=' too, with injuries in the 2nd half. That was a warning sign to some who thought maybe there might be a conditioning problem and perhaps the manager's laissez faire policy wasn't working. And then there was the bad signings and misjudgements of the GM the past couple of years. Maybe a sign the problems went higher than the manager.[/quote']

Most of them were impact injuries. How do you correlate an impact injury to conditioning?

[mvp 78]

This organization is a mess. Henry isn't taking any blame for it.

 

If you think the ownership is handling this correctly, you really are an idiot.

[VA Sox Fan]

This organization is a mess. Henry isn't taking any blame for it.

 

If you think the ownership is handling this correctly, you really are an idiot.

 

I agree that ownership hasn't handled the situations well at all.

[SoxSport]

Most of them were impact injuries. How do you correlate an impact injury to conditioning?

 

by the numbers.

[ORS]

by the numbers.

Seriously? You think volume is the answer?

[SoxSport]

Seriously? You think volume is the answer?

 

sure. injuries happen easier with less conditioning. that's a known.

[ORS]

sure. injuries happen easier with less conditioning. that's a known.

Impact injuries, though, impact injuries? I'm sensing a deer in the headlights right now.

[Palodios]

Seriously? You think volume is the answer?

 

Injuries to position players are usually related to impact. Injuries to pitchers are more frequently related to conditioning. Everyone seemed to ignore me when I was putting heat on John Farrell, but the entire staff--rotation and bullpen-- has been a complete mess since 2008.

 

Outside of Lester, and maybe Papelbon, there isn't an arm on this team that has showed any kind of consistency whatsoever.

[SoxSport]

Impact injuries' date=' though, impact injuries? I'm sensing a deer in the headlights right now.[/quote']

 

doesn't make any difference., conditioning lessens the number of injuries.

 

now, if they all got the clap--that would be different.

[ORS]

doesn't make any difference.' date=' conditioning lessens the number of injuries.[/quote']

Not impact injuries. I don't recall you being here last year professing this insight into conditioning issues, however if you were, and it was based on the number of injuries they sustained last year, then you were wrong. Not because the conditioning issues didn't exist, but the information you used to arrive at your conclusion was faulty.

 

I don't disagree that conditioning issues exist, not after this year, but the writing wasn't "on the wall" like you keep stating it was last year. At least, not because of the frequency of injuries, due the nature of the ones they experienced, which is what you brought up.

[SCM33]

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/10/14/felger-mazz-john-henry-invades-felger-and-massarotti/

 

Finally, we hear from the ownership group.

 

This is the first time I'm posting in the middle of all this chaos, because I've known all along, for a fact, that all this hullaballoo from the media has been a bunch of shite. Let's just recap what's happened in the past month:

(1) The Red Sox were in first place.

(1a) The Red Sox STARTING PITCHING started sucking donkey balls.

(1b) The Red Sox bullpen had its moments, and at times, the offense struggled too (which usually follows when your pitchers' ERA all of a sudden turns north of 6.0)

(2) The Red Sox dropped to second place.

(3) On the last day of the season, the Sox dropped to third place and don't make the playoffs.

(4) The Boston media absolutely loses its s***, and there's scandal in river city within 3 days of the "epic collapse."

 

Seriously, everybody needs to GET A GRIP.

 

Now I know how Nazi Germany happened. PROPAGANDA.

 

Listen to Henry, and feel better about the Sox team you love and are invested in. Go.

 

So basically, you think the behavior of this team and the dysfunctional divided clubhouse is acceptable? Good to know.

 

Youd be a perfect PR guy for them. Excuses, excuses, excuses.

 

This team was embarrassing, this team was unlikable, this team was selfish and this team was not good enough. I dont give a s*** what they did in June, July or August. They finished in THIRD PLACE and out of the playoffs.

 

Why do people still defend them? Its f***ing crazy. They spent 180 million dollars and for the the second straight year they not only missed the playoffs, but they finished in THIRD PLACE!!!!!

 

Enough with the excuses.

[Cairns_Sox]

So basically, you think the behavior of this team and the dysfunctional divided clubhouse is acceptable? Good to know.

 

Youd be a perfect PR guy for them. Excuses, excuses, excuses.

 

This team was embarrassing, this team was unlikable, this team was selfish and this team was not good enough. I dont give a s*** what they did in June, July or August. They finished in THIRD PLACE and out of the playoffs.

 

Why do people still defend them? Its f***ing crazy. They spent 180 million dollars and for the the second straight year they not only missed the playoffs, but they finished in THIRD PLACE!!!!!

 

Enough with the excuses.

 

This.

 

And I'm sick of hearing about the beer and chicken being in the clubhouse all year. Of course it is. But these starting pitchers shouldn't be up there whilst the team is having the biggest collapse in history in the most important month of the season.

[iortiz]

So basically, you think the behavior of this team and the dysfunctional divided clubhouse is acceptable? Good to know.

 

Youd be a perfect PR guy for them. Excuses, excuses, excuses.

 

This team was embarrassing, this team was unlikable, this team was selfish and this team was not good enough. I dont give a s*** what they did in June, July or August. They finished in THIRD PLACE and out of the playoffs.

 

Why do people still defend them? Its f***ing crazy. They spent 180 million dollars and for the the second straight year they not only missed the playoffs, but they finished in THIRD PLACE!!!!!

Enough with the excuses.

 

Bravo, Maestro!

[Brennan]

Last year they had the most trips to the DL in all of baseball and it wouldn't suprise me if they win that title again this year. We can talk about impact injuries til we are blue in the facebut they were not the only type of injury that there was on the 2010 team. The writing most certainly was on the wall and actually even before last season. When you start letting a highly paid player like Drew sit out every other game with anything from an ingrown hair to chronic vaginosis, the guys who get paid less are gonna start acting like pansies as well.