Don't Blame Francona

Two years ago, I stepped in to defend Terry Francona against naysayers. That season, the Red Sox finished in a tie for the division with the Yankees, and we won the wild card due to the Yankees winning the head-to-head tiebreaker, having beaten us 10 games to nine....

Crunch Time

What are the factors that have, historically, determined how long into a season the Sox have stayed competitive or how deep of a playoff run they have the potential to enjoy? A partial list would include: starting rotation, bullpen strength, everyday offense, defense,...