JD: At one point do you wave the white flag?

LL:  I don't think you ever waive the white flag... (GC talks about playing the season out the right way and giving their manager the full effort and commitment they deserve...)

LL:  I was in San Diego (last year's Sox collapse) worrying about SD season, but read about dysfunction and meltdown, don't expect same, personality driven last year, different set of personalities in clubhouse... history of season, the interaction and way people treat each other... but got to be vigilant, you never know...

LL:  You go to the people whose job it is Manager, coaches and let them know fans deserve passionate team play until the end of season... keep hope alive

JD:  Pats small payroll no superstars, vs. Red Sox with superstars... accountability to coach Bellichick, is there accountability in baseball with union , contracts...

LL: We do have a cockamamie system, 4-5 year guaranteed contracts have the possibility for disaster, not football... lots of people who have responsibility for success and for less than successful year... tendency to scapegoat the manager, solely and exclusively his fault, if looking for causes for particular late season performance... lots of causes, Cal Ripkin Sr. used to say sometimes it's NET (Not Enough Talent) ...several All Stars, did we have enough Talent, depth, BullPen strength... always about a high quality pen (Makes Manager look Smarter/Dumber good/bad BP)  ...guys had cold period, injured... need minor league to compensate... I don't think we did. Plenty of jobs to do, responsibility to go around.

Distractions, yes, but lots of teams had them.. You have to handle, accommodate, and play through it.

GC: Grady replaced?

LL: It's unseemly to talk of Mgr. fate in middle of baseball season... as you suggest in your column today, they owe this guy something.  We gave them harmony, respect, an easy-hand when they needed it, he got it started off the right way... these players do owe their manager, coaches, fans commitment for these next 24 games.

GC:  Hard to add talent w/o adding payroll..

LL:  Isn't easy if look for superstars at that level, regression to the mean in the market, economy, fewer purchasers... other way is intelligent pro scouting. Alan Embree $500,000 player this year, it can be done... you don't just walk into the supermarket and look at the big item in middle of aisle, look for blue plate special...

JD:  Pioli "Pats not most talented team in league, skill player on board, toughness, smarts, and team play... sometimes the most talented players aren't the best to build a team.

LL: No brainier. Used to be believer in talent vs. chemistry. Bobby Betherd (football GM) would talk about chemistry, I would talk biology: "tell me how big, how fast"  I learned from him, both important... we're trying to do what Pats are doing players to enhance, biology in talent, chemistry and harmony... commend the Pats..

GC: Would you pay luxury tax to improve team?

LL:  Yes as abstract matter we will consider it, it's a soft tax, by-and-large not likely the way we'll run the railroad.

GC:  Ten Free Agents, looking at deals for Nomar and Pedro vs. the 10...

LL: A number of those we'd like to make serious run at  "wolf closest to the sled"  we've still got 2002, good Front Office has immediacy and future, mixed portfolio, deal with people whose contracts are upcoming.

GC: Deal (agreement) doesn't work best for Sox does it?

LL: Mixed feel. avoided work stoppage, long term damage incalculable, some good things in agreement... be realistic that it needs to be adjusted, fine tuned, year to year, ... will Red Sox pay substantial price for rev share? Absolutely, massive contribution along with others to other clubs to increase revenue for small market teams...

GC: George hired lawyer David Boise to sue MLB...

LL: Yeah, I do lose sleep over George Steinbrenner's plight..

GC: TC spent time and energy fighting you, K or pop out, got honest day's work out of TC?

LL:  Honest Day's Work? yes, Production, No, trying to work hard, Yes, Producing enough to earn $5 half million contract? Remains to be seen.  Have a lot of respect for his approach to life and work..  Disappointed... did our play suffer?  LL was dealing with larger issues, distraction is undeniable... but there's more to it than that... what has been a very tough year for him..

GC: Concourse big success... couldn't get a beer at 5:00am...

LL: C'mon guys, extremely well, back from Chicago about 7:30 last night, pleasantly surprise at how animated it was (GC: cause no one wanted to go inside and watch game) ... gave breathing space to mill around, came out to have cigarette, Cuban sandwich, see what like, work in progress... but created a little bit more real-estate, horizontal expansion is very positive thing.  The Fire and Police are monitoring to make sure it works well, were working on it, follows the process and success quite carefully, temp permit, must show value...

GC: Watching Monday when you take on Tampa.  Happy birthday Larry! 

GC: What are you going to do?

LL:  Oh, go to work and try to ignore it... 39 yeah that's good, let's focus on anything but my birthday...