The Boston Red Sox are a team adrift and that often means a close look at the manager. Now is the time to finally make a change.
The Boston Red Sox have started a slow downward spin into the depths of the American League East and if there is any consolation several other teams in the division have issues of equal significance. The spin may actually be a community affair as Boston is joined in a dance to oblivion with the Jays, Yankees, and Rays – The Rays apparently have the inside track on last place, but don’t count out Boston for a three-peat.
To what extent does one pin the blame tail on the manager? Historically there is enough evidence to show that most managerial changes are a just short-term to mollify the ire raised over the current leadership, but in some instances, there are positive long-term implications.
I wrote about John Farrell having a season to prove himself at the helm and to my view, his real positive is the ability to run a reasonably tight ship, as nary negative surfaces over internal strife – a very unusual occurrence in Red Sox history.
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The general uproar that I have seen, and it seems to be quite prevalent, is that Farrell needs to be booted. Some trace back to how interim manager Torey Lovullo kept the team focused and actually winning as Farrell fought his successful battle against cancer. That raised the collective eyebrows in Red Sox Nation, who analyzed every managerial Faux Pas as just another reason to jettison Farrell.
Opinions change as facts change and my view of Farrell now is part of that personal mindset – he needs to go. What it comes down to is simply game management skills and that has been the crux of most of the mud tossed Farrell’s way for his being removed from office. A baseball excommunication.
There are incidents that certainly stand out and you read about that after every accumulating loss and even the occasional win. The constant, why did he make that move as it relates to situational baseball within the game? I have seen many such anecdotal references by various posters on BSI so there is no need to create a laundry list. But other situations come to mind and the seal the deal one happened in Tampa.
Eduardo Rodriguez was in the process of showing why he could be a solid addition to the rotation at Pawtucket and after an abysmal performance was granted that opportunity with a plane ticket at Tampa International Airport to catch a flight out-of-town.
Rodriguez had already had a beautiful first inning by allowing the sterile bats of the Rays to have six hits and five runs. In the second inning, E-Rod received a ceremonious at the mound lecture from unofficial team captain Dustin Pedroia. Laced with profanities, the call out amounted to part encouragement with a healthy dose of “Your arse will be gone, as you are killing us.”
Where was Farrell? Did Farrell conjure up any serious butt kicking? With Clay Buchholz, you receive the same amount of verbal pap after each mound meltdown. Being a “Player’s manager” is nice, but enough of this garbage is tossed out to Red Sox fans who know enough to realize what it is and that is excrement from a horse.
Lovullo was given a healthy contract prior to the start of the 2016 season and that certainly kept him from the numerous managerial interviews he would have had, with a possible offer or two tossed in. The die had been cast with Lovullo becoming a manager in waiting and now that wait should be over.
Farrell is inherited from the Cherrington regime, and so is Lovullo, so there could be a measure of neither is a Dombrowski “Guy,” but I pass by that. DD handed out that contract with good intent and a certain degree of planning down the road.
The ancient baseball axiom is “Managers are hired to be fired” and it is now time for the second part of that axiom to take place.