Report: Red Sox players drank Jack Daniels before games!

[Spitball]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/6384936/

 

Yeah, but it was 2004 and no one freaked out. We just accepted it as the brotherhood of idiots on a winning team.

 

I am going to avoid the negativity. I still love the Red Sox and am going to put this down as part of the eccentricity of the franchise. Bill Lee put marijuana on his pancakes. Pumpsie Green and Gene Conley once went on a three day bender and tried to go to Isreal. Wade Boggs had a mistress. The team has a colorful history, and I am still with them.

 

I can't stand that they blew a lead and perhaps the attitude wasn't right, but I honestly don't know exactly what happened. All I know is I am ready to put the crap down as part of being a Red Sox fan for nearly fifty years.

 

Go Red Sox!

[FredLynn]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/6384936/

 

Yeah, but it was 2004 and no one freaked out. We just accepted it as the brotherhood of idiots on a winning team.

 

I am going to avoid the negativity. I still love the Red Sox and am going to put this down as part of the eccentricity of the franchise. Bill Lee put marijuana on his pancakes. Pumpsie Green and Gene Conley once went on a three day bender and tried to go to Isreal. Wade Boggs had a mistress. The team has a colorful history, and I am still with them.

 

I can't stand that they blew a lead and perhaps the attitude wasn't right, but I honestly don't know exactly what happened. All I know is I am ready to put the crap down as part of being a Red Sox fan for nearly fifty years.

 

Go Red Sox!

 

Yes, thats true about Conley and me...but we had an excuse. We were stoned at the time. Since then Conley has always said to the media that he tried marijuana once, but he didn't exhale.

[Dojji]

Before not = during.

[Spitball]

... he tried marijuana once' date=' but he didn't exhale.[/quote']

 

[Spitball]

Before not = during.

 

"Yes, absolutely I have before. Sometimes you’re just really struggling and you just say, “Hey, you know what, I need something to calm me down and let’s have a beer.” A couple of us will do it together, and sometimes it works out. It’s just, sometimes you just need a rally beer. If you’re in extra innings and you’re in about the 15th inning and you really need to get going again, that sometimes works for you," says A.J. Pierzynski.

[Spitball]

We don't really know what happens in mlb clubhouses. The point is the Red Sox have a colorful team history.

[SCM33]

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/6384936/

 

Yeah, but it was 2004 and no one freaked out. We just accepted it as the brotherhood of idiots on a winning team.

 

I am going to avoid the negativity. I still love the Red Sox and am going to put this down as part of the eccentricity of the franchise. Bill Lee put marijuana on his pancakes. Pumpsie Green and Gene Conley once went on a three day bender and tried to go to Isreal. Wade Boggs had a mistress. The team has a colorful history, and I am still with them.

 

I can't stand that they blew a lead and perhaps the attitude wasn't right, but I honestly don't know exactly what happened. All I know is I am ready to put the crap down as part of being a Red Sox fan for nearly fifty years.

 

Go Red Sox!

 

 

I dont give a s*** what the 2004 Redsox did, or what Bill Lee did.

 

This years team did those things, and they finished in 3rd place and to boot, they stopped their conditioning programs and gained 10-20 lbs of fat from fried chicken and bud heavys.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

It makes no sense to compare to 2004. Besides, at least the won the world series and the biggest comeback in playoff history. We blew a 9 game lead in a month. That's embarassing.

[Spitball]

I dont give a s*** what the 2004 Redsox did' date=' or what Bill Lee did.[/quote']

 

Well, it is part of Sox' history.

 

This years team did those things' date=' and they finished in 3rd place and to boot, they stopped their conditioning programs and gained 10-20 lbs of fat from fried chicken and bud heavys. [/quote']

 

So, what do you do now? There are lots of other teams out there that won't disappoint you.

[Spitball]

It makes no sense to compare to 2004.

 

This wasn't meant to be a comparison. It was meant to point out the act of drinking wasn't an issue, it was the issue of losing...something the Red Sox have been known for through there history.

 

Besides' date=' at least the won the world series and the biggest comeback in playoff history. We blew a 9 game lead in a month. That's embarassing.[/quote']

 

It was embarrassing, but what do you do now? We can't change what happened.

[SCM33]

Well' date=' it is part of Sox' history. [/quote']

Yeah, they won a world series. We finished in 3rd place for the second straight year. This group should be concerned about anything except baseball. When this team makes the playoffs again, I dont give a s*** what they do. Until then, this crap is inexcusable.

 

 

So' date=' what do you do now? There are lots of other teams out there that won't disappoint you.[/quote']

Haha, I love statements like this. "Dont talk bad about my redsox. They are the greatest ever and they do no wrong. They s*** ice cream. If you talk bad about my redsox, well then you are not a real redsox fan and should root for another team."

 

Its called reality spitball. This team was embarassing. Its ok to call them out on it.

 

Stop making excuses and comparing them to the 2004 Redsox. They won a world series. We cant even beat the Orioles with the season on the line to get in to the playoffs.

 

Be a little more objective. Just because I dont wear Redsox pajamas to bed doesnt mean I am not a Sox fan. I call it like it is.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

This wasn't meant to be a comparison. It was meant to point out the act of drinking wasn't an issue' date=' it was the issue of losing...something the Red Sox have been known for through there history.[/quote']

 

When have they done it before 2004? It's only a 7 year difference. Lackey and Beckett weren't on the team back then anyways. Drinking wasn't an issue because they won. Had they collapsed they would've gotten s*** for it.

 

It was embarrassing, but what do you do now? We can't change what happened.

 

We fix this nonsense. Don't let it happen again. Drinking beer during games and you call yourself a professional? Only athletes do stupid s*** like this. Getting paid millions for crap like this.

[Spitball]

Yeah' date=' they won a world series. We finished in 3rd place for the second straight year. This group should be concerned about anything except baseball. When this team makes the playoffs again, I dont give a s*** what they do. Until then, this crap is inexcusable.[/quote']

 

Yeah, inexcusable. We have established that I believe.

 

 

Haha' date=' I love statements like this. "Dont talk bad about my redsox. They are the greatest ever and they do no wrong. They s*** ice cream. If you talk bad about my redsox, well then you are not a real redsox fan and should root for another team."[/quote']

 

I am not saying we shouldn't be pissed. They blew a big lead for whatever reasons. That was bad. But, it is over. I am 58 years old and have lived through lots of crap with this team. The late 1950s and early 1960s, 1978, 2003, and on and on. I have experienced disappointment and frustration. I moved past the past each time.

 

Its called reality spitball. This team was embarassing. Its ok to call them out on it.

 

Call them out if you want. I am not saying you shouldn't. They are probably not reading your posts, though. You are simply venting. I simply choose to move past it.

 

Stop making excuses and comparing them to the 2004 Redsox. They won a world series. We cant even beat the Orioles with the season on the line to get in to the playoffs.

 

I am not making excuses for them nor comparing them to the 2004 team. I'm simply saying it wasn't about the beer or the chicken. It was about the losing...whatever reason and this team has a long hitory of that.

 

Be a little more objective. Just because I dont wear Redsox pajamas to bed doesnt mean I am not a Sox fan. I call it like it is.

 

I am very upset about the season...and seeing it like it is would be realizing the past is the past. You are not going to change a thing. I am not saying you are not a Red Sox fan if you vent, but you might be less frustrated with another team...and how did you know I wear Red Sox pajamas?

[SCM33]

I am not making excuses for them nor comparing them to the 2004 team. I'm simply saying it wasn't about the beer or the chicken. It was about the losing...whatever reason and this team has a long hitory of that.

 

You are right, its not just about beer and chicken. Its about the culture of the clubhouse, unfortunately those 2 things best describe this years team. They need to change the culture of the clubhouse. The ringleaders and the guys who have been there for too long and are too comfortable need to go. If you are not producing and are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.

 

 

I am very upset about the season...and seeing it like it is would be realizing the past is the past. You are not going to change a thing. I am not saying you are not a Red Sox fan if you vent' date=' but you might be less frustrated with another team...and how did you know I wear Red Sox pajamas?[/quote']

 

I own some Sox pants, dont fit me anymore

[Spitball]

You are right' date=' its not just about beer and chicken. Its about the culture of the clubhouse, unfortunately those 2 things best describe this years team. They need to change the culture of the clubhouse. The ringleaders and the guys who have been there for too long and are too comfortable need to go. If you are not producing and are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.[/quote']

 

No argument, but I believe the process is surely already in motion. Next year's team will be under extreme scrutiny from ESPN to the bars throughout New England.

 

 

I own some Sox pants' date=' dont fit me anymore [/quote']

 

I knew it!

[SoxSport]

The Globe is driving this beer thing ad nauseam--while most people are ho-humming it.

Are they this desperate for controversy? It's a classic example of media overkill.

 

I see the Cubs are holding out for just cash.

 

The Red Sox should give the Cubs a deadline for getting a reasonable player.

After that, they should take Epstein off the table. By By Cubs.

 

Screw you Theo. Next year, you can be Lackey's ballboy for $2 million.

[jung]

Certainly indicative of a focus on self instead of selflessness and at the end of the day this was as far from a team as I have seen in a long time. While it would have gotten less publicity and we would not have cared about the chicken and drinking if they had been winning in truth the best "teams" win together and lose together. Unfortunately even when a team is winning if it is getting more and more polarized along the way it has no answers when things start to get a little rough. People are already established in their camps and that certainly appeared to e the case in the Sox clubhouse.

 

There have been teams that had polarizing influences in the clubhouse in the past. The difference is that when the ump said play ball, they were all there for each other and that almost becomes a badge of honor for them. It is truly rare for a team to get so f**ked up that whatever polarization there is in the clubhouse becomes the norm even during games....very disappointing.

[SoxSport]

We don't really know what happens in mlb clubhouses. The point is the Red Sox have a colorful team history.

 

That's right. It's off limits to the media. I doubt the Red Sox clubhouse is any different than the others.

 

Funny thing, Francona is dodging a lot of the blame here in the media--and it's his fault.

He let things get out of hand--that's why he was fired.

 

Where did Hohler get his info?

It's a good bet it came from one of Epstein's people--if Henry is telling the truth.

[SCM33]

That's right. It's off limits to the media. I doubt the Red Sox clubhouse is any different than the others.

 

Funny thing, Francona is dodging a lot of the blame here in the media--and it's his fault.

He let things get out of hand--that's why he was fired.

 

Where did Hohler get his info?

It's a good bet it came from one of Epstein's people--if Henry is telling the truth.

 

I doubt it was one of Epsteins people. This reflects poorly on Theo just as it does Tito. Theo is after all, the guy who put this mess together. I doubt his people leaked this s***. Had Theo left for the Cubs and THEN the stories came out, I would agree.

[FredLynn]

The Globe is driving this beer thing ad nauseam--while most people are ho-humming it.

Are they this desperate for controversy? It's a classic example of media overkill.

 

I see the Cubs are holding out for just cash.

 

The Red Sox should give the Cubs a deadline for getting a reasonable player.

After that, they should take Epstein off the table. By By Cubs.

 

Screw you Theo. Next year, you can be Lackey's ballboy for $2 million.

 

Nothing is going to be announced until after the WS. Thats what Henry said in his interview. He called it "protocol"...like limiting the players to just ONE beer per game.

[iortiz]

I don't blame 'em, JD is awesome :harhar:

 

Seriously, is this a common practice in the majors? I mean, drinking just before or during the game? Really?

[jung]

All we can see and judge in truth is what happens on the field, and when what happens on the field gets as ugly as it got here, people start looking for answers. Hopefully we won't here much more of this, if only they had a better September BS because September was a result not an event in an absolute sense. September was simply the thing on the other side of the = in a very simple algebraic equation.

 

Francona is not dodging the blame as much as people realize that he has always been one kind of manager and the team changed. Can't blame a zebra cause he can't change his stripes. In addition management hung him out to dry by not picking up his option before the season started. We seem to live in this fantasy world where we think the money is just a nice thing for these guys to have while they play the game they love. It is first about the money in the major leagues and we are kidding ourselves if we think otherwise and if we think the players did not take note of Tito being left as a lame duck.

 

Worse if you do want to take Lester at his word for the Red Sox it is first about the money and then about their creature comforts. Lester said that they knew what kind of manager Tito was and pushed it to the limit or least a certain number of them decided to. That is just so f**ked up. Where does the game itself come in for these guys....somewhere after the team golf outings?

 

This is also what will likely drive some trade activity because you can't expect a manager to come in and fix this with so many fat guaranteed contracts. This is a bad mix of guys and believing a manager will change that is just more wishful thinking.

[Spitball]

This is also what will likely drive some trade activity because you can't expect a manager to come in and fix this with so many fat guaranteed contracts. This is a bad mix of guys and believing a manager will change that is just more wishful thinking.

 

We are talking about the Red Sox, though. If this had been the Pittsburgh Pirates or the Kansas City Royals, there would not be as much national interest. The Red Sox and Yankees are held to a different level of scrutiny than other teams. We will just have to wait that part out.

 

I remember the early 1970s. They were known sarcastically as Unity University and known for 25 players and 25 cabs because the team didn't get along. The 1975 team AL championship team added Lynn, Rice, and Burleson but little else when they became winners. No more talk about team unity.

 

Only time will tell, but I bet the clubhouse culture will have to change because of national scrutiny. I doubt team members will dare even go to Boston Beer works after a game for fear of appearing on ESPN the next day.

[3rdManOut]

Is it a bad mix of guys OR a bad mix of crazy ass contracts? I guess in the long run it doesnt really matter but I hope the FO backs up the new manager more then they did with Tito.