a700hitter

You have to be a pretty damn good player to get 22% of the ballots in a HOF vote- not just a good player. Torre was a a star player, not just a good player. He wasn't an all time great, but he was a star.

They are going to let him come to the realization that he can no longer play. It's the right thing to do.

To be positive about the team after 2011 would constitute denial. Last off season, I was very positive about Theo and the organization. Memories are short.

People like to focus on the bad stuff. In a performance evaluation, you can tell people 9 good things and 1 negative thing, and they always focus on the negative thing. I have criticized Theo without hesitation, but I have acknowledged his good points as well, hence a balanced grade of B minus. I will criticize Ben without hesitation too, but I have nothing against him either. So far, he's doing a great job.

If I had a nickel for every time I called a Yankee fan an ass or told them to shut up, I'd be retired and that would be just for the times that I said it to family members. Do you really think a B minus is a terribly unfair grade for Theo?

He probably doesn't want to work for a team that is in such a state of disarray.

Such anger at me for critiquing the former GM. BTW, I am still hearing about Buckner and Bucky and Boone. I live in NY. 2004 didn't make it stop. Thanks Theo for adding 2011 to that mix. Now I am enjoying questions about which year was the bigger collapse 1978 or 2011. ... and the answer is...2011. Thanks again Theo for the biggest hurt put on the fans.

You buy into E1's hype that anyone who criticizes Theo must hate him or that any criticism means that the guy is a zero. LOL! I am aiming for some perspective in viewing him. The iconic facade needs to be stripped away before you can objectively judge him. B minus is a fair grade IMO.

The Red Sox stopped being miserable jokes in 1967. After that, they always had exciting competitive teams (with the exception of the Hobson managerial years). The Yankees on the other hand were jokes until 1974. In the late 60's and early 70's, Dick O'Connell the best Red Sox GM ever, produced stars at an astonishing rate and their teams of the mid and late 70's were exciting powerhouses that had to compete in the same division with 2 other powerhouses- the Yanks and the Orioles. The 1978 team won 99 games-- more than any Theo team. They won Division titles in 3 out of five years from '86 - '90 back in the days when there were only 2 divisions. I don't consider 1 division title in 9 years to be an accomplishment befitting iconic status. I am not bashing Theo, just putting him in perspective. In his swan song season he managed to produce the biggest joke of a debacle by any Red Sox team in history. In 45 years of rooting for this team, I have never seen anything like it. Theo became a cult figure in New England, but his resume doesn't back it up. Just putting him in perspective. Not bashing. There have been plenty of GMs who have been far worse - too many to list here..

I'm not disappointed with 2 World Series championships, but that being said after 2004, I was convinced that the tide had changed and that we would be winning more Division Championships than the Yankees. It never came to pass even though we had the talent and the resources. In that regard, Theo fell short of expectations. His teams missed the playoffs 3 times while winning 1 Division. Going forward, if another wild card team is added, it will be very critical to win the Division. Hopefully, Ben will do a better job of it than Theo. I expected more afte 2004 than we got, and Theo left us in a mess with a payroll clogged long term with under performing players and no help on the immediate horizon from the minors. He beat a hasty retreat from the mess he made.

Torre didn't catch after he left the Braves and he played for many years afterward. Less than half his career was spent behind the plate. His value was as an offensive player. He hit .361 (an unbelievable mark considering the era and his slowness afoot) and won the MVP as a first baseman. He was a perennial all star. He was a star play, not just a very good player.

Cherrington wasted no time in disavowing Theo's position with regard to J.D. He said that emotional investment is an important aspect to him.

Duquette was never the problem. It was the prior owners that were the problem. Duke had a good record with the Red Sox and with the Expos. Let's see how Theo does with the Cubs. I wouldn't expect much. Overall, he was a disappointment during his Red Sox tenure. I expected more than 1 Division title. The Yanks were ripe for taking several years. I heard that Ben never really liked Theo, and that Ben got Duke tickets to the 2004 World Series.

Joe Torre was an MVP caliber player and All Star.

Hmmm, Abraham says that Cherrington is Duquette's protege not Theo's protege.

Williams loved teaching hitting. He hated pitchers. He called them the stupidest creatures on earth. I think that he didn't like Texas.

When Ted Williams managed the Senators, he did amazing things with some terrible hitters. He helped Ed Brinkman raise his average almost 80 points. He hit in the .180's 2 straight years before Teddy Ballgame took over. He turned Mike Epstein into a solid power hitter. Del Unser's average went up more than 50 points. Those 3 guys and Ken McMullen all had their career best years under Williams in 1969. Williams' coaching involved so much more than telling hitters to get a good pitch to rip. He knew the mechanics of hitting down to the finest detail. In explaining how to hit the eephus pitch he said that the batter had to adjust the upper cut of his swing about 15 degrees to hit the ball squarely. One time he was trying to get Bobby Doerr to adjust his swing in batting practice. Doerr said that he didn't feel comfortable with the adjustment. Williams got angry and told Doerr to go ahead a stay a crappy .280 hitter for the rest of his career. Typical Williams.

That era had lots of talent in the heavyweight division, but Ali and Frazier stood out from the rest of the pack. Foreman came at the tail end of that era (early 70's) and he was a total beast too. Foreman was never given as much credit for his boxing skill as he was so powerful that after 3 or 4 rounds his opponents usually looked like stuffed animals that had been run over repeatedly by a tractor trailer. In the mid to late 60's, in addition to Ali and Frazier, there was Oscar Bonavena (from Argentia I think) and George Chuvalo (Canadian). Bonavena was a pretty good fighter. Chuvalo was a punching bag but he always put up a good fight. Jimmy Ellis was a very good boxer. Frazier beat Ellis for Ali's vacant title when Ali was suspended. Buster Mathis wasn't a bad fighter either, and Jerry Quarry was an excellent all around fighter. He's been called the greatest heavyweight that never won the title. If Frazier is in Hospice, it is the end. Pain control is the only concern. My dad was in hospice at age 92. Unfortunately Frazier's athletic heart and lungs will prolong the end. My dad's superior fitness resulted in him lasting 8 days in an unconscious state with no food, water or IV. Brutal stuff. Let go Champ. Time to throw in the towel.