BOBBY VALENTINE FIRED - A Bleacher Report Artice

Well that didn't take long.
Less than 12 hours after the Red Sox feebly limped out of the season, dropping their last 8 games and 12 of 13, Bobby Valentine was shown the door. He will not be the Red Sox manager for 2013.

In my latest for Bleacher Report, I ask the question. Why did it take this long?

You can read the whole article HERE.

 

The Bobby Valentine Joke is getting old - a Bleacher Report article

I called for Bobby Valentine to be fired in April.
I wasn't wrong.

I'm not saying the Red Sox would have won the pennant if they did that, but correct mistakes earlier rather than later is what I say.

The Red Sox have an off day today. As I wrote in Bleacher Report. after the 1-8 road trip and his WEEI rant, there is no better time to fire him than now.

He has done worse than lose the respect of the team. He has become a punchline. And there's no recovery from that.

You can read the whole article HERE.

 

MLB.com still needs to pander to Petty fans

Last night Kevin Youkilis came back to Fenway and crushed a back breaking three run shot off of Jon Lester.

Manager Bobby Valentine, who basically ran Youk out of town, elected to pitch to him with a base open and lost big time.

They had that clip available on MLB.com for those of us who didn't see it live.
But it is of the White Sox feed. We get to hear Hawk Harrleson do his "Put it on the board, YES" and "Mercy" routine.

But I wanted to hear Don and Jerry from the Red Sox booth call it. I wanted to hear the bitter sarcasm from Jerry Remy and the Red Sox voices acknowledging what happened.

And I'm sure Yankee fans and Youk haters would love to have hear that as well.

I mentioned this before. Baseball fans love to hear pain and misery more than happiness.
Get with it baseball. There is Schadenfreude out there.

 

Bobby V has led the Sox to their best start in years... no really

The Red Sox are .500.
And seeing that the Sox started 2010 and 2011 with losing months, this means that this is the best Sox start since 2009.

Bobby V can honestly say "This is the best start the Red Sox have had since their last playoff appearance."

He can also say "This is the best start the team has had this decade."

He wouldn't be lying.


Never has a .500 start been this surreal.

One minute the Red Sox can't beat anyone, no matter how big their lead is.
Then the next they win 6 of 7 on the road.
Then they run up the score and let the A's right back in it.

Everyone hates Bobby.
Nobody can pitch.
The bullpen is a disaster.

The rotation then looks good.
And the bullpen pitches well.

They were 4-10 when they limped out of Boston.
After tonight they are 11-11.

It isn't going to be an ordinary year in Boston, folks.
I still don't think this is a contender. I stand by my 85 win prediction. It will just be the road less traveled to 85 wins.

Buy Tums.

 

The Red Sox are now in the diner scene from Reservoir Dogs

There is something really ugly brewing beneath the surface of this Red Sox team. Yes, even uglier than the extra inning loss in Detroit and the massacre last Saturday in Fenway. No matter if they win again in Minnesota or pile up a few wins, there is something that isn't working that's at the core.

And it won't be pretty when it boils over.

There is pettiness on the team. Bobby Valentine is picking fights with the players and backing down but in a way that can only be adding to the tension.

Beckett seems more obsessed with figuring out who told the media about the chicken and beer nights than trying to fix the problem of being out of shape and ineffective.

The front office always seems a little shady with a taste for back stabbing  Even the 100th Anniversary celebration was underscored by no shows and a bitter Francona.

And the bullpen (along with the inevitable shuttling of Bard from the rotation to the relief corps) can't be making life any easier.

The Red Sox are currently reminding me of Reservoir Dogs.



Unsavory characters thrown into a room together. The links between the two are tenuous. Nobody likes their new identity. The tension can be cut with a knife. Supposedly they have a common goal but you know it is going to explode into something ugly.



They aren't at the "ear cutting and pointing guns at each other" stage yet.

Right now they are at the diner, with Pedroia talking about the lyrics to "Like a Virgin", Josh Beckett explaining why he doesn't tip and Bobby Valentine annoying Youkilis by trying to remember the name of that Chinese woman.

All the while the tensions that spill out into violence are foreshadowed over eggs and coffee. Just like the dysfunctions of the Red Sox are being illustrated as clearly as Lawrence Tierney's voice.

But can't you see it?

The season spiraling out of control. The Red Sox rotation will become unglued with the bullpen wearing down. And mistrust seeps into the team.

Eventually blame will be pointed at everyone and there will be blood splattered everywhere.

And as the Red Sox are eliminated, Beckett will be covered in blood cradling Youkilis in his lap just before Youk says "I'm a cop! I'm a cop!"

OK, maybe I took the analogy too far.

Fact of the matter is, this season is going to get ugly before it gets pretty. And there is no guarantee that it will be pretty at all.

Let's go to work.

Tweeting a disaster in Fenway

I can't go over the game again.
I don't have the energy to recap the John Carter like disaster.

But as I saw the end of the Phillip Humber perfect game, Fox cut back to the disastrous 7th inning.
And as it unfolded, I went to Twitter.
My handle is @sullybaseball .

This is what I wrote. It is raw, unedited frustration and frankly I don't think I can write anything more sincere than my Tweets.

Here they are in order... enjoy.

Who Should the Red Sox Hire to Replace Bobby Valentine? - My latest for Bleacher Report

I know it isn't even late April yet. But I am not out of line to think that the Red Sox should be thinking about a Plan B in the managerial department.

In my latest for Bleacher Report, I do more than think about a new Red Sox manager. I make a list of suggestions.

Check it out and pass it around.
The article can be found HERE.

This is the face of a man who is missing his job on ESPN

Seriously, how much is Bobby V missing the desk in Bristol?
At ESPN he could flash his "Know it all" smile, make waves and not really have any reprecussions if he is ever wrong.

He should have taken the Kevin Kennedy route.
Stay in the studio. Have people wonder why he doesn't get another managing gig instead of getting back in the dugout and showing why.

Another day in Boston and another nice pitching performance wasted.
Bobby V must be wondering if he would have been a better fit in Miami or Baltimore or the other potential landing spots over the years.

As for now, he's at the helm of a team that is already dysfunctional and can't seem to synch up their hitting and their pitching.

As Bobby V pines for Bristol, let's update the tally.

DODGED BULLET GAMES -3

April 9 - 4-2 win in Toronto. (A day after blowing leads in the 9th and 11th, the Sox win their first game of the year with a 3 run 9th inning rally capped off by Ryan Sweeney's 2 out go ahead RBI single)
April 14 - 13-5 win against Tampa Bay. (Buchholz fell behind 4-0 in the first but the Sox slugged 5 homers to come from behind.)
April 15 - 6-4  win against Tampa Bay. (David Ortiz doubled twice including a tie breaker in the 6th.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 5

April 5 - 3-2 loss in Detroit. (The Red Sox rally to tie the season opener with 2 outs in the 9th only to lose on a bases loaded walk off single by Austin Jackson.)
April 8 - 13-12 loss in Detroit. (The Red Sox bullpen surrender a 3 run game tying homer in the 9th to Cabrera and Avila smacked a 2 run, 2 out walk off come from behind homer to win it in as brutal a loss as you will ever see.
April 11 - 3-1 loss in Toronto. (Lester throws a complete game but Ricky Romero shut down Boston's bats and Rajai Davis manufactured a critical run.)
April 16 - 1-0 loss against Tampa Bay. (Daniel Bard walks in the only run of the game with 2 outs in the 7th.)
April 18 - 6-3 loss against Texas. (A fine Beckett performance was wasted by Napoli's homer)

-2.

As Bobby V is toiling in Boston, I have a feeling Terry Francona is enjoying the view from Bristol.

Kenny Mack and I argue on The Sully Baseball Show

Monday Night Around The Majors/The Sully Baseball Show 04/16 by Seamheads | Blog Talk Radio

I had a completely different Podcast ready for tonight. And then I got a call from my friend Kenny Mack. And I recorded our call. We argued. We got under each others skin. And I actually ended editing out some of my insults.

It is on the second hour of the Seamheads Tuesday night block.

Listen to internet radio with Seamheads on Blog Talk Radio

My Funny Valentine

Wait, are people REALLY stunned that Bobby Valentine is picking on his own players?
Are people REALLY saying "How can he say these things about Kevin Youkilis?"

Because he's Bobby Valentine!
Because he's a Know It All!
Because he is a button pusher and likes to get under people's skin!

That's all on the label when you bought him.
Are these same people also stunned that Ozzie Guillen was going to run his mouth... or Javier Vazquez wasn't a good fit in New York... or that Milton Bradley was going to melt down?

This is who Bobby V is.
And he isn't going to be Terry Francona, Mr. Happy and slapping his players on the back. The Red Sox made a change in personnel and philosophy and they brought a guy who has no interest in doing things the way they were.

Hang on for the ride, Sox fans. This is either going to be a great success or a colossal failure. But it will certainly be interesting.


 

Francona... I love you... but shut up

I have nothing but love for Terry Francona.
I love how he was a classy manager and led my team to the two World Series titles that we Red Sox fans will always cherish.

And I thought management treated you horribly after the 2011 season.

I covered that already.

Now let me say this... shut up.
You rolled your eyes at Bobby V's banning beer from the clubhouse and called it a publicity stunt.

So what if it is?
It's not a bad publicity move. It's saying to the fans "Hey, I realize there was a problem last year and things are going to be different now."

As much as I respect you, Mr. Francona, the reason for the massive regime change this year was because there needed to be a change in the culture. The laid back, let the guys do what they want, attitude worked brilliantly when the Sox were down 0-3 to the Yankees in 2004 and 1-3 to the Indians in 2007 and almost damn worked again against Tampa in 2008!

But it came back to bite the Red Sox in 2011. When starting pitchers couldn't make it out of the 4th and the team was spiraling and by your own admission you lost the clubhouse, the best thing to do is let Bobby V run the team the way he sees fit.

You are a really classy guy who brought glory to the Red Sox and left on strange terms.
The same can be said for Joe Torre who lost a lot of respect in people's eyes when he put his name on The Yankee Years book.

Don't go down that road.
We will all applaud you FOREVER for what you did. It was a glorious 8 year run.
Now it is Bobby V's team.

Let him run it the way he wants to.

5 Reasons why the Red Sox should trade Josh Beckett NOW

I thought the Red Sox should have dealt Josh Beckett after his All Star season in 2009. He had one year left on his contract, was affordable and was probably at peak value. Instead the Red Sox signed him to an extension.

Well here I am 2 years later and I am more than saying the Red Sox would be smart to trade him. I am saying the MUST trade him.

There are 5 factors of the current baseball climate that make a Josh Beckett trade imperative and forward thinking for the Red Sox.


REASON ONE: THE STAR TREK EFFECT

I wrote at the beginning of the season that, like the Star Trek films, Beckett is good every other year.

2007, 2009 and 2011 he was an All Star.
2006, 2008 and 2010 he was underwhelming.

So 2012 looks like he is due for a sub par season. And if his 5.48 ERA in September was any indication, he might have a head start on a bad year. If he is going to lose with a high ERA, I'd rather it be with another team.


REASON TWO: C.J.WILSON AND THE HORRIBLE CROP OF AVAILABLE PITCHERS

C. J. Wilson is the most sought after free agent pitcher on the market right now. He was born the same year as Josh Beckett (1980) and he has 2 good seasons as a starting pitcher under his belt. Beckett has 3 All Star seasons with the Red Sox to go along with some good years in Florida.

Wilson has a spotty playoff record while Beckett has a World Series MVP and an ALCS MVP on his mantle.

I've been saying that C. J. Wilson is a contract disaster waiting to happen. But the need for starting pitching and the terrible crop of current pitchers will mean that SOMEONE will pay him over $100 million over the next six years.

Or they can pay Josh Beckett $45 million over the next three years. A team that loses (wins?) the C. J. Wilson derby after he signs elsewhere can get a cheaper shorter term contract with a pitcher the same age with a better career and a much sharper post season record.

Sounds like a good move to me.

REASON THREE: THE RED SOX LACK OF DEPTH

I don't think the Red Sox are winning the 2012 pennant. They lack depth in the rotation, in the bullpen, on the bench and even in the lineup.

Besides Lester, who can be trusted in the rotation? Buchholz is too much of a health risk to be counted on. The bullpen is a no man's land. The corner outfield spots, catcher and shortstop are a mystery and there is little firepower off the bench. The Red Sox need to address some of those problems and a trade for a younger player (or hopefully younger players) would help solve some problems. If the Sox can swing a deal and get a corner outfielder of the future or a good young reliever that can be a factor for the next bunch of years, then it is a deal worth making.


REASON FOUR: BOBBY V AND BECKETT WILL BE A MATCH MADE IN HELL

We all know this is true. Beckett isn't exactly Mr. Cute and Cuddly and he was an ornery dude with a lovable lug like Terry Francona running the team. Now he will be in the clubhouse with the Know-It-All who trashed Beckett down the stretch on ESPN.

How can this end well?
How will they coexist?
The answer is they won't. And on the heels of the great collapse of 2011 and Valentine putting his thumb print on the club, it is probably best not to do an experiment and put them in the same clubhouse.

Oh it would be entertaining. But I prefer peace and winning.

REASON FIVE: BECKETT DID HIS JOB. IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON.

If there is one thing the modern history of the Red Sox has shown us, it is Boston is quick to let stars rot on someone else's watch. Nomar, Pedro, Mo, Damon, Mueller, Millar, Lowe and Manny all had their "grumbling and limping" seasons on someone else's dime. No doubt we will add Papelbon to that list.

It means the Red Sox are not exactly a sentimental team. But the Sox should make the deal with Beckett while our memories of him are still positive.

He owes Red Sox fans nothing. He was brought in to be the brash bad ass ace that was missing from Fenway after Pedro Martinez left. He rewarded us Sox fans with a memorable 2007 regular season and a totally dominating post season. He went 4-0 with a complete game shutout, the ALCS MVP and probably would have won the World Series MVP if he had a second start.

He did what he was supposed to do.
He secured that second championship, the won that showed 2004 was not a fluke.
Let's remember THAT Josh Beckett instead of the player who will inevitably breakdown soon.

As a Red Sox fan I can't possibly thank Josh Beckett enough. But it is time to move on.


I have a feeling all of these reasons will fall on deaf ears.
But dealing him makes sense.

Trust me.

Bobby V, The Lobster and Arnie Beyeler

OK, Bobby V is coming. The Red Sox are Valentine's team now. And the idea that it will be a calm player friendly environment is as likely as the Red Sox retiring Grady Little's number.

I think there is only one way Bobby Valentine's authority can work in Boston: Give him TOTAL authority. Make it clear that it is indeed his way or the highway. Take away as many obstacles as possible of people to challenge him.

Normally I think it is positive to challenge authority. But bringing in Valentine means a change in the culture, and that can't be done in a half assed manner.

It HAS to be Bobby V's ship. No "That's not the way we did it before."
Otherwise they just should have kept Francona or promoted one of his lieutenants.

Which brings a challenge regarding The Lobster.
Readers of Sully Baseball know that I believe Jason Varitek's nickname should be The Lobster.

The Red Sox captain is a free agent right now and the reasons to bring him back are hard to find.

He brings a tiny bit of power to the plate and he hasn't as awful as he was in 2009 when his .209 average and .703 OPS led to the Victor Martinez trade. But he has become subpar offensively.

The traditional arguments to retain The Lobster are his ability to call a great game and his leadership skills.

Well his game calling and handling the pitching staff didn't help the Red Sox in their historic nosedive. The pitchers all had ERAs with area codes and game plans seemed to change from pitch to pitch.

And his leadership skills didn't get Beckett, Lester or Lackey's act together when the team needed them more than ever. If it was indeed Francona's team and Varitek's clubhouse, then that needs to totally change with the arrival of Bobby V.

In a way, Varitek would be a relic of the Francona years and one that could possibly act as a tension point to the new manager.

Varitek could represent the classic "It's the way we do things around here" barrier.
And of course Bobby V is the "If that way was so great, then why was I hired?" counterpoint.

If the Lobster returns, and it isn't for his bat or pitch calling, then what else could he offer except a place for the veterans to turn to when Bobby V gets under their skin (which he will)?

So yeah, I am advocating that the Red Sox 14 inning win in the Bronx on September 25th be Varitek's last game as a player in a Boston uniform.

Now the Red Sox are not exactly a sentimental organization. Just witness how quickly Nomar, Pedro, Lowe, Foulke, Damon, Bellhorn, Embree, Manny and Papelbon were shown the door when they were considered to be done. Ask Theo and Tito how cute and cuddly the Sox are.

So Varitek just might not come back and turn up being a backup catcher for the Yankees for all we know.

I think they should keep him in the organization, but away from Bobby V.
How can they do that?

Drive 45 minutes south of Fenway and make Varitek the manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Seriously, his playing days are done and putting The Lobster on Bobby V's coaching staff could be a recipe for disaster.

Manage the top farm club. Help the pipeline of young players up to the big club, be part of the organization and let Bobby V put his own stamp on the team.

And if (when?) Bobby V implodes and the situation becomes intolerable, he can be let go and Varitek can take over the club with managerial experience and familiarity with the young players he managed and the veterans who he played with.

All that is good, but where does that leave Arnie Beyeler, the current PawSox manager?

Make him the one provision for Bobby V. "You can pick your entire coaching staff except you need to bring Arnie Beyeler in."

Beyeler has been in pro baseball as a player, scout, minor league coach and minor league manager since 1986 but has never made it to the majors. He's not about to make waves.

Stick him as the first base coach and Bobby V can have his own bench coach, third base coach, hitting coach, pitching coach and bullpen coach. And that way the young players who played in Pawtucket last year will have a familiar face.

So let's review what this does...

Bobby V would have real control of the team (and why hire him if you don't give him control?) The remnants of 2011 leadership would be gone.

The Lobster Varitek would remain in the organization and build up his credentials to come in and bring back some 2004 and 2007 magic if Valentine doesn't fit. But we also would avoid seeing him clash with Valentine and continue to erode at the plate as he approaches 40.

And Beyeler gets to contribute at the major league level after more than a quarter century of dues paid.

Makes perfect sense to me.
Which is why it probably won't happen.

There's only two ways the Bobby Valentine era can turn out

Well, Bobby V is coming to Boston. I wrote earlier that I was fine with either Valentine or Sandy Alomar Jr. at the helm of the Red Sox.

So I can't complain.
It's a short term solution, but maybe the whole "He was gone but now he's back to prove he can still do it" mentality could work its magic the way that Jack McKeon had in 2003 with the Marlins or Jim Leyland gave the Tigers in 2006.

Or it can be a disaster like Davey Johnson with the Dodgers or Dallas Green with the Mets or Jim Leyland with the Rockies.

The Fried Chicken Crew didn't respond to super classy, totally lovable, two time champion Terry Francona? Well try Bobby V... a man who has been wrong exactly zero times in his life.

Just ask him.

A veteran team with a know it all outsider coming in as manager could be either a brilliant move or it could be a biggest bomb than the last decade of Nicolas Cage films combined.

So the Red Sox are either going back to the World Series or about to crash and burn in a way that will make us nostalgic for September 2o11.

Either way, it won't be boring.