On The Menu Tonight We Have Cuisses de Grenouilles A La Valentine

As the story goes, a frog dropped into boiling water will quickly jump out. If, however, the frog is placed into cold water and the heat slowly turned up over a long period of time the frog doesn’t realize it’s being boiled. By the time the realization hits, it’s too late. The result is, as the French say, Cuisses de Grenouilles (frog legs).

Aug 29, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine (25) reacts during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Bobby Valentine was plopped into the cool waters of spring training where everything is possible and no pressure exists. After the 2011 fried chicken and beer debacle, how could things get any worse? After five full months of miserable baseball, the answer has become abundantly clear; a lot worse. It is clear that this team has given up on their manager. What were once minor annoyances earlier in the season have become grounds for divorce and it appears the team has collectively decided to bring the once cool pot to a full rolling boil at end the season. Things will not get better as the Sox march toward possibly their worst season since 1992.

After Tito Francona was unceremoniously and unjustifiably axed (this is not revisionist history, I have always stuck to this line of reasoning), Valentine has gone from – if not necessarily the answer – to the problem. His players never liked or respected him and now it is showing in a most humiliatingly public way.

"The organization is in disarray. More profound changes than four players being moved to Los Angeles need to take place. Sometimes to right the ship the captain has to walk the plank."

As Herbert Morrison tearfully described the wreck of the Hindenburg in 1937 (by the way, the Red Sox were 80-72 that year and didn’t make the playoffs), “It bursts into flames…Oh the humanity…I can’t talk ladies and gentlemen.” And end of scene.

A number of the Red Sox management team is in Seattle today on “other business.” If you believe that I have some swamp land in Florida to sell you.

Miniature disasters and minor catastrophoes 
Bring me to my knees 
Well I must be my own master 
Or a miniature disaster will be 
It will be the death of me
– Miniature Disasters, KT Tunstall