ALCS: Francona Will Replace McCarver For 2 Games

Terry Francona will work alongside Joe Buck in the Fox TV booth for the first two games of the ALCS, according to CNNSE's Sean McAdam.

Tim McCarver is out with "a medical issue", but is expected back for Game 3.

Francona was on WEEI this afternoon. Some quotes are here and here.

Manager Interviews Could Start Next Week

John Henry posted three tweets yesterday about the search for a new manager.

Another productive day this week at Fenway. Tom, Larry and I were briefed by Theo and Ben [Cherington] on the managerial search. Due diligence this week.

Calls and maybe interviews next week. Excited to once again bring in smart, creative, hands-on leadership. We have the right people looking.

We got the manager's search right eight years ago with Tito and Maddon as finalists. We'll secure a great manager this time as well.

One possible candidate is Phillies bench coach Pete Mackanin (who was "flattered" and hopes for an interview). Three other bench coaches - Dave Martinez (Rays), Sandy Alomar Jr. (Cleveland), Tony Pena (Yankees) - have also been discussed.

Meanwhile, there are reports that the Cubs have officially asked to speak to Theo Epstein about joining their front office. ... Kevin Youkilis had surgery yesterday to repair his sports hernia. ... Third baseman Will Middlebrooks leads a group of eight Red Sox prospects playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League. More info here and here.

Daisuke Matsuzaka made 39 throws from "short range" in Fort Myers yesterday, his first activity since having surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. "I was relieved because my elbow didn't hurt at all." 2012 is the final year of Dice's Red Sox contract.

When You Can't Trust What You Read

Peter Abraham, Globe, September 29, 2011:

[T]here will be a press conference where Theo Epstein will take questions about the disaster that was the 2011 Red Sox.

Peter Abraham, Globe, October 4, 2011:

[I]t's time to be honest. The 2011 Red Sox were not a disaster.

It's nice to see Abraham own up to his part in perpetuating a lie - "I'm as guilty of propagating this as anybody else and for that I apologize" - but it remains distressing. Reading through the batting stats that Abraham now cites showing that the Red Sox were one of MLB's elite teams, it's obvious that he was well aware of all of this throughout September.

The Globe's Extra Bases blog - and similar pages at the Herald and Projo, and every other sports website - blurs the line between factual reporting and the opinions of a columnist. That line has not been sharp for a long time, of course, as non-wire service game stories have relied more on narrative than "just the facts" for quite some time. And anyone who has read Extra Bases - and especially its live game blogs - knows Abraham is no stranger to snark, back-handed (and front-handed) insults, and the type of emotional. in-the-moment commentary that is more at home on a blog or message board, not a national newspaper.

If Abraham labels the team a "disaster" and then completely reverses himself four days later - and says that anyone who did call the team a disaster (like he did!) needs to "dial it back a little" - how can a reader take seriously anything he says from now on? Even his most factual reporting will (and, perhaps, should) be read with extreme skepticism. Readers of any future article may well wonder if Abraham will be shortly posting a complete retraction.

A lot of Red Sox fans (including myself) have tuned out (or do not take seriously) various Boston writers because their work is superficial and exhibits a profound laziness or they have an obvious agenda that steers clear of any facts. Indeed, those agendas are so blatant they might as well be posted in neon orange on their employers' websites.

Please note: I do not put Peter Abraham is either category. Nearly all of his work for the Globe newspaper is well-written and the amount of material he posts to Extra Bases is clear evidence that he works his ass off. I am using him as an example only because he came out with this apology. But his about-face - however welcome it may be - damages the reputation of every writer that covers the Red Sox. It would have been better if Abraham had resisted the temptation to exaggerate and pile on when the team was going down the tubes. We deserve some professional distance and level-headed perspective from the beat writers.

Here are two more snips from Abraham from a few days ago:

Peter Abraham, Globe, September 29, 2011:

[T]he Red Sox were a collection of talented individuals who didn't necessarily seem all that concerned with the guy next to them.

Peter Abraham, Globe, September 30, 2011:

It was rare that a pitcher, particularly one of the starters, spoke to a position player and that created a gulf in the clubhouse ...

The 2011 Red Sox also were not the hardest-working team you'll ever see. Some players are extraordinary in their level of preparedness. But others did the minimum expected of them. ... It also was telling that the only regular players who routinely showed up for optional batting practice were Dustin Pedroia and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Is some of this true? Is any of it true?

It seems within the realm of possibility that most of it is accurate, but, unfortunately, we really can't be sure.

Boston's "Scowling Triumvirate": Beckett, Lester, Lackey

Jon Heyman, Sports Illustrated:

While Francona was terrific for seven years with his laissez-faire, players-manager style, word around the team is that he wasn't proactive enough this year. ...

The reality, according to that Red Sox player, is that Francona had withdrawn from the team and often inexplicably kept to his office this season. ... Francona maintained his rapport with [Dustin Pedroia] while withdrawing from most others. ...

Followers of the team say that there was a cliquish element at play, with starting pitchers Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and the dour, demonstrative John Lackey ("they need to trade him," one competing executive said) forming a scowling triumvirate that sometimes seemed to include respected veteran leader Jason Varitek but few others. ...

[A]t the final confab [Francona] was told that to even consider bringing him back he would need to "set higher standards" and "reinvent himself."

Francona could sense that he was almost assuredly about to be let go ... In other words, he quit before he was about to be canned. ...

Confidants suggest that revered GM Theo Epstein, who is believed to maintain the support of Henry and chairman Tom Werner, has a couple surprise managerial candidates in mind [without major-league managing experience]. ...

Tampa Bay's startling success -- making the playoffs three of the past four years -- is said to have enraged Henry, a "nutty professor" type said to have a nasty streak.

Jackie MacMullan (ESPNBoston) wrote this five days ago:

[Kevin Youkilis] continued, as recently as two months ago, to publicly question Ellsbury's decision to retreat to Arizona last summer for treatment for broken ribs. Kevin Youkilis has always been a hot button. On occasion, his intensity and his honesty were his biggest assets, but not this season. The injured Youkilis showed up every day the way he wanted Ellsbury to, but he turned so sour and cynical that his carping and insistence on inserting himself into other people's affairs turned him into a detriment.

Youkilis responds (lengthy quotes on various subjects, read the whole thing; emphasis is mine):

I've always respected [her, but] she comes around three times a year, so she really doesn't know what's going on in that clubhouse ... [S]he came to me because she was writing a story on Jacoby. ... I have no issue with Jacoby. When this game was over and I went up to him, I said I just want to tell you that that was one of the most remarkable seasons I've ever seen ...

My philosophy is this ... when you're hurt, you either go to Fort Myers or you go with the team ... it's opinion and it's not that big of a deal ... God, this is a never-ending story. ...

[MacMullan] said I was a detriment because I was meddling in people's affairs. ... I'm going to set this straight, something was happening because one of her colleagues keeps on writing stories that are inaccurate about players. ...

I hope all the players that want to say what they want to say about this year, say, "Put my name on it." Don't be a coward, don't be a guy that's going to be the source said. [I]f people are going to talk to reporters, be a man, put your name on it. ...

[Is there a beer-filled cooler in the Red Sox locker room?] I don't know if I'm allowed to say if there is or there isn't.

Schadenfreude 123 (A Continuing Series)

Daily News photo caption, October 3:

"Derek Jeter and Yanks know CC Sabathia must come through today, or Yanks' season will be in the hands of A.J. Burnett in Game 4".

CC allowed 7 hits, 6 walks, and 4 runs in 5.1 innings. Both
Joe Girardi and Russell Martin complained that the strike zone wasn't big enough for CC. Also, Jeter - who represented the tying run in the bottom of the 9th in Game 2 and struckout -- whiffed to end Game 3 with the tying run on second.

Noodle Bats: Teixeira (1-for-11), Nick Swisher (2-for-11), Alex Rodriguez (0-for-10), Yankees (.224).

So ...

Joel Sherman, Post:

The Yankees need A.J. Burnett to be better than CC Sabathia.

In the history of the Yankees, there have been few more discouraging thoughts at this time of year. ... [T]he Yankees season rests with A.J. Burnett, whom the organization trusts so little it was trying to avoid using him at all in this Division Series.

So ignore the cover story the Yankees are offering about their confidence in Burnett. They have as much confidence in him as he has in himself, which is to say not much. ...

Sabathia can opt out of his contract after this season with four years and $92 million left. The feeling has been the lefty will do that. ... Meanwhile, the fate of the Yankees' season will be in the hands of a pitcher who they wish wasn't signed for next year — or the one after that.

Girardi: "Some guys relish the opportunity to change the script. I feel good about what A.J. is going to do for us [tonight]."

Brett Gardner: "We have a lot of confidence in A.J."

Jorge Posada: "This is the perfect scenario for him to do everything we ask him to do."

Nick Swisher: "He's going to be really good for us."

Wheat From The Chaff

There have been many thousands of words written about the departure of Terry Francona as Red Sox manager. What follows are what I consider the more important bits of information and opinion:

Terry Francona

We met [Friday] morning ... I passed along my frustrations at my inability to effectively reach the players. ... I told them that out of my enormous respect for this organization and the people in it, they may need to find a different voice to lead the team.

[Did the Red Sox directly ask Francona to return as manager?] No. ... I think they wanted to know about how I felt about coming back. I think that's a fair way to put it.

Once I make up my mind, I think I'm ready. We could have waited through the weekend, but it would have just prolonged getting done what's needed to be done.

I'm not sure how much support there was from ownership, and I don't know that I felt really comfortable. ... It's got to be everybody together, and I was questioning some of that a little bit.

I just felt frustrated with my inability to reach maybe guys I've been able to in the past.

I wanted desperately for our guys to care about each other on the field. ... When things go bad, your true colors show and I was bothered by what was showing.

When I thought I tried to help make that better, and the coaches also, I just wasn't ever comfortable. You've heard me say all the time about going in one direction, and getting through challenges and meeting them together. ... It just wasn't happening to my satisfaction.

Ultimately you don't need a team that wants to go out to dinner together, but you need to have a team that wants to protect each other on the field and be fiercely loyal to each other off the field.

Some players had "a sense of entitlement".

This team became challenging at the end. I remember a day in Toronto, it was after the game we won I think 14-0, and I ended up having a meeting ... I thought we were spending too much energy on things that weren't putting our best foot forward toward winning. ... Teams normally, as the season progresses, there's events that make you care about each other, and this club, it didn't always happen as much as I wanted it to.

Larry Lucchino

[Francona] did an exceptional job in conveying the strength of his feelings and his frustrations and his fatigue here in Boston.

Lucchino's level of awareness of the problems was "quite low ... until very recently". His reaction? "Surprise. ... [T]here were some other emotions, but I'd rather just leave it at that."

Theo Epstein

I asked Tito ... whether he could take a couple of weeks off and go think about the things that didn't go right this year, what we weren't able to get out of this team ... [and if he] could come back next spring training with a new voice and provide some of the leadership that's needed to improve the culture in our clubhouse ... He thought about it and he said that he thought it was time to move on.

It surprised me that his feeling was that extreme about it.

[W]e knew along the way it wasn't perfect. ... [T]here were some issues, and there [was] some frustration, that Tito had. I think when you're winning, a lot of that stuff gets covered up ...

Certain players we have that are leaders can step up and raise the level of their leadership even more. ... [W]e could have more accountability down there.

There was a lot of talent in that clubhouse, and we didn't get results commensurate with that talent.

Does the roster need a complete overhaul? I really don't think so. ... Do we need to make changes? Absolutely, and we will.

I think we have high standards in [conditioning]. I can't sit here and say those standards have been met across the board.

Re John Lackey

Theo Epstein:

He's always been demonstrative. It kind of looks bad on the field. It looks as if he's showing up his teammates. He was that way in Anaheim, too, so we knew that when we signed him. We also knew that he always apologizes the next day, that he's a great teammate except for those times he's rolling his eyes. But his teammates forgive him and they understand.

Theo Epstein:

He's tried to change, but it's something he can't change. It's an emotional reaction. We'll continue to work with him on it.

Terry Francona:

I don't think you can put in a guy's contract that ... he's not allowed to roll his eyes. I don't think anyone in the clubhouse had a problem with Lack, nor do I. I think we certainly wished that it would've gone better on the mound.

Theo Epstein:

We have to ... see if there's things we can do with him, physically, to put him in a better position to have success on the mound. ... Then there's the mental standpoint.

Anonymous Sources

One Red Sox player:

It was all right [clubhouse atmosphere]. Some guys had some issues, and everybody was on their own program. It was different [than other years]. People were taking stuff more personal. Sometimes it got out of hand ...

One uniformed member of the team:

Josh [Beckett] has some real leadership qualities, but this time he didn't lead left, he didn't lead right, he led wrong.

One prominent Red Sox player:

They don't need a leader. They need a babysitter.

One Red Sox executive cited an indifference by some players to conditioning. "Gluttony," he called it.

Member of the Red Sox executive staff:

You have to go with a tougher guy. There has to be more of a professional atmosphere. There have to be rules.

Red Sox Players

Dustin Pedroia:

I wish I could have played my whole career for him. ... [T]he biggest thing that I am upset with, and I think a lot of guys are upset with, is the accountability of each other. ... There are a lot of things that went on that [were] disrespectful ...

David Ortiz:

Tito is a good dude. He might have had his problems with [ownership and front office], but I really don't know anything about that. ... In my situation, I never got in Tito's way and he never got in mine. He would remind me about some things sometimes when I really needed it.

David Ortiz:

I know we have some players that [the organization thought were] worried about some other shit and sometimes there were certain things that no one in the clubhouse can control. I was trying and I have no issues. My only problem was when I started being benched [in 2010] and that was my only issue with Tito. Other than that we're cool.

Clay Buchholz:

It was always just real relaxed. It was a relaxed atmosphere. ... I never even took it into consideration to even think about it. Whenever all the stuff started swirling around on the Internet and everything and on the TV, that's when everything clicked ... I might not have the same manager next year if this keeps going the way it's going.

David Ortiz:

He probably had problems with some players. I can't really give you too many details about that. ... Trust me, the way things are going down right now here, they [players who were not giving 100%] will learn. They will learn. ... I'm pretty sure it's gonna be better for next year. ... I get along with pretty much everybody. [At] the same time I'm nobody to determine who does the right thing and who doesn't ... It's not like I'm anybody's babysitter or anything like that.

Kevin Cash (2007-08, 2010):

I'm shocked. It's unbelievable. ... Whether you were David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia or the 24th, 25th guy on the roster, which was me, he did everything in his power to make you feel like you were equal with everyone with the way he treated you. He just made you confident and showed you the value you had with this club. ... I don't see how you're going to find a better guy to deal with the constant drama that's always going on in Boston ...

Media

Jackie MacMullan, ESPNBoston:

[Jacoby Ellsbury's] teammates like and admire him, but he keeps to himself, confides only in Jed Lowrie.

Can you blame him? His teammate two or three lockers to his left continued, as recently as two months ago, to publicly question Ellsbury's decision to retreat to Arizona last summer for treatment for broken ribs. Kevin Youkilis has always been a hot button. On occasion, his intensity and his honesty were his biggest assets, but not this season. The injured Youkilis showed up every day the way he wanted Ellsbury to, but he turned so sour and cynical that his carping and insistence on inserting himself into other people's affairs turned him into a detriment.

Then we have Ortiz, who ... didn't seem to grasp how damaging it was to publicly question whether Alfredo Aceves should be a starter instead of a reliever, and how it undermined both the manager and the general manager at a critical time of the year.

Scott Lauber, Herald:

A source told the Herald that several starting pitchers would drink beer during games, and there was grousing among players about Francona's listed bus times to the ballpark on the road. Francona declined to discuss those issues ...

John Tomase, Herald:

Strength coach Dave Page, long considered one of the best in the game, was not a fully utilized resource.

Steve Buckley, Herald:

Free agent bust John Lackey's postgame pressers this season were as laughable as his pitching, what with all the excuses, and let's not forget the constant eye-rolling when his glove men failed to come up with the ball. ... Epstein said, "I don't think it's appropriate for excuses." ... Yet Lackey made excuses — and pointed fingers at others — and gets away with it.

Gordon Edes, ESPNBoston:

[Francona] was already convinced ownership didn't want him back, which is why he was telling members of the organization he was finished the day before he was officially gone.

Gordon Edes, ESPNBoston:

[T]here are two separate issues in play here. One is to pretend this all was Francona's call. ... The second is whether Sox ownership had probable cause to press for a change. Given the stories that have surfaced in the past couple of days ... the answer is an unequivocal, how-was-this-allowed-to-go-on yes.

Starting pitchers drinking in the clubhouse during games on days when they weren't pitching, which can leave one boozily indifferent to the plight of teammates after they've just lost in extra innings ... has been going on the past two seasons.

Since this story broke, Edes's reporting has been exemplary. At the Friday press conferences for Francona and Epstein, he was the only one who asked direct, important questions. If you want to read about the Sox from a guy who can report the facts and offer strong, informed opinions without making snarky comments and insults, Edes is your man. The entire ESPNBoston team has been outperforming the papers for awhile.

Alex Speier and Rob Bradford at WEEI have also been excellent.

Thank You, Terry Francona!

Sadness is not the usual emotion Red Sox fans have when the team's manager loses (or leaves) his job. That's simply another one more reason why Terry Francona was unique.

He accepted the job as Red Sox manager shortly after the abrupt and soul-crushing end to the 2003 season, with the fans' frustration and the intensity of the rivalry with the Yankees at an all-time high. The first four months of the 2004 season were maddeningly ordinary, and he must have been under an unfathomable amount of pressure (in that season, and in every season since).

But we learned he was the perfect man for the job. Francona was open to progressive ideas, he grasped the Nation's connection with the team almost immediately, and although he maintained a close relationship with the front office, he could also be as goofy or irreverent as any of the players. Not living in Boston, I did not hear many of Francona's press conferences, but when I did, his interaction with the media, his responses and explanations and reassurances, were actually calming. He was an essential part of forever changing the way Red Sox fans feel about themselves, their team, and the game of baseball.

Of the Red Sox's 44 managers, Francona's "games over .500" record is the best in team history. And he became a cut-throat, no-bullshit "assassin" in October: 28-17 (.622) in post-season games and 8-0 in the World Series. Joe Cronin managed more seasons and won more games, but Francona is without question the greatest manager in Red Sox history.

He is also firmly on my list of Top 5 Red Sox - again, what long-time fan would have ever thought a manager could be as beloved as Tito - and I will be forever grateful for his steady, competent guidance of "my team". I've long said I wanted him to manage the Red Sox until he no longer wanted the job. Sadly, that day has come much quicker than I expected.

Terry Francona: I wish you as much joy and peace of mind in the years ahead as you gave me (and millions of other Red Sox fans) during those 11 exhilarating and unforgettable and surreal days in October 2004.

Pedroia: "I Wish I Could Have Played My Whole Career For Him"

When Terry Francona expressed frustration this evening about his "inability to reach guys I've been able to [reach] in the past" and how certain players exhibited a "sense of entitlement" while he "wanted desperately for our guys to care about each other on the field", we may not know exactly which players he was referring to (though we have a few clues in various news articles).

But we know he wasn't talking about Dustin Pedroia:

[T]he biggest thing that I am upset with, and I think a lot of guys are upset with, is the accountability of each other. It's not the manager's fault. We need to hold ourselves more accountable as a team, as players. There are a lot of things that went on that was disrespectful and we played like it. ...

[H]e gave me a chance when I was struggling as a rookie. I was hitting .150 and he stood by me and helped me become the player that I am today. I'll forever remember that. ... I hope he gets a job in the National League for a team that we don't get a chance to play because it would be like playing against one of my family members.

I love him. ... [H]e's done everything for me in the five years I've been in the big leagues. My heart's broken for him and I wish he was back and I wish I could have played my whole career for him.

Francona: "It Was Time For Me To Move On"

John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino on behalf of the Boston Red Sox:

We met with Terry Francona, Theo Epstein and Ben Cherington Friday morning to discuss the 2011 season, ways to improve the club in the future, and Tito's status. During the meeting, Tito, Theo and Ben agreed that the Red Sox would benefit from an improved clubhouse culture and higher standards in several areas. Tito said that after eight years here he was frustrated by his difficulty making an impact with the players, that a different voice was needed, and that it was time for him to move on. After taking time to reflect on Tito's sentiments, we agreed that it was best for the Red Sox not to exercise the option years on his contract.

We have enormous respect, admiration and appreciation for Tito and the job that he did for eight years, including two World Series Championship seasons and five playoff appearances. His poise during the 2004 post-season was a key factor in the greatest comeback in baseball history, and his place in Red Sox history will never be forgotten. We wish him only the best going forward.

Theo Epstein:

Tito and I didn't know each other when he was hired eight years ago, but over time we developed not only a great working relationship but also a personal friendship that will always be important to both of us. He proved to be an unflappable leader for our major league club, displaying consistency, calmness, hard work, thoughtfulness, a sense of humor, and faith in the players even at the most difficult of times. Without Tito's commitment over eight years, we would not be the organization we are today. Nobody at the Red Sox blames Tito for what happened at the end of this season; we own that as an organization. This year was certainly a difficult and draining one for him and for us. Ultimately, he decided that there were certain things that needed to be done that he couldn't do after eight years here, and that this team would benefit from hearing a new voice. While this may be true, his next team will benefit more than it knows from hearing Tito's voice. I will miss seeing Tito every day in the manager's office, and I wish him and his family nothing but the best in their next chapter.

Terry Francona:

We met this morning to look back on the 2011 season and to consider the future of the Boston Red Sox, including my involvement with the club. I passed along my frustrations at my inability to effectively reach the players. After many conversations and much consideration, I ultimately felt that, out of respect to this team, it was time for me to move on. I've always maintained that it is not only the right, but the obligation, of ownership to have the right person doing this job. I told them that out of my enormous respect for this organization and the people in it, they may need to find a different voice to lead the team.

In my eight seasons as manager of the Boston Red Sox, I have developed a tremendous appreciation for Red Sox Nation. This is a special place with some of the most knowledgeable and passionate fans in all of baseball. They packed Fenway Park for every game and because of them, I had a special sense of pride coming to work every day. I want to thank John, Tom, Larry and Theo for giving me the opportunity to manage this team through some of the most successful years in this franchise's history. I wish the entire organization and all of Red Sox Nation nothing but the very best.

Francona will hold a press conference at 7 PM (NESN).

Reports: Francona Expected To Step Down Today

Another Update!

Theo Epstein, 1:45 PM:

John Henry, Tom Werner, Larry Lucchino, Ben Cherington and I met with Terry Francona this morning at Fenway Park to exchange thoughts and information on the 2011 season and discuss areas for improvement going forward. We all plan on taking some time to process the thoughts expressed in the meeting. There are no immediate plans for an announcement.

Updated!

Gordon Edes, 11:06 AM:

Terry Francona told Boston Red Sox staff members on Thursday that he will not be returning as manager, a club source said on Friday.

Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports:

Terry Francona will meet with Red Sox management on Friday morning, and the expected resolution is that he no longer will be the team's manager, major league sources say.

While Francona's departure is not certain, it is the likely outcome, in part because he is pressing for a resolution, sources say. He would not be fired; the Red Sox would simply decline their club options on him for 2012 and '13.

Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times:

Francona has had enough of his eroding Boston experience, a ­major-league source said, and will ask the club not to exercise the option on his contract.

"He has had his fill of the whole thing," the source told the Sun-Times.

The Red Sox front office is smart enough to know that dumping Francona would not solve any of the problems that led to their collapse. And I have no doubt that Theo Epstein was telling the truth yesterday when he said:

[N]obody blames what happened in September on Tito. It would be totally irresponsible and totally short-sighted. ... [W]e don't believe in scapegoats, and in particular no one blames Tito for what happened in September. We all failed collectively.

Gordon Edes was on ESPN late last night saying that it's possible the team wanted to make a change but are content to make it look like Tito's decision. I would assume that if Francona was leaving it was because he wanted to leave, but there is always more going on behind the scenes that we will never know about.

At yesterday's press conference, Francona admitted that he had called a team meeting on September 7, after the Red Sox had beaten the Blue Jays 14-0. (my emphasis)

This team I think became challenging at the end. There were some things I was worried about. We were spending too much energy on things that weren't putting our best foot forward toward winning. We spent a few minutes in the clubhouse that day talking about that. There were some things that did concern me. Normally as the season progresses, there are events that make you care about each other, and this club, it didn't always happen as much as I wanted it to. And I was frustrated by that.

The Herald reports:

Francona was in part annoyed over complaints about the buses to the ballpark and wanted players to focus their energy more positively.

Meanwhile, a number of players put themselves into a position to have their professionalism called into question. According to multiple sources, more than one pitcher drank beer in the clubhouse during games on the days he didn't pitch.

While clubhouse imbibing is a tradition as old as baseball itself ... the Red Sox also had a number of players break down during the season, suggesting that they weren't taking proper care of themselves.

More Francona:

Ultimately you don't need a team that wants to go out to dinner together. But you need a team that wants to protect each other on the field and be fiercely loyal to each other on the field. That's what ultimately is really important. ... I wanted us to handle things on the field a little bit better than we did. At times, we just didn't get there and it was very difficult.

Theo Epstein:

[W]e did sense that things weren't right. A lot of things went wrong and a lot of things had to go wrong for us to blow the lead but they did. I don't think any of them were completely unforeseen. We tried different things. I know Tito talked about his meeting in Toronto. I actually addressed the team later on in the month before a game. ... There was a lot of talent in that clubhouse and we didn't get results commensurate with that talent.

Francona will meet with Epstein and the ownership group at 10 AM this morning.

Of all the possible changes the team could make this winter, this is probably the most surprising - and depressing.

G162: Orioles 4, Red Sox 3

Red Sox - 001 110 000 - 3 11  0
Orioles - 002 000 002 - 4  7  2

12:02 AM:

Robert Andino's line drive single falls in front of Carl Crawford in left field, and as Crawford fails to field the ball cleanly, Nolan Reimold scores the game-winning run. Jonathan Papelbon - entrusted with a 3-2 lead at the start of the inning - struck out the first two batters, but gave up a first-pitch double to right to Chris Davis, an RBI-double to right-center to Reimold, and Andino's game-winning single. (Shades of his meltdown in Game 3 of the 2009 ALDS.)

12:06 AM:

Evan Longoria lined a solo home run just inside the left field foul pole in the bottom of the 12th inning to win the AL wild card for the Rays. Longoria had hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning, when Tampa, down by seven runs with only six outs to go, began its unlikely comeback. (Nice work by Girardi to leave Proctor out there until he lost the game. The Assman faced the most batters (13) and threw the most pitches (56) of the 11 Yankee pitchers in the game.)

Yankees - 140 110 000 000 - 7  9  1
Rays    - 000 000 061 001 - 8 10  1

Jon Lester / Alfredo Simon

Ellsbury, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Gonzalez, 1B
Lavarnway, C
Drew, RF
Scutaro, SS
Crawford, LF
Aviles, 3B

Lester will start on three days rest for only the second time in his major league career. His first short-rest start was on April 23, 2008, against the Angels at Fenway Park. Lester (5-9-4-2-1, 80) got a ND, and Boston lost the game 6-4.

Last Saturday in New York, Lester threw only 55 pitches before being lifted. Over his last eight starts, there has been a drastic decline in his performance. Lester says he is neither hurt nor worn down from the long season, so let's hope this string of bad luck (or poor concentration or whatever the hell it is) turns around.

                       IP    H   R  ER  BB   K    ERA
0816-0906 (5 starts)  31.0  19   5   4  11  32   1.16
0911-0924 (3 starts)  13.2  21  16  16   8  10  10.45

Terry Francona (last night):

This is really good for baseball, not so good for my stomach. ... I don't think I've been that nervous in a long time. Go back to the hotel and not sleep and show up tomorrow and see what we can do.

Carl Crawford:

The whole game tomorrow is probably going to feel like the ninth inning of this game.

Jacoby Ellsbury has hit in 35 straight games against the Orioles, dating back to April 17, 2009. ... I'd like to know what the record is for one player against a specific team.

Yankees (Dellin Betances) / Rays (David Price), 7 PM.

Wild Card Probability (%)

          Cool     BP
Red Sox   59.1    51.5
Rays      40.9    48.5

Game thread.



What Can Happen?

Red Sox win + Rays win = Red Sox at Rays, G163 tomorrow at 4 PM

Red Sox lose + Rays lose = Red Sox at Rays, G163 tomorrow at 4 PM

Red Sox win + Rays lose + Rangers win* = Red Sox at Rangers, ALDS 1, Friday at 5 PM

Red Sox win + Rays lose + Tigers lose** = Red Sox at Rangers, ALDS 1, Friday at 5 PM

Red Sox win + Rays lose + Rangers lose + Tigers win = Red Sox at Tigers, ALDS 1, Friday at 5 PM

Cleveland at Tigers, 7 PM
Rangers at Angels, 8 PM

* - Tigers game irrelevant
** - Rangers game irrelevant

Red Sox On Hunt For Pitcher To Start Possible Tie-Breaker

The most surreal aspect of the Red Sox's September slump and subsequent fight for the wild card spot is the fact that Theo Epstein is exploring a trade for a pitcher to start a possible tiebreaker game on Thursday evening. If the Red Sox and Rays both win or both lose tonight, they will play a do-or-die game in Tampa Bay, beginning at 4 PM tomorrow. The winner will begin the ALDS on Friday night in either Detroit or Texas.

Ken Rosenthal reports that Kansas City lefty Bruce Chen is one candidate. Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors mentions Chien-Ming Wang (Nationals), Rodrigo Lopez (Cubs), and Aaron Harang (Padres) as possibilities.

Adding to the insanity*, the Red Sox would most likely have to make the deal before knowing if a game on Thursday would be necessary, and any new pitcher would not be eligible for the postseason roster.

* It's insane, but it also shows that the team will explore any and every possibility, however unorthodox and/or costly - in a trade and any potential fall-out with John Lackey or Tim Wakefield, who might otherwise get the start on short rest -- it might be. That determination and open-mindedness is an admirable trait.

Rob Bradford (WEEI) says the team might activate Clay Buchholz, who was originally scheduled to fly back to Fort Myers and pitch in an Instructional League game today. Buchholz, who has not pitched since June 16, is still with the team.

Hitler Is Not Happy With Boston's September Stumble

September 21



September 28



He was also not pleased about the Jenks signing.

G161: Red Sox 8, Orioles 7

Red Sox - 002 302 010 - 8 11  0
Orioles - 100 201 021 - 7 13  0

Third-string catcher Ryan Lavarnway, pressed into starting his first major league game behind the plate, with Jason Varitek and Jarrod Saltalamacchia both hurt, hit two home runs -- the first two dongs of his major league career -- and drove in four runs. He also made a big play early on, gunning down Adam Jones trying to steal third in the second inning.

Jacoby Ellsbury and Marco Scutaro also went deep as Boston kept pace with the Rays, who beat the Yankees 5-3.

Boston and Tampa Bay are both 90-71, tied for the American League wild card. The fourth and final AL playoff team may be determined tomorrow night, or the matter may need to be settled in a one-game playoff game (4 PM) at Tropicana Field on Thursday.

Ellsbury's 32nd home run gave the Sox a 2-1 lead in the third. After singles by David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez in the fourth, Lavarnway drilled Britton's full-count fastball to left-center, and Boston led 5-1.

(Lavarnway's next PA was in the next inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, but he flew out to right, as Nick Markakis made a diving catch on the grass towards the foul line.)

Baltimore got two back right away on a two-run shot by Matt Wieters, but after Carl Crawford's one-out triple in the sixth, Scutaro hit a ball that just cleared the wall in left, to increase the Sox's lead to 7-3.

Bedard (3.1-5-3-3-6, 84) was pulled in the fourth, and Alfredo Aceves (3.2-3-1-0-1, 36) held the line until the eighth inning. Unfortunately, that was when the trouble began.

Bard took the hill in the bottom of the eighth with an 8-4 lead. He allowed a leadoff single to Wieters, then got two outs before giving up an RBI single to Chris Davis (8-5) and a run-scoring triple to Nolan Reimold (8-6).

J.J. Hardy opened the bottom of the ninth with a single off Jonathan Papelbon. Markakis (the potential tying run) battled Bot through an 11-pitch at-bat, but grounded out to first, moving Hardy to second. Vlad Guerrero singled Hardy to third. Lavarnway made a play on Wieters's dribbler in front of the plate - it seemed to happen in slow motion - throwing him out at first, but Hardy scored (8-7) and pinch-runner Matt Angle took second. Papelbon had another battle on his hands with Jones, getting ahead 0-2, but having Jones work the count full, fouling off four pitches along the way. On the 10th pitch of the at-bat, Jones grounded out to Jed Lowrie at third to end the game.

One game remaining in the regular season. One game to decide who continues on to the post-season. ... Maybe. ... We may end up needing G163 on Thursday.

Erik Bedard / Zach Britton

Ellsbury, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Lowrie, 3B
Gonzalez, 1B
Lavarnway, C
McDonald, RF
Crawford, LF
Scutaro, SS

It's embarrassing, man.

What's embarrassing?

You guys are better than this.

Well, I mean, you know, it happens. It's baseball. ... But let me tell you, don't let us win today ...

Yankees at Rays - Bartolo Colon / Jeremy Hellickson - at 7 PM.

Wild Card Probability (%)

          Cool     BP
Red Sox   63.4    55.1
Rays      36.6    44.9

Game thread.

"Why Purposely Choose To Be Miserable?"

From a few blogs:

Surviving Grady:

When the only thing between you and the post-season is the Baltimore Friggin' Orioles and you can't get it done, you just don't want it bad enough. When Tommy Hunter and a bunch of no-name relievers shut you down, it's time to go looking for your nuts. When you're one of the aces of the staff and a team with no .300 hitters and a collective average of .255 puts up six on you, all the bad-ass looks and F-bombs don't mean a thing. And when you're coaching for the playoffs with three games to go, you can't nap in the middle innings while your starter is running out of gas, you yank him at the first sign of trouble.

A Red Sox Fan From Pinstripe Territory:

The entire wild card lead has been blown. It was a lead that didn't even matter when it was so big, because we were supposed to win the division, with the WC an automatic boobie prize. Now it's wild card or nothing, two games left, tied.

There was more magic in the air in Baltimore tonight. "Other team" magic. ... Now we must continue to sweat.

Over The Monster:

We're in coin flip territory now, and it's difficult to watch knowing every mistake might be the one that effectively ends the season ...

Toeing The Rubber:

The last thing I read last night that was Red Sox-related came from a friend on Facebook who was writing about what a terrible team this is and how awful they are that he can't believe he's still following them. Talk like that annoys me. ... The collective "What have you done for me lately" mindset of many of the fans (and the sports media growing a collection erection over being able to write about how horrible the team is) makes me madder than the current state of the team. ...

Just like there was no reason to believe the Red Sox would go into such a tremendous nosedive throughout September, there's no reason to think they can't pull off a few more wins. Sure it will be difficult. ... But giving up is easy. Turning straight to "poor us for having to endure this team" mode is predictable and feeding right into the hands of the sports media. ...

Why mope around expecting the worst when being excited at the prospect of the best happening is so much more fun? Why CHOOSE, why purposely choose to be miserable when there is still a glimmer of hope?

That glimmer might be faint and extremely difficult for some people to see, but it's there. And as long as it is, I'll be in front of the television at 7 o'clock tonight ... Don't miss out just because the world is telling you not to bother.

G160: Orioles 6, Red Sox 3

Red Sox - 010 100 001 - 3 11  0
Orioles - 010 014 00x - 6  8  1

Robert Andino's three-run inside-the-park home run with two outs in the sixth broke the game open. Jacoby Ellsbury tracked the ball all the way to the wall in straightaway center and had caught it, but his collision with the wall knocked it loose. Dazed, Ellsbury flipped the ball to J.D. Drew, who fired it into the infield; the relay to the plate was too late.

Tampa Bay beat the Yankees 5-2, so after 160 games, the Red Sox and Rays are tied at 89-71 for the AL wild card.

This was Beckett's second start in a row in which Terry Francona watched him run out of gas in the middle innings and did not pull him. In six starts since September 11, Beckett and Jon Lester have posted an 8.18 ERA.

Beckett allowed a single, a walk, and another single to start the fifth, as the Orioles tied the game at 2-2. After a sacrifice bunt, Beckett issued another walk, loading the bases. He got out of trouble, however, with an infield pop-up and a strikeout. Through five innings, he had thrown 86 pitches. Aceves was ready, but Tito, in a close-to-must-win game, tried to squeeze another inning out of Beckett.

Vlad Guerrero started the sixth with a single (setting a new MLB record for hits by a Dominican-born player (2,587)) and stole second. Yes, Vlad, pushing his walker, with the tennis balls on the bottom making two little trails in the infield dirt, stole second base. Beckett got two outs, then walked Mark Reynolds and gave up an RBI double to Chris Davis. Aceves was warming again, but Francona stayed with Beckett and watched as Andino clubbed his ITPHR to deep center. Now down 7-4, Tito still let Beckett (6-7-6-4-5, 108) pitch - and he got the next batter, thanks to a great play on a bunt by Dustin Pedroia.

Aceves came in to pitch the eighth, with the Red Sox down by four. Why? We will likely need him tomorrow night. He threw 16 pitches.

Boston rallied in both the eighth and ninth innings. After Clay Rapada struck out David Ortiz to open the eighth, Adrian Gonzalez singled to right. Pedro Strop came in and walked Jed Lowrie (who had homered in the fourth) and allowed a single to J.D. Drew, loading the bases. As the potential go-ahead run, Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out on four pitches and Marco Scutaro grounded into a force play.

In the ninth, against Jim Johnson, Jacoby Ellsbury was hit by a pitch and balked to second. He took third on Carl Crawford's grounder to first and scored on Pedroia's single to right. Ortiz followed with an infield single to the shortstop hole. Gonzalez, as the potential tying run, was undisciplined at the plate, swinging at pitches out of the zone and flying out to left. Lowrie struck out swinging to end the game.

In the bottom of the eighth, Saltalamacchia was hit in the right side of his chest by a foul ball off the bat of Adam Jones. He was in considerable pain in the dirt behind the plate and left the game. Although Salty has "a baseball-sized lump on his shoulder", x-rays of his right collarbone were negative and he hopes to play tomorrow night.

Josh Beckett / Tommy Hunter

Ellsbury, CF
Crawford, LF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Gonzalez, 1B
Lowrie, 3B
Drew, RF
Varitek, C
Scutaro, SS

Coming off the high of the most important win of the season, the Red Sox will finish the regular season in Camden Yards, while the Rays (1 GB in the wild card standings) host the Yankees.

Boston's magic number is 3, so the earliest anything will be decided is after one of the games tomorrow night. A Red Sox-Rays playoff game for the wild card would be played on Thursday in Tampa Bay. The ALDS begins on Friday.

The Red Sox bullpen threw eight innings last night, so a solid start from Beckett would be most welcome. Scott Atchison has pitched in four of the last five games (78 pitches) and has a mild groin strain. Franklin Morales threw 44 pitches last night, in his first appearance since the second game of last Monday's doubleheader. In the second game last night, Daniel Bard threw 28 pitches and Jonathan Papelbon threw 29.

Terry Francona:

Maybe we get hot this week and carry it on and kick everybody's butt. Maybe we try so hard to get in there we're tired and we don't win. There are a lot of ways this is going to go. We don't know what it is yet.

David Ortiz:

It's been tough, man - it's tough and it won't get any easier. But I'm a warrior, man, and I fight back. That's all you can do: come back and give everything you've got.

Dustin Pedroia:

Just because we've had a tough couple of weeks doesn't mean we're done. ... We're on a one-game winning streak. Smile, bro. It's all good.

Monday

Red Sox at Orioles - Josh Beckett / Tommy Hunter
Yankees at Rays - Hector Noesi / James Shields

Tuesday

Red Sox at Orioles - Erik Bedard / Zach Britton
Yankees at Rays - Bartolo Colon / Jeremy Hellickson

Wednesday

Red Sox at Orioles - ??? / Alfredo Simon
Yankees at Rays - ??? / David Price

Wild Card Probability (%)

          Cool     BP
Red Sox   88.4   90.6
Rays      11.5    8.9
Angels     0.1    0.4

Game thread.

TMZ: Lackey Divorcing Cancer-Battling Wife

In his post-game comments last night, John Lackey was extremely testy, expressing anger and disbelief at a text message he said he received shortly before he took the mound.

Let me tell you the truth. Thirty minutes before the game, I got a text message on my cellphone from one of you ... somebody in the media, talking about personal stuff. And I shouldn't even be standing up here having to deal with this. I'm sitting here listening to music. I don't know who got my phone number, but that's over the line.

There were several tense moments when no one in the crowd around his locker said a word. Lackey added: "This is unbelievable I've got to deal with this."

I think we now know who sent the message. This morning, TMZ reported that on August 30, Lackey filed for divorce from his wife, Krista, who has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She underwent a double mastectomy in March.

It is important to stress that we have no facts about this story. While this looks like (and may very well be) Gingrichian behaviour from the Lemon - who has been contemptable in so many ways over the last two years - it is also possible that their marriage was falling apart before she was diagnosed with cancer.

Back in May, Lackey said, bluntly, "Everything in my life sucks right now."





Then there is a whole line of jokes about Red Sox fans fervently wishing they could divorce John Lackey.

G159: Red Sox 7, Yankees 4 (14)

Red Sox - 000 011 200 000 03 - 7 15  1
Yankees - 300 000 100 000 00 - 4  6  0

Jacoby Ellsbury's three-run bomb to right-center - his third home run of the doubleheader and 31st of the season - will lead the highlights from this nail-biting marathon, but the outstanding performance by the Boston bullpen was equally important in giving the Red Sox a crucial one-game lead in the wild card standings with three games left on the schedule.

A quintet of relievers, led by Jonathan Papelbon (2.1-0-0-0-4, 29) and Franklin Morales (2-1-0-2-2, 44), pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. Coupled with Lackey's righting the ship (6-5-4-3-4, 86) after a rough first inning, the Yankees managed only two singles in the last 12.2 innings.

Papelbon came out of the pen to strike out rookie Austin Romine with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth. For some reason, Joe Girardi - who had several halfway-decent players on his bench, including Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter - opted not to pinch-hit for Romine, who was making the 16th plate appearance of his young career. ... In the 13th, Morales fanned Brett Gardner with the winning run on third base.

Ellsbury became the first 30 HR/30 SB player in Red Sox history in the afternoon game, and he ended the nightcap by setting a new MLB record for RBI (103) for a leadoff hitter*. He leads all MLB players in extra-base hits and total bases. Ellsbury has been on fire for the entire second half of the season, with an OPS of 1.130 in July, .912 in August, and 1.088 in September. If Ellsbury wins the AL MVP award, Sunday's doubleheader will be seen as the tipping point.

*: Ninety-five of Ellsbury's 103 RBI have come while hitting in the leadoff spot. Darin Erstad (2000 Angels) holds the all-time record with 100.

In the sixth inning, Pedroia tried to score the tying run on a pitch that sailed to the backstop. The ball caromed right back to Romine and Pedroia, knowing he was a dead duck, tried to leap over the catcher's tag, but it didn't work.

John Lackey / Ivan Nova

Game 2 of a day/night doubleheader.

The Rays beat the Blue Jays 4-2, cutting Boston's lead in the wild card standings to only one-half game.

Ellsbury, CF
Crawford, LF
Pedroia, 3B
Ortiz, DH
Gonzalez, 1B
Lowrie, 3B
Drew, RF
Scutaro, SS
Varitek, C

Game thread.

G158: Yankees 6, Red Sox 2

Red Sox - 000 101 000 - 2  6  2
Yankees - 202 011 00x - 6  8  0

Jacoby Ellsbury hit two solo home runs (#29 and #30), making him the first player in Red Sox history to have 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season. There have been only eight 20/20 players in Boston history. Two of them -- Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia -- are from this season.

The outcome of six of Wakefield's first 14 pitches tells you all you need to know about this afternoon:

1 - Gardner singles (bunt)
2 - Gardner steals second
3 - Jeter singles (bunt), Gardner to third
7 - Jeter steals second, Gardner scores on E-2 (missed catch)
13 - Jeter to third on passed ball
14 - Jeter scores on wild pitch 

Tim Wakefield / A.J. Burnett

Game 1 of a day/night doubleheader. Game 2 is at 6:30 PM.

Ellsbury, CF
Crawford, LF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Gonzalez, 1B
Jackson, RF
Scutaro, SS
Saltalamacchia, C
Aviles, 3B

AL Wild Card

Red Sox  88  69  ---  Magic#
Rays     87  71  1.5     4
Angels   86  72  2.5     3

Remaining Games

Red Sox  - 2 at MFY, 3 at BAL
Rays     - 1 vs TOR, 3 vs MFY
Angels   - 1 vs OAK, 3 vs TEX

Wild Card Chances

          Cool    BP
Red Sox   87.8   87.1
Rays       9.8    9.2
Angels     2.4    3.6

Game thread.

Blue Jays/Rays at 1:30 PM and Athletics/Angels at 3:30 PM.

Lester: "I'm Not Tired. I'm Not Hurt."

                       IP    H   R  ER  BB   K    ERA
0816-0906 (5 starts)  31.0  19   5   4  11  32   1.16
0911-0924 (3 starts)  13.2  21  16  16   8  10  10.45

Jon Lester:

I'm not tired. I'm not hurt. There's nothing wrong with me. I wouldn't go out there if there was something wrong with me. It's nothing physically. [So what is wrong?] I stink. If I had the answer, it wouldn't happen. You go 32-0 every year if you had the answer of why you stink sometimes. It just happens. It's part of baseball. Teams go through stretches like this ... Pitchers go through stretches like I'm doing. It's the name of the game. Other times, you throw the ball right down the middle and it gets popped up. That's baseball. You make a pitch on the black, and it gets hit 400 feet. ... It's not a good time to have this stretch.

Adrian Gonzalez: "When we get into the playoffs, whoever we play better watch out because we're going to go in being the underdog, especially the way we've been playing this month, so we've got nothing to lose. Plain and simple, we're not playing good baseball. At the same time, we can come out tomorrow and win the two games and pretty much be a lock to be in the playoffs. All these things can turn in a matter of 12 hours. The last time we went through this, we came out of that and we were the best team for two or three months. When we come out of this, we're going to be the best team and that's why I like our chances going into the playoffs."

Complicating that optimism is the fact that the Rays won this evening, beating the Blue Jays 6-2. (The Angels beat the A's 4-2.) Tampa Bay is 1.5 GB the Red Sox for the wild card and, if everything goes wrong tomorrow (with Wakefield and Lackey, it's a serious concern), the two teams could be tied with only three games left in the season.