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Leamington Letters #131: A change of Sox

10/10/2017

9 Comments

 
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The season ended after 166 games with another American League East title but also another ignominious exit in the divisional series. Marginally better than last year (we won a game!) but still not what we expect. For many clubs, it would have been an acceptable season. Not for us. In the Red Sox Nation, we expect more and better even if we accept each pitching failure, each inability to convert a bases loaded, no outs situation into runs, with a sense of resignation which is born of long and bitter experience.
 
It’s an essential part of our culture, almost a tradition. And, as tradition dictates, the knives must now come out.
 
Last night, my twitter feed was almost exclusively red: red pepper, red labour, red sox, red sox nation; the former preoccupied with changing the course of Brexit, the latter with changing the structure of a club which, put simply, isn’t good enough.
 
There are calls for the firing of Dave Dombrowski and/or John Farrell: “a fish rots from the head down” said one tweeter. There are attacks on David Price: “a sullen presence in the clubhouse”. There are references to our inability to replace Papi and incredulity that Dombrowski believed that Sandoval and Ramirez could do so. There is criticism of Porcello’s reversion to type after a Cy Young season in 2016, together with Sale’s decline in the final weeks of the regular season and, related to this, concern about the effectiveness of Carl Willis as pitching coach.
 
There’s a great deal more, but these are the principal issues, at least on my twitter feed. And I haven’t made it to Boston this year, so I haven’t picked up a sense of the zeitgeist in the city itself. But here’s my long distance view from the baseball desert that is Leamington Spa, England:
 
Farrell should go.
 
I know he has a World Series and two ALE titles. But he also has two last places. I know he’s a nice guy – a friend of Tito’s is a friend of mine – and the bar staff in the Island Creek Oyster Bar speak highly of him. It’s also clear that he has the back of his players, as we saw last night with Pedroia and as we recognized, with some embarrassment, during the Pricegate affair.
 
But I’m not convinced that he is the man to handle Dombrowski’s “win-now” line-up. (Actually, I’m not convinced by the Dombrowski approach at all, but that’s another issue.) As readers of my baseball posts know, I was not in favour of his appointment in the first place and regret Lovullo’s departure deeply. He was a great bench coach under Farrell, and there was a real buzz in Boston when he took over as Farrell recovered from cancer. This year, Lovullo has taken the unfancied D-backs to the play-offs, achieving pretty much the same record as the Sox with significantly fewer resources.
 
We can all second guess specific decisions – why did Sale come out for that final inning last night? – and it’s not Farrell’s fault that Price got injured.
 
But my sense is that the Sox need a shake-up to succeed next year. And the departure of Farrell would be the catalyst for that shake-up.
 
And his replacement?
 
The man for whom we all have total admiration and respect: the awesome legend that is Jason Varitek.

Today from the everysmith vaults: Jorma and Rick Danko playing together in a show from 1987. 
9 Comments
Dean
10/10/2017 12:12:00

No way. You can’t blame Farrell. The fact is, dumb-browski’s super salary super stars blew it when it mattered. Again.

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SamF
10/10/2017 12:31:09

‘Tek?!!!! A great Red Sox, good man, A-Rod victor. But. Sorry mate. You were right first time. Lovullo. If we can get Farell out of his contract with the Blue Jays, we can get Torey out of Arizona.

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Patrick
10/10/2017 12:39:57

Yes, the swords are out. So some can fall on them.

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Sean
10/10/2017 14:39:04

Not sure I want to see Farrell gone. And not sure what Tek would offer, but that's all we have to discuss now until the start of next season, sadly. But already looking forward to watching Devers and the three Ts next year. What about Dustin? End of the line as a day to dare?

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Patrick
10/10/2017 15:06:02

Tek would offer determination, character, guts, and a baseball brain. He would have total respect from the whole squad, the whole club and the whole nation. I think Max may be right in this. And Pedey in 18? On the bench.

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Max
10/10/2017 15:16:08

Thanks. I think I am right. And you’ve just said why I am. Cheers Pat.

Sean
10/10/2017 15:20:32

I don't doubt Tek would offer all those things. Clearly he would. My only concern is lack of management experience.

Sean
10/10/2017 14:39:41

I meant the three Bs!!!!

Reply
Sean
11/10/2017 16:42:38

Farrell gone. So now we'll see...

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    Max Smith

    European writer, radical, restaurateur and Red Sox fan. 70-something husband, father, step-father, grandfather and son. Resident in Warwick, England.

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