The Red Sox Are Screwed - Fall River, MA - The Herald News

The Red Sox Are Screwed

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By Adam Belue


The Red Sox are pretty screwed.  Let me count the ways:

1) Their owners are delusional.  And their owners aren't totally focused on the team, since they've got so many other projects to focus on.  You can't blame them for investing their profits from the success of the Red Sox into other areas, but it would be nice if one of the three owners would actually be somewhat interested in their baseball team.  They could probably write a book on how not to run a franchise and how to piss off the entire fan base, which would add to their profits.  Maybe I should keep that one to myself.

It doesn't help matters when every time one of the owners makes a statement it is completely ridiculous.  Like the most recent comment made by Tom Werner: "Do I think everything is perfect? Probably not, but I don't think everything was perfect in 2004 or 2007 either."  What does 2004 and 2007 have to do with this team?  I'm pretty sure those two teams didn't have a payroll close to $200 million, nor did those teams endure one of the worst collapses and gossip-filled offseasons in sports history.  Saying something like that puts more pressure onto this team, as it is bad enough that they are grossly underperforming and now the owner is comparing them to two championship teams.  In fact, it seems like every time the owners speak they are trying to convince the fans (and themselves) that everything is okay.  Which along with the next point makes it hard to believe that things are going to change any time soon.

2) The general manager can't do anything because 1) the owners are delusional.  The big difference between Ben Cherington and Theo Epstein isn't experience or rings, it's the fact that Theo could pull a big trade or make a bold move without too much interference from the owners, while I find it highly unlikely that Cherington could do the same thing.  The guy couldn't get his own choice for manager of the team, so what makes you think he's going to be able to make a big trade and shuffle the roster up without tons of interference from the owners?  If the owners think everything is fine and that this team will contend even though they can't get above .500 and have been in the cellar all season long, then how likely is it that there will be big chances made during the season?

3) The manager tried to be himself, which pissed off the whole team, so he now makes excuses for his players and complains almost as much as they do.  Terry Francona was a player's manager, and he got fired for it.  Bobby Valentine was supposed to be the opposite, a hard-nosed, tough manager who told it like it was.  When he called out Kevin Youkilis early in the season, it shouldn't have surprised anyone because that was his reputation and that's what he got hired for.  It was a bold move calling out one of the team's most popular players 3 weeks into the season (and he was absolutely right).  The backlash was so bad that Bobby V immediately backtracked his statement, apologized, and became a shell of the manager we thought we were getting.  Now he complains about umpires and strike zones, and defends every mistake and misstep his players make.  So he's pretty much Terry Francona version 2.  Fitting that Francona has now become an analyst on ESPN just like Bobby V was.  Welcome to Freaky Friday starring Tito and Bobby V, coming to a theater near you.

4) They've got a ton of teams ahead of them in the standings.  There's four teams ahead of them in the AL East plus another four teams in the league that have a record above .500.  There is an additional wild card spot starting this season in the playoffs, but to get it the Sox would have to leap over at least three or four of those teams in the standings.  Going into the season everyone thought it would be a three team race in the East between the Sox, the Yankees, and the Rays, but the Orioles have made it really interesting and they don't seem to be falling back like all the experts thought they would.  At least the Sox were within striking distance earlier in the season, as they were 3 or 4 games out when they were in last place.  A team can make up that deficit in a week or two.  Now they are 7 or 8 games out of first place, which would take a long streak of wins and consistent play to overcome. 

5) Their roster is full of overpaid and underachieving players, which is going to make it almost impossible to trade anyone significant or get anyone back in a trade that would make an immediate difference.  Plus the extra wild card spot means that there is going to be less teams looking to sell and more teams looking to add players thinking that they could get that last spot.  Teams know that the Sox are looking to move Kevin Youkilis, so no one is really going to offer much to get him, nevermind the fact that Youk has been hurt for a good part of the last two seasons and has grossly underachieved at the plate this season.  No team is going to give up anything valuable for someone who isn't performing, especially when that player is making a boatload of money, which describes the majority of the players on this team.  The only thing you might be able to get for someone like Josh Beckett right now would probably be a bucket of chicken and some beer... and good luck getting that away from Beckett long enough for you to enjoy it.  Unless he was on the golf course. 

And you can't use the excuse that injuries are killing this team.  The Yankees lost the best closer ever and they are in first place.  The Rays have been playing without one of the best young talents in this game for most of the season and they are right near the top of the East as well.  The Nationals have a list of injuries longer than the Sox and they are one of the most exciting teams to watch and in first place as well. 

6) Their fans (the true fans not the "pink hats") could care less about this team.  They got burned by this team last September during that epic collapse, followed by the chicken and beer in the clubhouse story, followed by the mud-slinging and gossip stories surrounding Francona's personal life and subsequent exit from the team.  The players and the organization have done absolutely nothing to make this team desirable to its fans or even apologize for last year's actions.  Instead the organization made a mockery out of offering an invitation to Francona for the Fenway anniversary, and there have been many players who have acted entitled, spoiled and immature.  When your pitcher isn't healthy enough to pitch but is healthy enough to play golf instead, when another pitcher decides he would rather have an extra two days of rest instead of helping the team out when a starter is needed, and when your star hitter who has been the fan favorite and the face of this franchise complains about not getting enough respect in this city can you really blame the fans for not caring about these guys?  It's okay Boston fans, there's plenty of other teams to concern yourselves with this summer... there's the Boston Cannons, the Boston Lobsters, Boston still has a soccer team somewhere right?  Does Boston have one of those Lingerie Football teams?  And you can pretty much go to any bar in the area and find the tight end from the Patriots partying with no shirt on (how's that ankle Gronk???).

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The Sports Belue Book

The Sports Belue Book is a spirited and opinionated sports blog covering both local and national sports topics.


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