Last night, Bob Hohler of the Boston Globe released a story that’s sure to grab ahold of the Red Sox news cycle (non-Theo division) for at least the remainder of the week. While we’ve heard the stories about the growing rift between Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury; starting pitchers drinking beer on off days; and the lack of cohesiveness in the clubhouse, Hohler dug a little deeper to find several other demons hiding beneath the surface. His piece, although prone to the occasional case of hyperbole and reliance on hearsay, is both startling and straightforward; it’s certainly one worth reading. Since it’s rather lengthy piece, I’m going to pull a few excerpts out of the piece to provide additional commentary.
“With their team in peril and their manager losing his authority, three Red Sox pitchers last month were uniquely positioned to prevent the greatest September collapse in major league history. All the Sox needed was Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and John Lackey to apply the skills and commitment that previously made them World Series champions.
Instead, Boston’s three elite starters went soft, their pitching as anemic as their work ethic. The indifference of Beckett, Lester, and Lackey in a time of crisis can be seen in what team sources say became their habit of drinking beer, eating fast-food fried chicken, and playing video games in the clubhouse during games while their teammates tried to salvage a once-promising season.”
While I’m typically one to downplay (but not eschew) the importance of team chemistry, I have to admit I’m somewhat taken aback by this claim. As I’d mentioned previously, we’d all heard the rumors of excessive drinking, poor conditioning, and insufficient team support. Still, it’s startling to see Beckett and Lester identified as being key parts of the problem.
While Lackey’s truculent, abrasive “eff you” nature lends itself to the “me first” mentality, both Beckett and Lester have long been considered paramounts of personal accountability. Beckett, in particular, is one that consistently stands before the press, owns up to his failures, and never deflects responsibility to his teammates. Given their fiery, competitive nature (for all three), it seems foreign, almost counterintuitive, that they would become so self-absorbed that they’d become blind to the toxic, inclusive clubhouse atmosphere they helped create.
Later in the piece, Hohler identifies Clay Buchholz as someone that occasionally joined in on the fun with Lester, Beckett, and Lackey. Provided it was only occasional, I don’t see too much of a problem with him cutting loose every so often. By all accounts, he was diligent in his attempts to return this season. Despite the odds, he proved to be healthy enough to pitch in the last game of the season, if needed.
“By numerous accounts, manager Terry Francona lost his ability to prevent some of the lax behavior that characterized the collapse. Team sources said Francona, who has acknowledged losing influence with some former team leaders, appeared distracted during the season by issues related to his troubled marriage and to his health.
Francona spent the season living in a hotel after he moved out of the Brookline home he shared with Jacque, his wife of nearly 30 years. But he adamantly denied his marital problems affected his job performance.(snip)Team sources also expressed concern that Francona’s performance may have been affected by his use of pain medication, which he also vehemently denied. Francona said he has taken pain medicine for many years, particularly after multiple knee surgeries. He said he used painkillers after knee surgery last October and used them during the season to relieve the discomfort of doctors draining blood from his knee at least five times.”
I’m going to ignore this aspect for reasons that are obvious to anyone that follows baseball and practices decency. This seems like nothing more than a typical Larry Lucchino hatchet job designed to deningrate a former employee on his way out of town. I don’t blame Hohler for including this aspect in his article, but it’s still sad to see nonetheless.
“As Hurricane Irene barreled toward Boston in late August, management proposed moving up the Sunday finale of a weekend series against Oakland so the teams could play a day-night doubleheader either Friday, Aug. 26, or Saturday, Aug. 27. The reasoning seemed sound: the teams would avoid a Sunday rainout and the dilemma of finding a mutual makeup date for teams separated by 2,700 miles.
But numerous Sox players angrily protested. They returned early that Friday from Texas after a demanding stretch in which they had played 14 of 17 games on the road, with additional stops in Minneapolis, Seattle, and Kansas City. The players accused management of caring more about making money than winning, which marked the first time the team’s top executives sensed serious trouble brewing in the clubhouse.”
To be fair, the frustration regarding the schedule among those in the clubhouse had been high for a while. A week prior to the series in question, Beckett had a verbal meltdown when talking to reporters about the team having to play three games in about 24 hours. At the time, I supported Beckett’s anger because the scheduling seemed to be poorly planned. Unfortunately, these are the kinds of things that happen over the course of a 162-game season; especially toward the end as players tire and off days get fewer and far between. Although I understand his irritation, it’s a problem that lies outside of his sphere of control.
Still, there’s an interesting contrast to be made. The AL East division winning New York Yankees played 33 games over their final 31 day stretch, went 19-14, only had two off days, and never complained once about their schedule. Save for a pair of four game losing streaks (one that occurred during the final four games when they were resting their players), the Yankees were at the top of their game. The Red Sox, as we’re painfully aware, collapsed down the stretch; never once winning back-to-back games in the final month of the season.
“Wakefield also was part of the problem. Amid a seemingly interminable quest for his 200th career victory, he went 1-2 with a 5.25 ERA in September, taxing the bullpen as the Sox lost four of his five starts. The 45-year-old knuckleballer then appeared more interested in himself than the team when he asserted in the final days of the season that the Sox should bring him back in 2012 to pursue the franchise’s all-time record for wins (shared by Roger Clemens and Cy Young at 192).
‘I think the fans deserve an opportunity to watch me chase that record,’ Wakefield told Fox Sports, raising eyebrows on Yawkey Way.”
Let me just say that I don’t believe for a second that Tim Wakefield thinks the fans deserve an opportunity to watch him chase the all-time Red Sox wins record. His motivation for returning is entirely selfish. While I’ll always be grateful for everything he’s done for the franchise, it’s time for the two parties to part ways. He’s a replacement level pitcher. Continuing to allow him to pitch meaningful innings is detrimental to the team going forward.
“While Epstein has accepted blame for signing subpar performers such as Lackey and Jenks, the owners share the responsibility of unanimously approving their signings. But Carl Crawford was a different story.
Ownership was divided over Epstein’s push to acquire Crawford as a free agent, sources said. At least one top executive believed Crawford’s skills as a speedy lefthanded-hitting outfielder seemed to duplicate Ellsbury’s. But the owners ultimately agreed to gamble $142 million over seven years on Crawford – a lost wager to date.”
It’s nice to see ownership is trying to cover itself on the off chance (read: likelihood) Theo leaves to run the Chicago Cubs at some point in the next few days. If management had taken the approach of unanimously approving all free agent signings, why would they break the mold with Crawford? Furthermore, calling Crawford “a lost wager to date,” although accurate, is incredibly shortsighted. Considering his age, talent, and post-April performance, he’s likely to perform better over the next couple of years. Perhaps we should wait a few years before deciding the validity of such a move.
Clearly, the Red Sox are in a bit of a mess right now. They need to find a new manager, change the clubhouse culture, restore accountability, and likely transition from Theo Epstein to Ben Cherington in the front office. This team, although having several flaws, is fixable. Just as the 2-10 start and 7-20 finish weren’t flukes, neither was the 81-41 stretch that occurred between them. It’s often darkest just before dawn, but maybe this is the kind of wake up call the players need.