Red Sox: Time for an exodus of manager John Farrell
The Boston Red Sox need a managerial change. The time has come to simply move John Farrell into a created executive position and bring in a new leader.
Baseball has certain philosophical sayings that would be quite appropriate echoing from the mouths of the great Greek philosophers if baseball was a duel between their city states. One certainly applied to the cross-hairs (I am not PC) of managers to wit: “Managers are hired to be fired.” In Boston Red Sox tradition the hue and cry for a managerial head becomes part of the dynamics of a season and this season is no different.
Managers life expectancy on the big stage can be a handful of games or like Connie Mack, who lasted 53 seasons, with a caveat that old Cornelius owned the A’s for most of the 50 years he was at the helm.
Even a legend like Casey Stengel eventually got the baseball ax. Nothing new for the “Old Perfesser” since Casey was given the gate in Brooklyn and Boston. Even the push button success of seven World Series titles did not make Casey immune.
Now comes the annual – certainly for me – of getting John Farrell pushed aside. As we who are outside the loop – fans and media – have no compunction about going all Queen of Hearts and asking for the manager’s head. I am sure Kathy Griffin would avoid us collectively doing anything dastardly.
Farrell must go. That is now on my emotional plate – again – like last season and the season before. But why? Like Potter Stewart described pornography as “I know it when I see it” I have a similar path with Farrell. So I will go into a slide on Farrell and his potential replacements and these will be internal selections only.
John Farrell
Being a good manager does not necessarily mean being the right manager. Farrell has kept the clubhouse relatively clean from discord, but occasionally nuggets do surface such as comments by Ken Rosenthal as described in this linked article. This is nothing that has suddenly been a eureka moment in baseball since managers routinely endure, but this is centered upon the clubhouse and possibly disenchantment among the millionaires who reside there.
When a manager loses the team he loses his job. In game, managerial blunders can often be overlooked unless they are blatant, such as one memorable one in 2003. Farrell does not – from my prejudicial perspective – qualify as a formidable strategist. I am sure an extensive laundry list – usually via hindsight – can be developed under the title of “Why did he do that?”
One critique of Farrell – a former pitcher – is how he handles the staff. I am not quite sure how to define “handle.” Is it the assigned roles within the pitching food chain? Keeping the fragile psyche of pitchers informed? Making the proper moves? Anyways – despite losing Steven Wright, David Price, Carson Smith, and Tyler Thornburg, Farrell has managed to keep Boston among the top pitching staffs in the league. I will certainly take that. So – maybe he is just fine?
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The Red Sox offense is staggering around and compared to their history this is epic. You have to go back 20+ years, but it is not over – yet. The “Killer B’s” have been somewhat neutered. Mookie Betts is well under .300, Benintendi will not be Rookie of the Year, Jackie Bradley is back to being a .225 hitter and Xander Bogaerts has morphed into “Mr. Singles.” What did Dave Dombrowski do about replacing you know who? Mitch Moreland?
The real note of concerns is the fundamentals as this team seems to make far too many mental mistakes. That was absent last year, but this season it seems to happen on a daily basis – cutoffs went astray, poor base running, questionable fielding and to go all Seinfeld – Yada, Yada, Yada.
Farrell takes the fall for inept play and underachieving. Simple as that. Farrell is not blameless and the anti-Farrell groupies have been magnifying every baseball faux pas in his managerial toolbox. Some justified and, alas, some certainly not.
What I do know is something needs to be done – we could have had Torey Lovullo – but that ship is now sailing in the desert. Generally, a change is a no great motivator, but there are plenty of exceptions, such as Joe Morgan and “Morgan Magic.” So who gets under the microscope if Farrell is dismissed?
Star Power
A star leading the team and that star is obvious with newly retired David Ortiz. Can Ortiz handle the in-game situations? With his level of experience that is not, nor should be an issue. A good bench coach is always at your managerial elbow to give advice. Just make sure it isn’t Manny Ramirez.
Ortiz knows pitching since he had spent his entire Boston career wreaking havoc on the opposition hurlers. Ortiz was mostly a designated hitter, so he does have an excessive amount of bench observational time. Toss in the fact Ortiz played for several managers who should have a bit of insight into what works and what doesn’t.
The personality of Ortiz is dominating and that could – like with both Farrell and Terry Francona – shield players by acting as an insulator from the vociferous Boston media. Media is part of the job description and Ortiz knows how to play that tune exceptionally well.
Being a star and a successful manager does not necessarily go hand in hand. Most simply do not succeed. Ted Williams won a Manager of the Year Award and got both bored with the position and frustrated with the players. Ortiz – despite his passion for the game – could suffer the same.
The chances of Ortiz taking over are quite slim, but there is even a slimmer option and that is the return of “Old School” – a player –manager.
Player Manager
There is one player on the Red Sox who could slide into such a position. A player that has talent, some degree of leadership, knowledge of the game and intensity – Dustin Pedroia.
In another age the idea of a player-manager was not unusual or rare – it was common practice and many a star player indulged in the dual role. The Red Sox had Cy Young briefly take on pitching and managing. Joe Cronin did it for years for both the Senators and Red Sox. Jimmy Collins played third base and managed the first World Series team in 1903. That, however, was the past and the idea is long dead but could be resuscitated.
Pedroia knows the game and was somewhat responsible for the turnaround of Price last season. Pedroia knows the little things and how they win games. Pedroia is a player who gives himself up for the good of the team by simply moving a runner along with a ground ball to the right side. Can he translate that to his players?
Is Pedroia really a leader or just an irritating pest? I like to picture Pedroia as a pugnacious Earl Weaver type that actually is a superior player, but, alas, I have my doubts. The reality is this move is beyond being a longshot as long as Pedroia is a player.
Triple-A
Kevin Boles is a baseball lifer who has worked up the food chain for decades. As a player Boles career was forgettable by hitting .206 in just 20 games with Williamsport in low A ball. That was it as a player. But two things do stand out with the early Boles. The first is a degree in communications and he was a catcher. Baseball wisdom places some cred on being a catcher.
Boles has been the manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox since 2014. Prior to that Boles managed Portland for three seasons. Boles also managed in Greenville, Salem, and Fort Myers so his Red Sox managerial history dates back to 2006. Every player who matured in the Boston system knows Boles first hand and Boles knows them. No surprises.
Boles also led the PawSox to an International League title in 2014 so he does have a championship on his Red Sox resume. Boles knows the system, baseball operations, the players and just about everything Red Sox. At 42-years-old Boles could be the future and despite his lack of MLB experience, he has 16 seasons in the gritty world of minor league baseball.
Let the GM do it
For seven seasons Ruben Amaro, Jr. was the general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies before suffering the fate of most GM’s – getting fired. Amaro was an assistant GM for ten seasons before assuming the GM role and was part of the management mix that captured a World Series in 2008.
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Amaro signed on as a coach for the Red Sox in 2015 – a position he still holds. Amaro has a nice baseball pedigree as his father, Ruben, Sr., played for 11 seasons to his son’s eight years in the majors. Those eight seasons were interesting in that Amaro was traded or released several times so he is intricately familiar with how volatile baseball can be for a borderline player.
The downside is Amaro has never managed and his record as GM of the Phillies was a disaster with the signing aging veterans and questionable trades. But that seems to be a tradition with the Phillies and Clay Buchholz says it all.
Amaro is a front office and baseball ops guy and not a manager. Expect Amaro to stay as a coach until a position opens up in another system or Boston. So far Amaro has been bypassed with the Boston front office shuffle.
Bench Coach Option
Gary Disarcina certainly has the background. A young manager? Check. Former player? Check. Managerial experience? Check. Executive experience? Check. Knows the organization? Check. Media experience? Check. So just check all the boxes for the former PawSox manager and current Red Sox bench coach.
Disarcina we all know from his work on NESN so that area of the media is covered. Disarcina was a consultant for Boston, as well as managing in their minor league system for years with even some system-wide work as an infield instructor before leading the PawSox for one season. Disarcina knows the players and the organization.
Next: David Price's second start
I do have a fondness for players who were never up in lights stars and that is Disarcina who did make one All-Star team in his 12-year career – a lifetime .258 career. Looking at the managerial fodder within the system Disarcina stands out despite not having the helm of an MLB club although he was a finalist with the Mariners.
Disarcina would be my internal pick.