Let the Managerial Rumors Begin: Sox May Bring James
With the NBA Lockout On, Red Sox Staffer LeBron James Is Ready and Able to Be the New Voice of the Red Sox
(Boston Dirt Dogs Photo Illustration)
"There are very few sportsmen who can match his global reach, appeal and iconic status...
We�re going to be able to focus on how to create opportunities for LeBron." -- Red Sox chairman Tom Werner on LeBron James
"What FSM does for Roush Fenway, Liverpool, and the Red Sox, we will now do for LeBron James... This represents the next step in our evolution, to represent one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet." -- Red Sox COO Sam Kennedy
It's Official, Terry Francona Is The Fall Guy And the Hunt for a New Manager is On!
Let the Spin Begin ...
Terry Francona carefully crafted statement excerpt: "We met this morning to look back on the 2011 season and to consider the future of the Boston Red Sox, including my involvement with the club. I passed along my frustrations at my inability to effectively reach the players. After many conversations and much consideration, I ultimately felt that, out of respect to this team, it was time for me to move on. I�ve always maintained that it is not only the right, but the obligation, of ownership to have the right person doing this job. I told them that out of my enormous respect for this organization and the people in it, they may need to find a different voice to lead the team."
Theo Epstein carefully crafted statement:" Tito and I didn�t know each other when he was hired eight years ago, but over time we developed not only a great working relationship but also a personal friendship that will always be important to both of us. He proved to be an unflappable leader for our major league club, displaying consistency, calmness, hard work, thoughtfulness, a sense of humor, and faith in the players even at the most difficult of times. Without Tito�s commitment over eight years, we would not be the organization we are today. Nobody at the Red Sox blames Tito for what happened at the end of this season; we own that as an organization. This year was certainly a difficult and draining one for him and for us. Ultimately, he decided that there were certain things that needed to be done that he couldn�t do after eight years here, and that this team would benefit from hearing a new voice. While this may be true, his next team will benefit more than it knows from hearing Tito�s voice. I will miss seeing Tito every day in the manager�s office, and I wish him and his family nothing but the best in their next chapter."
John Henry, Tom Werner, Larry Lucchino carefully crafted statement excerpt: "We met with Terry Francona, Theo Epstein and Ben Cherington Friday morning to discuss the 2011 season, ways to improve the club in the future, and Tito�s status. During the meeting, Tito, Theo and Ben agreed that the Red Sox would benefit from an improved clubhouse culture and higher standards in several areas. Tito said that after eight years here he was frustrated by his difficulty making an impact with the players, that a different voice was needed, and that it was time for him to move on. After taking time to reflect on Tito�s sentiments, we agreed that it was best for the Red Sox not to exercise the option years on his contract."
"According to multiple sources, more than one pitcher drank beer in the clubhouse during games on the days he didn�t pitch." -- 9.30.11, Boston Herald
"Terry Francona will meet with Red Sox management on Friday morning, and the expected resolution is that he no longer will be the team�s manager, major league sources say." -- Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports
A Baseball Life?
(BDD Photo Illustration)
There's Only One Man on the Planet Up for the Job
This Just In ...
(BDD Photo Illustration / Freddy Reyes)
Every Player on the 2011 Red Sox Roster Will Get a Ring
"We play too many night games on getaway days and get into places at 4 in the morning. This has been my toughest season physically because of that. We play a lot of night games on Sunday for television and that those things take a lot out of you. ... They can put the Padres on ESPN, too. The schedule really hurt us. Nobody is really reporting that." -- Adrian Godzalez via Extra Bases
This Just In: Aceves Spotted Warming Up in the Bullpen at Rainy Fenway The Orioles Just Landed in Texas Looking to Take on the Rangers in Game 1 Stop Dragging Me Into This. I Blame Crawford, Pap, and Gonzo. Sincerely, God Offseason Plan: Theo Set to Pass $1 Billion in Bad Contracts Since Becoming GM More Good News: Get a Free Fenway Brick with the Purchase of a Wake-200 Hat Wake Says He'll Fool Francona Again and Go for Sox All-Time Win Record in 2012! Our Spies Tell Us John Lackey Will Spend a Few Weeks at Wil Cordero's House We Were the Best Team in Baseball for 4 Months. Sincerely, Theo Duquette Epstein's Player Development Machine to Turn Out a Winner Any Year Now John Henry Still Praises Kenny Dalglish, So Tito Is Good Schilling and Tito Find Their Scapegoat: Peter Gammons The Godfather of Spa, Jim Rice, Blames Video Games This Time, You Actually Can Blame Bill Buckner
And It's All Over in Baltimore The Shock Heard 'Round the World $161M Can't Win No. 162
Papelblown in the Ninth, Crawford Seals the Defeat From Bucky Dent to Buck's Dent, an Historic Red Sox Loss Manny Would Definitely Have Caught It. Sincerely, Manny Ramirez Big Papi's a Rap Star and Just Launched a Campaign for Pop Chips, So It's All Good Good Thing Those April Losses Didn't Matter. Sincerely, It's a Long Season Good News: We Can Watch Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez Play On No One Will Ever Remember Crawford for the 8th Inning Double Papelbon Just Lost About $10 Million Per Year with Next Team Grady Little Is Breathing Easier Tonight for Some Reason This Could Be Heidi's Last Day in a Red Sox Uniform Can We Pay Aceves with Lackey's Money? Adding Insult to Injuries: So Long J.D. Scu - ucS - Scutaro
Francona postgame: "We're not very happy right now. We're going to have to live with that one. ... We needed to take care of business today and we didn't. ... Every time you lose, it hurts. When you go home before you're ready, it hurts. As tough as it's been this past month, we weren't ready to go home. You want to go home when you dictate, not when someone makes you. It's extremely disappointing... I guess I regret we got ourselves in this situation."
On the blown save by Papelbon: "We didn't extend the lead and if you make a mistake it can cost you a game and that's what happened. He's been there for us so many times, I'd give him the ball again. It just didn't work."
On Crawford not making the catch: "I hoped he had a chance, He gave it his best shot, it just didn't work." -- Terry Francona after one of the worst losses in Red Sox history
Pap Faces the Music After Mother of All Blown Saves
"What do you expect my reaction to be. We just lost... how am I supposed to answer that? [What are you feeling? Disappointment, frustration, sadness, shock]. Yea, all of the above ... it's just a classic [after the first two outs]... I was pumped up to be in that situation. Those are situations that I enjoy and just overthrowing the ball, not focusing on location, not really focusing on location and ... it boils down to pretty much, just not executing. I felt great. I felt great all year. ... For me to sit here and say fatigue was an issue would be looking for excuses. And I'm not looking for excuses and everybody's fatigued, you play 162 ballgames, I don't care who you are, you're going to be fatigued, but that's not the issue here." -- Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox closer
A-Gon Blames God, Injuries for the Loss
"I'm a firm believer that God has a plan and it wasn't in his plan for us to move forward. God didn't have it in the cards for us... For me, I'm a firm believer in God and God has a plan and it wasn't in God's plan for us to be in the playoffs... It''s always injuries. Any team that doesn't make the playoffs and is supposed to, it's because of injuries. Plain and simple... there's no such thing as a bad stretch of games. Every game is an individual game." -- Adrian 'Stepford Wife' Gonzalez... Did Theo have the detectives follow this guy around at all, or were they too busy giving the thumbs up on Crawford?
Scutaro Blames Sox Fans at Fenway South for His Confusion
"I heard the screaming, but I don't know if it was their crowd or our crowd, so I don't know if he made the play or not." -- Marco Scutaro via ProJo ... Tim Bogar approves this message
Boston 3, Baltimore 4 We'll Take 6: Not Another September Mourn for Jon Lester Pedroia Rises to the Occasion, Gives Sox Lead 'And there's your Luis Aparicio, circa '72, moment' -- @Sean_McAdam Scutaro Still the September MVP. Sincerely, Lonnie Smith Aceves 2012 Rays Tie Up Yankees, Over 600 Witness the Rays Greatest Comeback Ever at the Flop Yanks To Take on Tigers, Sox Would Face Either Texas or Tampa Bay
And the September Callup Filling in at Catcher Shall Lead Them
Lavarnway Plates 4 Big Ones, Sox Win Must-Win, 8-7 Scutaro Steps Up and Homers at Fenway South Ho Hum, MV Jacoby Belts No. 32 to Get It Going Aceves Masterful Again, Pap Saves the Win Yankees Roll Over for Rays
"That was exciting. Besides what he did offensively, I thought he ran the game, I thought he had a lot of poise. That was one of the more exciting things to watch. We�ve seen a lot of interesting things here over the years. That was right near the top." -- Terry Francona on Hall of Famer Ryan Lavarnway ... Will Tito be the cooler and put Shaky Salty back in Wednesday?
Sox Bounced from Wild Card Lead, Tied with Tampa Bay
Baltimore 6, Choking Dogs 3 | Buck Doesn't Stop Here Crawford Continues to Wilt in Pennant Race, Not on Top Step at the End Josh Beckett Comes Up Small Again vs. O's, But Will Say All the Right Things More Good News: Beckett Found a McDonald's Open 24/7 in the Harbor Tonight The Home Run Derby Was Still Adrian Gonzalez's Best Night of the Year What an Absolute Mess Theo Made with John Henry's Money Excuse Du Jour: They Got In at Four in the Morning! Curt Young Can Start Packing His Bags Any Day Now Greatest Team Ever Is 5-17 in Last 22 Games Salty Is Killing Us!
"Still, through all this, if we win, we continue to play." -- Terry Francona on coming down to the wire
Ace of Clubbed
(BDD Photo Illustration / Steve Garberg)
1. Another 6 Earned Runs to Orioles, 2. Lasting Just 6 Innings Again, 3. Dug Into a Postgame Doublecheesburger, 4. Rattling Off Media Cliches and Time-worn Excuses, 5. Making Big Bucks, Driving Big Trucks
"We�ve got to win games. We�re not going to do it when the starting pitcher gives up six runs when most of the guys got in at 4 in the morning." -- Josh Beckett, disappointing yet again
"Thirty minutes before the game, I got a text message on my cell phone from one of you, somebody in the media, talking about personal stuff. And I shouldn't even be standing up here, having to deal with this... I'm sitting here listening to music. I don't know who got my phone number. That's over the line." -- John Lackey... pouring gasoline on the fire
Ells Kitchen
(AP)
Jacoby Cooks Up a Winner in the Bronx
30/30 Star Continues to Carry the Team with Its Back to the Wall on His Back
"Fortunately, he [Scott Proctor] threw me something over the plate and I was able to drive it." -- Ells on the Home Run of the Year in the 14th at the Stadium
New York 6, Bustin' 2 | Historic Collapse Continues in Game 1 The Nation Turns Its Lonely Eyes to John Lackey and J.D. Drew Crawford's No. 2 Alright, and Say a Little Prayer for Adrian Gonzalez Buchholz Expected to Ready for Spooky World Start at Fenway Thanks for the Memories, Wake, And the No. 200 Hat 25 Guys, 25 Distractions: 16 Errors in 11 Games Tip of the Cap to Mr. 30-30, 100 RBIs Sat: Lesterrible! Jon Stinks, Tito Plays Lineup Poker, Sox Crushed, 9-1 Hardball Times: Fenway Groundbreaking Centennial Items
Angry Birds Get the Better of Beckett Sox Finish Worst Home Slate Since 2002
Baltimore 6, Choking Dogs 4 Fenway's Boo Birds Great Dead Sox on the Way Out Roswell Sighting: The Rays' Crawford Appears at Fenway 'Tek Asked About 0-3 Night: 'Go Ask Crawford'
The $142M Man Wants Jason Varitek to Answer for Him
Was There Even One Day When Johnny Damon Wasn't a Stand Up Guy to the Fans? This Just In: Crawful Not Only Can't Perform, He's Only Accountable to His Diary More Good News: Yankee-Shirt Wearing Turd Serves Papers to Bedard At Least the Whole World Knows The Fat Cats Have Been Out of Shape for Years Just What This Team Needed: Josh Reddick Shows His Pawtucket Colors Why Didn't Reddick Tell the Media to Talk to Jason Varitek About His Error? Papelbon in Awe of Mariano Rivera, Blows Save, Tedy Bruschi Furious Buck's Birds 7, Fat Cats 5
"I don't know why you're standing here while I dress, because when I'm dressed I'm leaving. [Gordon Edes: Questions?] Go ask the captain." -- Carl Crawford ... facing a long six years in Boston with that attitude... via Gordon Edes, ESPNBoston.com
Red Sox Inc. Ready for Postseason
They May Not Make the Baseball Playoffs But the Red Sox Have Lined Up Two More Weeks of Spooky World
And It's Fenway Roushe Racing Day on the Last Night of Baseball at Fenway! And There Was a Fake Wrestler in the House Last Night... Winning! Crawful, AG, Tito, HBO and the Gang Are Set for Some Dunkin' Pumpin Spice Ads And Rumors Swirl That Kevin Youkilis and Biz Markie Will Make Another Recording
Conor Jackson Grand Slam Seals Split with O's Note to Tito: Leave Co-Jack in Left for a While
Boston 18, Baltimore 9 Sox run out the clock for another day MVP Ells makes it an inside job for HR No. 28 Sox bullpen bails out pitching staff night and day Lackey looks locked in with 8 earned, 11 hits, in 4.1, dirty look to Tito Lowrie's 3-run shot may have saved the season when all looked lost Little known fact: Eric Bedard was set to be the 9th Orioles pitcher Michael Bowden... surprise, surprise
"We control our own destiny." -- Jacoby Ellsbury ... thinks destiny is controllable
A Stiff Neck Allegedly Keeps Blood-and-Guts Carl Crawful Out of the Lineup in the Heat of the Pennant Race
Crawford Got a Stiff Neck Watching the Stumbling Sox Sunday, Sits Out Again Today First Crawford Tells Us He Stinks, Now He Tells His Diary He's Sorry ... And He Manages to Throw Scutaro Under the Bus Along the Way Way to Man Up in the Middle of a Playoff Battle Carl That's Just Crawford Being Crawford. Sincerely, Manny Ramirez Crawford Makes J. DL. Drew Look Like Carl Yastrzemski This Just In: Crawford Named to the All-Madden Team $142 Million Just Doesn't Buy What It Used To
Pedroia Goes Bowling for Extra Marketing Dollars While The Rays Are Ready to Knock Down the Sox
Before going 0-for-3 in the biggest game of the year yesterday, Dustin Pedroia took time to fulfill his marketing contract with Vita Coco and bowl with some fans at Lucky Strike. Meanwhile, Johnny Damon had the Rays ready to rip the Sox at Fenway a few hours later.
"There's too many divas and not enough dirt dogs" -- Tony Massarotti on the 2011 Fat Cats
Rays on Fire 9, Sox Fading Fast 2 | Shaughnessy: Bad Memories Closing In But Hey, Red Sox, Inc. Had a Fashion Show and Tim Wakefield Hats Are for Sale! Did Someone Jinx It? Weiland's No-Hitter Disappeared in a Hurry Kiss the Season Goodbye If Beckett Blows Up Tonight Sox Manage Only Six Hits Off Roy Halladay ... Oh, Wait ... Good to See Carl Crawford Step Up Again in Crunch Time Ells, Pedey, AG, Youk, Craw a Combined 0-for-16 Iglesias First-Hits Hats Going on Sale Soon, Too We're Injured, Waaaahhhh
"... We know we're running out of time." -- David Ortiz on the urgency of the situation
Tonight We'll Find Out If AG Knows How to Cowboy Up And If the Fat Cats Can Turn Back Into Dirt Dogs
Tampa Bay Comes to Town, and Kyle Weiland Pauley Gets the Ball Good News: Rays Staff Has Held Sox Batters to .177 Ave. This Season Otherwise, The Sox Look Fit as a Fiddle and Ready to Go ... Monday Morning Starter: Good Evaluation on Millwood
Toronto 5, Second Place Mentality 4 | Reeling Sox Lose Lackey's 5.1 Innings Is Basically a Complete Game in Boston These Days Fifth Blown Save, Eighth Loss for the Man Who Would Replace Papelbon And Bard Wants to Always Be Closing as Our Latex Salesman? A-Gon Hurt, Papi Still Hurting
"I'm struggling. Timing. My delivery's not there. I can feel it on every pitch, it feels... it feels a little bit different. I've been through it before, it's, the effects of it are just kind of magnified by how big these games are and sometimes you go out there and your mechanics are a little off..." -- Daniel Bard, no longer the fair-haired boy
Can Terry Cloth Francona Get the Red Sox Going in Times Like These?
Words Needed to Avoid Utter Disaster? Is Francona Capable of Lighting a Fire Under Some of These Casual Sox? Hell Yeah, Web Sites Are Digging Up Copies of Bob Lobel's Panic Button More Burning Questions: Ask Nick: Should Gonzo, Youk Lose Weight? Just a Reminder: Beckett and Bedard Aren't Football or Hockey Players This Just In: Sox Back Into Playoffs by Beating Up on the Orioles Money for Nothing: Theo Doesn't Know What's Wrong with Lackey Either At Least We Have Wakefield200 To Distract Us for Another Night
"We�ve been punched in the mouth here a little bit, it�s how we respond that matters." -- Theo Epstein wants everyone to remain calm
On the 10th Anniversary of September 11, 2001 We Remember Our Brothers and Sisters That Flew Out of Boston and All Those Who Died During the Terrorist Attacks
American Airlines Flight
11
Flight 11, flying from Boston to Los
Angeles, crashed into the World Trade Center.
Confirmed dead
Name
Age
Home
Job
Employer
Crew
Barbara Jean Ares Tegui
38
Marstons Mills, Mass.
flight attendant
American Airlines
Jeffrey Dwayne Collman
41
Novato, Calif.
flight attendant
American Airlines
Sara Elizabeth Low
28
Boston, Mass.
flight attendant
American Airlines
Karen A. Martin
40
Danvers, Mass.
flight attendant
American Airlines
Thomas F. McGuinness Jr.
42
Portsmouth, N.H.
first officer
American Airlines
Kathleen Ann Nicosia
54
Winthrop, Mass.
flight attendant
American Airlines
John Ogonowski
52
Dracut, Mass.
captain
American Airlines
Betty Ann Ong
45
Andover, Mass.
flight attendant
American Airlines
Jean Destrehan Roger
24
Longmeadow, Mass.
flight attendant
American Airlines
Dianne Bulls Snyder
42
Westport Point, Mass.
flight attendant
American Airlines
Madeline Amy Sweeney
35
Acton, Mass.
flight attendant
American Airlines
Passengers
Anna Williams Allison
49
Stoneham, Mass.
founder
A2 Software Solutions
David Lawrence Angell
54
Pasadena, Calif.
executive producer
NBC
Lynn Edwards Angell
52
Los Angeles, Calif.
librarian
Seima Aoyama
48
Culver City, Calif.
accountant
Japanese
Myra Joy Aronson
50
Charlestown, Mass.
press and analyst relations
manager
Compuware Corp.
Christine Barbuto
32
Brookline, Mass.
buyer
TJX Co.
Carolyn Mayer Beug
48
Santa Monica, Calif.
filmmaker and video producer
Kelly Ann Booms
24
Brookline, Mass.
accountant
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Carol Marie Bouchard
43
Warwick, R.I.
emergency room secretary
Kent County Hospital
Neilie Anne Heffernan
Casey
32
Wellesley, Mass.
planning manager
TJX Co.
Jeffrey W. Coombs
42
Abington, Mass.
security analyst
Compaq
Tara Kathleen Creamer
30
Worcester, Mass.
planning manager
TJX Co.
Thelma Cuccinello
71
Wilmot Flat, N.H.
homemaker
Patrick Currivan
52
Winchester, Mass.
vice president
AtosEuronext
Brian P. Dale
43
Warren, N.J.
partner
Blue Capital Management
David DiMeglio
22
Wakefield, Mass.
computer service
Donald Americo DiTullio
49
Peabody, Mass.
endoscopy division
Smith & Nephew Inc.
Alberto Dominguez
66
Lidcombe, New South Wales,
Australia
baggage handler
Qantas Airways
Peter el-Hachem
40
Tewksbury, Mass.
senior software engineering
manager
Teradyne
Paige Farley-Hackel
46
Newton, Mass.
spiritual counselor
Alexander Milan Filipov
70
Concord, Mass.
electrical engineer and church
deacon
Carol Flyzik
40
Plaistow, N.H.
marketing supervisor
Meditech
Paul Friedman
45
Belmont, Mass.
management consultant
Emergence Consulting
Karleton D.B. Fyfe
31
Brookline, Mass.
senior analyst
John Hancock
Peter Alan Gay
54
Tewksbury, Mass.
plant manager
Raytheon Co.
Linda M. George
27
Westboro, Mass.
buyer
TJX Co.
Edmund Glazer
41
Wellesley, Mass.
chief financial officer
MRV Communications
Lisa Reinhart Fenn
Gordenstein
41
Needham, Mass.
assistant vice president and
merchandise manager
TJX Co.
Andrew Peter Charles Curry
Green
34
Santa Monica, Calif.
director of business
development
eLogic
Robert Jay Hayes
38
Amesbury, Mass.
sales engineer
Netstal
Edward (Ted) R. Hennessy
Jr.
35
Belmont, Mass.
partner
Emergence Consulting
John A. Hofer
45
Los Angeles, Calif.
owner
John's Sharpening Center
Cora Hidalgo Holland
52
Sudbury, Mass.
Sudbury Food Pantry at Our Lady of
Fatima Church
John Nicholas Humber Jr.
60
Newton, Mass.
owner
Brae Burn Management
Waleed Iskandar
34
London, England
chief of digital strategy for
Europe
Monitor Group
John Charles Jenkins
45
Cambridge, Mass.
corporate office services
manager
Charles River Associates
Charles Edward Jones
48
Bedford, Mass.
retired astronautical engineer and
manager of space
programs
BAE Systems
Robin Kaplan
33
Westboro, Mass.
senior store equipment
specialist
TJX Co.
Barbara Keating
72
Palm Springs, Calif.
receptionist
parish office, St. Theresa Catholic
Church
David Kovalcin
42
Hudson, N.H.
senior mechanical
engineer
Raytheon Co.
Judy Larocque
50
Framingham, Mass.
founder and CEO
Market Perspectives
Natalie Janis Lasden
46
Peabody, Mass.
product testing team
leader
General Electric
Daniel John Lee
34
Van Nuys, Calif.
road crew
Backstreet Boys
Daniel C. Lewin
31
Charlestown, Mass.
co-founder and chief technology
officer
Akamai Technologies
Susan A. MacKay
44
Westford, Mass.
assistant vice president of
merchandise planning and
allocation
It's Been a Bard Day's Night, and Daniel's Pitching Like a Dog Mission Timpossible: Wake Denied in Epic 'Pen Collapse
Toronto 11, Boston 10 | This Just In: Worst Loss of the Season Good Thing This Pursuit of 200 Wins Isn't a Story or Distraction Mike Aviles Knew They Had No Chance to Win, Obviously Another Big Night By the Bats Wasted Hey, Hey, Hey... It's Matt Albers
"If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't change what I've done. I'd like it to happen but more importantly I think it's for us to get into the postseason." -- Wakefield after Groundhog Day No. 7
Boston 14, Toronto 0 | Untouchable Lester Gets Easy Win Did The Red Sox Ever Sign David Ortiz to That Three-Year Deal? Is A-Healthy-Scutaro Going to Look for a Multi-Year Contract, Too? Reports of Kevin Youkilis's Demise Were Exaggerated, But Not Greatly Box Score Surprises: Don Orsillo Went 3-for-5 with Two Doubles Pedroia In Search of Another Nickname After 0-for-5 Could Darnell McDonald Be That Guy in October? John Farrell Was Warming Up in the 'Pen for Jays Saltalahomer No. 15
"I was like 'Are we trying today?'" -- Marco Scutaro on batting sixth
"I don�t look at the numbers. I guess when [the media] reminds me, then I know. But other that that, I just try to take each new day as it comes. That�s my approach." -- Carl Crawford, who doesn't read anything written about him, but knows everything that's been written about him
The "Curt�s Pitch
for ALS" program is a joint effort by Curt and Shonda Schilling and The
ALS Association Mass Chapter to strike out Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig�s Disease.
