As a Red Sox fan I hate to see Tito leave the Red Sox because of the success the team has had the past 8 years under him. However, as a baseball fan and from a business stand point, I have no objection to his option not being picked up.
Baseball after all has become more of a business in the last 2 decades than a sport. The Red Sox amidst having the second highest payroll in baseball have been absent from the post season for two consecutive years, which is unacceptable for the amount talent they put out on the field every night. 2010 was riddled full of injury and yet the Red Sox and Terry Francona stayed in playoff contention throughout but ultimately did not make the post season. 2011, however, was a different story; the team got off to a 2-10 record and then rapidly became the best team in baseball until well…September. Finishing the season with a 7-19 record is inexcusable. I understand that the manager isn’t the one pitching, catching, or hitting the baseball. However, they are the one who decides who is.
Now I don’t think Tito deserves all the blame for the collapse because yes the players do need to perform, but Francona is the one who will take the heat when they don’t perform. I do think that a lot of Tito’s success however has come from the coaches whom he has placed by his side and in the past couple years due to the team’s success has kind of become a revolving door. Losing Brad Mills and John Ferrell was a detriment to the team, and you could tell that it hurt. You didn’t see any connection between Tito and Curt Young throughout the season, Bogart made some horrible decisions down the stretch with sending runners, and Dave Magadan didn’t seem to have any impact on Red Sox bats throughout the season.
The Red Sox aren’t your loosie goosie team; we all fell in love with in 2004 or the polished professionals they were in 2007. Today’s Red Sox are overpaid under achievers, and those types of personalities take a strong individual to control them. I have always admired Tito’s approach at handling the media and keeping all club issues behind closed doors, but I have never been impressed with the way he handles his players. Stemming all the way back to the “Manny Being Manny,” days, Terry has always let the players control the team. The constant displays of negativity that protrude from Lackey, Youkilis, and even Pedroia (although I admire how hard the last two play the game) needs to be nipped in the bud. The laziness displayed on the field from Crawford, Papi and Gonzales needs to be addressed, please bring back the kangaroo courts! The pitching staff I don’t even know where to begin with. Injuries are injuries you can’t avoid them, but with the depth of our minor-league system, it is hard for me to believe that Wakefield, Lackey or Miller were our best options down the stretch.
Again, I applaud everything Tito has done for the franchise the two World Series we won under his reign, but I for one would like to see a manager, who isn’t afraid to put his foot up a players rump when they are underperforming, acting like a jack ass and who will maybe get thrown out of a game or two down the stretch to motivate a team that was heading to the worst collapse in MLB history! You will still go down as the best Red Sox Manager in history... Just, my thoughts.
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