Terry Francona didn’t want to wait and think about returning as the Boston Red Sox manager in 2012. He barely took a few days to make up his mind. Francona met with management in the immediate days following the Red Sox collapse, ending the season with a loss and elimination from playoff contention.
During those meetings, Francona realized he didn’t have the full support of upper management and they were not on the same page to move forward. Tito also mentioned his inability to get through to players and turn around the horrid month of September as a major factor in the decision. On Friday, Sep. 31, Francona announced his decision to resign at a press conference in Fenway Park. He didn’t blame management or his team. Tito refused to call out anyone by name and only hinted that his players might have let him down.
Boston General Manager Theo Epstein, along with team President Larry Lucchino and Chairman Tom Werner, followed Francona’s press conference with one of their own. Epstein sat between both of them and seemed the most saddened by the events. They announced a search would begin to find the right manager, just as they did before the 2004 season. Francona would soon be working for FOX Sports as part of its ALCS coverage. During that day and the next few days, the media rumors from early September began to intensify. Many believed Epstein would be leaving the team as well.
Numerous sources have now confirmed that Epstein has agreed to become the new GM of the Chicago Cubs. He will most likely receive more power if not a president role with his new team. An official announcement is on hold until the Red Sox and Cubs can agree on compensation. Chicago will need to send players or cash to Boston, which still has Epstein under contract. The Red Sox are seeking a monetary return.
During these departures, more information has leaked on the reason for the players' failure to perform. The Boston Globe reported on out-of-shape players drinking beer, eating fried chicken, playing video games and showing indifference. Speculation on who leaked the information, which also included personal troubles of Francona, is being pointed in many directions. I mentioned personal issues in one of my own late season articles. Players complained about owners only caring about money. They may have been wrong on occasion, but it’s hard to argue with the premise. The team-owned NESN scheduled a soccer Match of the Week for the same date and time of a Red Sox potential one-game playoff showdown. Also, management has Fenway Park set to host Spooky World on the day the Red Sox could potentially have returned home from a victorious World Series Game 7 win.
The insults have not been limited to the players, management and ownership. Many have accused NESN and other reporters of being too close to the team. Heidi Watney spoke in defense of herself and others against 98.5 The Sports Hub’s accusations. Cold harsh dirt is being thrown everywhere and Boston hasn't even seen its first frost yet.
Ben Cherington, who has been mentioned by upper management more recently, appears to be the likely candidate to inherit this mess. As soon as the season ended, Lucchino, Werner and principal owner John Henry stopped speaking about Epstein alone. They now would speak of Theo and Ben as a team.
Cherington, a native of New Hampshire, began his baseball career with the Red Sox as an intern for the 1997 season. He returned as part of then-GM Dan Duquette’s team in 1999. He has been with the team ever since and was a co-GM with Jed Hoyer during Epstein’s brief resignation after the 2005 season. Cherington and Hoyer made the deal to bring Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston.
The Red Sox new GM will have a lot of work ahead of him. Finding a new manager will be difficult and changing the attitude of the players in the clubhouse will be a daunting task.
Follow Brian on Twitter @BrianRabuffetti
Comments