Dec 5, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona answers questions from the media during the Major League Baseball winter meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

It appears that Terry Francona, in addition to his new job as manager of the Cleveland Indians, is exacting both a pound of flesh and a bit of glee at the expense of the Boston Red Sox. Tito’s book, Francona: The Red Sox Years, written with Dan Shaughnessy, was released yesterday. Here are two of the more hotly reported excerpts and observations from the book.

Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?
Francona claims that Boston management wanted a more “sexy” product on the field, which caused them to go after players like under-performing and injured Carl Crawford and malcontent Adrian Gonzalez. The Red Sox purportedly commissioned a $100,000 marketing research project that determined TV ratings were dropping and that women, who trended to the “soap-opera” and reality TV themes were interested in “good-looking stars and sex symbols.”

Theo Epstein in particular was quoted as saying, “They (the consultants) told us we didn’t have any marketable players, that we needed some sizzle. We need some sexy guys. Talk about the tail wagging the dog. This is like an absurdist comedy. We’d become too big. It was the farthest thing removed from what we set out to be.”

According to the book, the bottom line is that Sox management bit on the assertion and the wheels that eventually fell off the cart were set in motion.

Do You Like Me Or Love Me?
Francona also asserts in the book that Boston management liked baseball but didn’t love it, as evidenced by owner John Henry’s sporting interests that included both the Liverpool soccer and Roush Racing teams.

“They come in with all these ideas about baseball, but I don’t think they love baseball,” Francona said. “I think they like baseball. It’s revenue, and I know that’s their right and their interest because they’re owners … and they’re good owners. But they don’t love the game. It’s still more of a toy or a hobby for them. It’s not their blood. They’re going to come in and out of baseball. It’s different for me. Baseball is my life.”

Now the damage control, just 24-hours after the book’s release, has begun. During an interview with WEEI’s Alex Speier on The Big Show today, Francona said said that he didn’t mean for his comments to be misconstrued as disrespectful.

Francona told WEEI, “I think they’re real good owners. In fact, I said that in the book. I wouldn’t have written the script – the way it ended, I wouldn’t have written it for me, personally. That doesn’t mean they’re not good owners,” said Francona. “I actually think they’re really good owners. I was disappointed in some of the things, in my communications with them, I was very disappointed. That doesn’t mean they’re not good people or good owners.”

Sounds like Tito is back to playing ball again.

If you want my body and you think I’m sexy
Come on sugar let me know
If you really need me just reach out and touch me
Come on honey tell me so, tell me so baby
- Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?, Rod Stewart 

Sep 21, 2011; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona (47) prior to a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

Former Sawks skipper, Terry Francona, has been tagged in the media as the front-runner manager candidate of the Cleveland Indians, an ironic twist considering Francona’s dad, Tito, spent five years with the Indians from 1959-1964.

If Francona ends up in Cleveland, the Indians will be the beneficiary of one of the most steady and professional influences in the managerial ranks today. A huge component of the Red Sox 2011 dysfunction – only overshadowed by the MASSIVE dysfunction being experienced under the Valentine circus tent – was the Boston brass incorrectly thinking that Francona was part of the problem.

Eight years, two world championships and all of a sudden it’s the manager that’s the problem?

 

The 2012 deal with the Dodgers was proof positive that the primary disruptive and cancerous influence in the clubhouse was muted when he and the three amigos were shipped to La La Land.

In a perfect world Francona is still the manager in Boston. The world is not perfect. It’s messy. One need only look at how far the franchise has fallen since Francona’s exit as confirmation that thing have indeed gotten very messy in Boston.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, TCB
- Respect, Aretha Franklin 

Francona was a guest on the Michael Kay Show on ESPN NY 98.7 FM and when asked about the rumors that Francona could be a target to replace Bobby Valentine at the skipper reins, he was quick to shoot the notion down.

“Oh no, I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” Francona said, courtesy of the ESPNBoston.com.

TIto also took a moment to get involved in the what has become the Bobby Valentine circus by referencing Bobby’s blowup with The Big Show on WEEI.com earlier this week.

“I won’t get angry, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen. I’m not gonna suggest that I’m gonna come punch you in the nose, but I don’t think it’s gonna happen.”

The comment was taken in a joking manner as Francona and hosts Michael Kay and Don LaGreca were all laughing at the reference.

It’s easy to understand why Francona would dismiss the idea of returning to the city that adores him.  He wasn’t exactly shown the royal treatment when the club declined to pick up his contract option and essentially relieved of his duties. Instead he claimed it was the exact opposite.

Accused of being addicted to pain medication, losing the clubhouse and allowing a beer and chicken scandal to grow into something much bigger than it ever should have been were all laid blame at Francona’s feet.  The ownership group then chose not to reply to Francona’s messages when seeking some closure to the situation, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth of the man that helped guide this franchise to two World Series titles.

Of course we are all putting the cart before the horse considering that Bobby Valentine still has a job with the Red Sox despite the owners refusing to give him a vote of confidence for his position after this season is over.  It may become the worst kept secret in all of baseball if and when the Sox relieve Valentine but until then we’re all left to speculate.

Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine. Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

It’s been a long time since the Red Sox have been over .500. In reality it’s been since the Red Sox’s season ending lost on September 28th to the Orioles. It’s been even longer since they’ve seen them playing good baseball.

As I write this article, 49 games into the 2012 season, the Red Sox are over .500 for the first time this year. Boy, how the world has changed since the last time the Red Sox were a winning team. Let’s take a trip back down memory lane. *Insert Wayne’s World flash back*

Since the last time the Red Sox were over .500…

• Manny Ramirez has un-retired. Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek have retired.
• Albert Pujols left the Cardinals, Prince Fielder left the Brewers, Mark Melancon unfortunately was traded from the Astro.
• We were forced to learn who Lana Del Rey was.
• Good bye Twilight (almost), hello 50 Shades of Grey!
• Middle and lower classes citizens in MA are no longer the only ones who hate Mitt Romney.
• The “With Mitt” app has learned how to spell “America”.
• Siri got sassy.
• I’ve perfected my pancake making technique.
• We learned that we should call Carly Rae Jepsen. Maybe? I think I lost her number. Carly, if you read this, please send it to me again. (I don’t advice clicking that link)
• SNL had their 100^th digital short. Plus, Laser Cats 7.
• Terry Francona went from managing the Red Sox to in the booth at ESPN.
• Bobby Valentine went from the Booth at ESPN to managing the Red Sox.
• Whitney Houston died and Blue Ivy Carter was born.
• The Cabin in the Woods came out (three years late). AND IT WAS AWESOME!
• People started caring about Kony.
• People stopped caring about Kony.
• They ‘ve made zero progress on “The Killing”.
• I got a Pinterest. I’ve yet to post on it. I’m not even going to link it here.
• Jordan “Lil’ Debbie” Capozzi left the “White Girl Mob”. Please hold back your tears…
• Khaleesi lost her dragons. Found my affections.
• One Direction apparently is a thing now.
• Facebook bought instagram and the people bought facebook shares (hopefully they didn’t).
• Dick Clark did his final ball drop.
• You became just Somebody That I Used To Know
• Kentucky won March Madness. More importantly I won my bracket. Anthony Davis has hopefully won a trip to the groomer.
• “Swag” got replaced by “YOLO”, the obnoxious level has remained constant.
• Zooey Deschanel has gone mainstream. But still loved by hipsters.
• Carl didn’t stay in the house. Shane is now a zombie.
• Have you seen Girls? Not bad.
•  A naked man in Florida ate someone’s face.
• Amber Heard is clearly the hottest person in the world. That has not been changed. Just look!
  

  Actress and grand marshall Amber Heard at the Daytona 500. Credit: Douglas Jones-US PRESSWIRE

• Everyone except me has seen The Avengers. Even the characters in The Avengers have seen The Avengers and they were the ones doing the avenging.
• Steve Jobs has stopped texting.
• Hunger Games is no longer known only as a book read be tweens.
• Jennifer Lawrence has because super rich.
• Jennifer Lawrence has not called me. Call me! Maybe?

Try to remember back to almost the year 2011. A year when the Red Sox were over .500. Won 90 games. Just missed the playoffs. Remember we used this thing called Twitter. Posted on a website called Facebook. Used Gmail and Skype. Awaited the arrival of the hoverboard. Actually I’m still waiting for that. Only 3 years away!

Aug 23, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona in the dugout before the game against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

After initially and deservedley snubbing Fenway’s 100th anniversary party, former Red Sox manager Terry Francona has decided to attend Friday’s 100-year birthday bash after all.

Francona, being interviewed on New York’s “The Michael Kay Show”, said he would indeed attend Boston’s 2012 signature event because the fans deserved it. Right on Tito!

My father lived an entire lifetime without seeing the Red Sox win a World Championship. That’s good enough for me to reward Francona with god-like status. Tito and company – from upstart Cowboy Up Idiots to envied MLB franchise – delivered not one but two trophies to long-suffering New England and Red Sox Nation fans, of which I was and am.

I teared up that night nearly eight years ago when my mother called me in the middle of the ninth inning as the Sox were finishing off the Cardinals in a four-game sweep after a delirious run through the playoffs.

My fiends gathered in the living room couldn’t believe their eyes, watching a then 45-year old man cry when Boston took it all. The MasterCard commercial parody featuring, among others, Dennnis Leary saying that he’d give his “left nut” to see the Sox win it all encapsulates the experience.

I ran up and down my street in Richmond Virginia shortly after midnight screaming that the Red Sox were world champions, not caring who I woke up or what curfew I had broken. I stayed up all night watching ESPN over and over to make sure that what I saw had actually just happened. I took calls from friends in New England until the wee hours of the morning. I dragged myself into work that day and at each meeting received a standing ovation from co-workers who were as much relieved that the Red Sox nut would finally shut up as they did vicariously celebrate the achievement.

It sounds silly but for anyone who is a Sox fan of my vintage, I think I get buy on this one. I was there for ’67 (Gibson mows down the Sox three times), ’75 (Carlton Fisk, I still love you), ’78 (Bucky F—ing Dent), ’86 (BIll F–ing Buckner) and ’03 (Aaron F—ing Boone). And lest we forget 1946 (Pesky holds the ball – actually a myth). During this run anytime the Sox made it to the World Series they lost it in seven games. I’ve earned my emotional stripes kids.

That’s why Tito belongs at the ceremony. That’s why I grieved when he said he wasn’t going to attend. That’s why I now celebrate a hometown hero coming back to the place where he and bunch of rag-tag misfits made magic. That’s why we watch.Go Sox!

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As Gordon Edes reports, Little was publicly humiliated shortly after the Sox lost the series when he was fired and ridiculed for his lack of movement from the dugout to replace Pedro with his bullpen.

The Little firing has recently been resurrected and re-hashed when Terry Francona was thrown under the bus and dethroned from the managerial position for what the owners felt was a legit cause.

Like Francona, Little appears to have snubbed the Sox for the way he was treated as he has yet to reply to the invite to the party.  Not surprising when you read Edes article who dives into the bowels of 2003 and recaptures the situation as it was.

The difference between Francona and Little is simple.  Francona won and relieved a Nation of misery while Little was accused of prolonging the agony.  One decision has caused Little to be hated by many Red Sox fans and whether or not it’s justified is another debate for another day.  But when the introduction of past managers and players is introduced on April 20th, two of the more notable names will be missing; one who brought tears of joy, the other who brought tears of pain.

Would you like to see Grady Little at the Fenway Park celebration?

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The feud between former manager Terry Francona and the Red Sox ownership, namely Larry Lucchino and John Henry took another ugly turn this week when Tito declined the invite to take part in the 100th anniversary celebration of Fenway Park.  I can’t say I blame him for the way he was thrown under the bus after what was an epic collapse last September that should fall mostly on the shoulders of the players.  None the less, the story is again making headlines and opening the wounds of what was a painful 2011 season.

To make matters worse, the Red Sox finally return to Boston to host their home opener this weekend after sputtering out of the gates for a second straight season.  A 1-5 start on the road has many pointing to last season’s 0-6 start and ready to hit the panic button.

With the first game at Fenway this Friday, the skeptics and critics will be out in full force ready to jump all over any blemish that the Red Sox dare make while on a 9 game home stand.  Which is why this Francona feud with the owners might be just what the Red Sox need; a little distraction from their on-field play.

If you’ve tuned into any of the first half dozen games the Sox have played you’ll see a very uptight, timid ball club that looks uncomfortable.  And it’s showing in the numbers for many, for example Kevin Youkilis who has more strikeouts than hits in his first 18 plate appearances.  The offense is struggling, the bullpen has holes and the rotation has many questions.  Not exactly a soothing bunch heading home to play in front of a faithful crowd that is growing restless and impatient, all but ready to ring Fenway Park with a chorus of boos if the results don’t change.

So rather than sit and analyze what’s gone wrong over the first six games, maybe Tito will take a little pressure off his former club and steal the spotlight for a little while; giving the Sox a chance to pick up their game and produce a few wins.  Next Friday, April 20th will mark the big anniversary of Fenway and you know leading up to the festivities, the media will once again be feasting over the ongoing feud between Tito and the three headed monster, known as the owners.  Maybe the owners can have the limelight and let the players do what they do best, play baseball.  Maybe, just maybe a little less pressure and attention will do this club some good over the next week.

Funny to think that the same man who brought two championships to the city of Boston could also be instrumental in helping this club break out of their funk.

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So we have atleast a foggy idea of what the Red Sox rotation looks like right? We also have somewhat of an idea what the bullpen will look like right? After today’s game, Bobby V seems to have something new to think about.

Can Junichi Tazawa contribute to the Red Sox in 2012? If so, where does he fit?

I’m not gonna lie, when

September 13, 2011; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Junichi Tazawa (63) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE

I hear Tazawa’s name the first thing that comes to my mind is that game in ’09 when he gave up a walk off homer in an extra innings Yankees-Red Sox game. The Japanese righty was young back then and he was only in the game because Terry Francona had exhausted the rest of his options, so I guess what I’m saying is I might be ready to forgive and forget. Anyways, after having Tommy John surgery prior to the the 2010 season and only pitching 3 innings for the Sox in ’11, it looks like Tazawa has a chance to make the roster come April 5th.

In Wednesday’s game against the Pirates, Tazawa showed his potential pitching three shutout innings giving up just a hit and striking out two. In seven innings so far this spring Tazawa has given up 3 runs, 6 hits, and 3 walks while striking out 6.

The question is, can he continue to pitch effectively into the season? In his 14 2/3 inning stint in Pawtucket last season Tazawa had a 2.55 ERA with better than a 6-1 k/bb ratio. So far he has carried that success over to ’12, save for the ridiculous k/bb ratio which would have likely came down as the innings mounted.

So this is what I’ve cooked up as a possible fit for Junichi Tazawa. What if he were to take Alfredo Aceves‘ spot in the bullpen? You could then use Aceves as the fifth starter with Daniel Bard in front of him in the fourth spot without putting too much strain on the bullpen. Tazawa is a starter by trade so he would be able to lighten the workload on the Sox’ bullpen and limit the impact that Bard and Aceves’ innings cap would have.

With this scenario the Red Sox could also put Aaron Cook in the bullpen as a seventh inning guy/long reliever/spot starter when needed and use Mark Melancon and Andrew Bailey as the eighth and ninth inning guys, assuming they earn those jobs.

The candidates for the final few bullpen spots would then be Felix Doubront, Franklin Morales, Michael Bowden, Clayton Mortenson, Matt Albers and if healthy, Andrew Miller.

This is purely speculation on my part but it’s fun to look at the possibilities going into a new season. Things will change from now until April 5th, players will unfortunately deal with injury and others will struggle but as of right now this could be a way to get the most value out of Aceves and Bard without putting too much strain on the ‘pen.

It will be interesting to see how the “unconventional” Bobby Valentine will shape his pitching staff come Opening Day. We will surely have a better idea in the coming weeks as the final cuts are made and the team starts to come together.

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To hear the full interview, click here.

Epstein knew something wasn’t right in the month of September with the team and revealed that Terry Francona, himself as well as the team had “multiple” meetings to  help fix it, but to no avail.

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Of course the Shoppach signing could lead to a trade involving Lavarnway or a deal involving the newly signed addition once the season gets rolling and the kid can prove he’s major league ready. But for now the Red Sox appear to have their catchers and Tek doesn’t appear to be part of the plans.

So how will Josh Beckett react to the new signing?

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You could argue that nothing good came out of the end result of the 2011 Red Sox season when the team collapsed in September and missed the postseason for a second straight year.  But perhpas the silver lining in that cloud for fans was that ownership would have a  hard time jacking the price of the 2012 tickets when their product didn’t exactly fulfill it’s end of the deal. 

Red Sox ownership announced Tuesday that they will not be raising ticket prices at Fenway Park for the 2012 season.  Given that Fenway will be in it’s centennial celebration next season, the flat prices come as a bit of a surprise and certainly a kind gesture from the organization. 

It’s been stated that every game will have a different type of celebration to it to help celebrate Fenway’s 100th season.  There will be a lot of reminiscing about the past century of events that have taken place at 4 Yawkey Way.  So a natural increase in ticket prices would’ve been expected. 

While some fans blame the owners for the recent departures of Terry Francona and Theo Epstein, perhaps this is one opportunity to say thank-you to the brass for allowing Red Sox Nation to continue to enjoy their product at a consistent rate. 

Tickets will be available to the general public starting December 10, the same day that the Red Sox hold their annual Christmas at Fenway event. 

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Cherington was named executive vice president and general manager.  He’s spent 13 of his 14 Major League seasons with the Red Sox, most recently as the team’s senior vice president and assistant general manager to Epstein. 

At just 37 years of age, Cherington is considered a young veteran by owner Larry Lucchino and he has high praise for the new GM.

“He has already worked his way through every aspect of baseball operations, and over the years has gained a well-rounded set of experiences that will help him guide this franchise to its next world championship.”

So the announcement has been made and everything is official.  Just how long does the honeymoon last for Cherington? (more…)

On Tuesday, the Jays management decided to alter their organization policy on not standing in the way of any employee wishing to seek employment elsewhere. 

“Due to the distraction caused by media speculation regarding our employee permission policy, the Toronto Blue Jays have amended their policy and will not grant permission for lateral moves,” courtesy of the Jays president and CEO, Paul Beeston and Senior V.P. of Baseball Operations and General Manager Alex Anthopoulos.

So you can take Farrell’s name off the list of potential managers for the Sox.  It appears as though the Jays are standing their ground and don’t want to lose Farrell, who’s just completed his first year as the Jays skipper. 

No reunion in Boston for Farrell and Red Sox Nation is unfortunate.  This could’ve been the guy to right the ship in the clubhouse. 

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