DwightFright

Fred, I am not proposing that I have the solutions to the Red Sox quagmire. But this is not the same frustrating situation as last offseason wherein Francona and Theo were still steering the ship after missing the postseason. They are gone. The coaches will be gone. I don't know what further shakeup fans can expect at this point without just beating a dead horse. Personally, I hope the owners make the effort to interview GM candidates outside the org if only to gain a perspective on what competent baseball people think of the Red Sox - who wants the challenge of working here, who doesn't, and why. As qualified as Cherington seems on paper, we might need a GM who is blunt with the owners and makes it clear he won't merely be a yesman if he accepts the position. Maybe no one wants to work with Lucchino, and Henry and Werner should be aware of that. Why is he so important to retain as long as we are sweeping out the offices. BTW, just what are the duties of the Red Sox partners? (http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=bos). These are merely investors and silent partners who have no vote in team management? I can't imagine these fellows are too happy withthis situation.

Schilling was always one to open his mouth without thinking. The Edes article is contradictory. In the beginning, Schilling implies there is a smear campaign against Francona that is all lies. Toward the end, he implies that the fact that no players have spoken out might mean there is some truth/substance to the various reports. Out of respect for Francona, perhaps players don't want to submit to media scrutiny over what they knew about Tito's alleged issues. It would not surprise me if various agents have advised their clients to stay out of the media frenzy. There is some satisfaction that the media is salivating for sound bites from the various accused, and they are getting squat.

The Globe is owned by the New York Times. I wonder what mischief the parent company enjoys causing up the turnpike now that their flagship Yankees got booted from the postseason.

As we all know, Yankee Nation expects to win the WS every year. Making the postseason isn't the goal. The Yanks have one title in the past 10 years of spending mega millions. Girardi may have done a good job making the postseason with the roster he was given, but Cashman assembles the roster that has usually come up short. Nevertheless, his PR spin is good enough to get resigned without much criticism.

Why isn't Cashman taking the heat for the Yankees failures? I wonder if the Brothers just swallow hard and re-sign him cuz they know the Sox would scoop him up in a heartbeat.

It's funny how this thread survives whereas my thread on the ALDS was deleted. I guess no one cares about the Red Sox-less playoffs unless they can celebrate a Yankee loss.

Maybe part of the deal with the Cubs should be that Theo takes Crawford's and Lackey's contracts with him. A clean start for the Sox should rid problem contracts for a new GM/manager.

I'd like to think Red Sox fans are primarily baseball fans. The postseason should display the best of baseball. Are Sox fans uninterested in baseball if the Sox aren't involved? In any case, the Rays were just eliminated by the Rangers. The Sox would probably have faced the same fate had we made the wildcard instead of the Rays. We had the better lineup on the field, but they have the better pitching. I'm anxious to see how the Yanks fare today against the the Tigers as this is an elimination game for the Yanks. How would you like to be a Yankees fan with Burnett as your last hope? Ha!

We shall see how the 'good enough' theory works out this evening when David Price takes the mound for the Rays. He was good enough in the regular season, but an enigma under pressure recently. Not even the Rays are sure which Price will show up. For a serious playoff contender, I contend that inconsistency isn't good enough just because the skillset is present.

If the Sox did manage to crawl into the postseason, very few pundits gave them much of a chance to advance because their starting pitching was consider to be not good enough to survive postseason opponents. It's funny to read you define 'good enough' as a separate entity from failure to 'come through when it mattered.' As a fan, I consider them one and the same unless injury is involved - which case they are considered ' good enough when healthy.'

IMO Crawford's postgame comments don't necessarily indicate that he cares about the team. He was totally overwhelmed with guilt over his final nail in the Red Sox season by ignoring what should have been a running shoe-string catch. It would have made no difference if he whiffed on it - the run was going to score if he didn't catch it. He knows he was a majot disappointment in 2011 - and in total " I'm sooo sorry" mode. If he was sincere, he would have made the effort to match his skill set some time ago. I think he needs a major attitude adjustment. He plays with no confidence, and he probably sensed that his teammates couldn't depnd upon him as a clutch player. He might just be a small market player - out of the spotlight. I think Joe Madden must have held his hand a lot in TB.

Though Crawford had a lousy year in 2011, he was the player that the Angels lusted for last offseason. They took a lot of flak for losing him to the Sox. He might be a better fit with the Angels than the Sox. They are shaking things up in Anaheim as well. I wonder if a Crawford/ Angels trade might be possible. It seems to me that Crawford's presence in Boston will always be a hangover from the disasterous 2011 campaign. He more than Tito represents what was/is wrong with this team: no heart, no leadership, and no commitment to excellence @ a $142M pricetag. Getting rid of Crawford almost equates to a trade for Ellsbury.

What do you expect a deposed manager to say when he is waiting on a White Sox offer.

If that dumbass had held up Scutaro, we might be playing today.

How about the half assed effort by Crawford on the winning single? The season was on the line, and he makes a nancy-slide instead of diving for the ball. Crapford will go down as the worst FA bust ever.

I think you mean onus, though it sometimes seems Theo throws money around on questionable FA like it was his Monopoly money.

While some pundits feel that Theo would be the front runner for the Cubs GM position if he wasn't under a Sox contract for 2012, most feel he has made such a mess of the Red Sox that he will never leave before fixing it. Theo is nothing if not the consummate professional, and he feels responsible to Henry and Red Sox Nation for the state of the Sox. The bigger issue is what he will do about Francona if the Sox fail to make the postseason, or don't make a deep run.

Plus the Rays basically waved goodbye to their bullpen in 2010 and rebuilt it with scap including Farnsworth.

That kid reminds me of ( looks similar to) Rube Baker of Major League fame...

Selig couldn't have drawn it up any better..the 162nd games of the season settles both league wildcards...OR...the triple crown will be two playoff games on Thursday.