Earlier today, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported that Red Sox players met with owners John Henry and Larry Lucchino in late July to voice their displeasure with manager Bobby Valentine. Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia were said to be among the most vocal in the meeting and GM Ben Cherington confirmed that the pow-wow took place. Here's the latest out of Fenway..
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (via Twitter) opines that the trade of Kelly Shoppach in order to give Valentine favorite Ryan Lavarnway more playing time can't be a bad sign for Bobby V. Boston will receive a player to be named later from the Mets in exchange for the backstop.
- Valentine told reporters, including Tim Britton of The Providence Journal, that he is glad to have the reported unrest behind him. "Wow. Is that what was said really? That's what Dustin and Adrian said? It did say that? I didn't hear that. I'm glad that July is over because they're still playing for me," said the skipper.
- The Red Sox players haven't kept an open mind about Valentine ever since his remarks about Kevin Youkilis back in April, tweets Buster Olney of ESPN.com. In an interview, Valentine said that he didn't think the veteran was "as physically or emotionally into the game as he has been in the past for some reason.”
A quote from Breaking Bad
“You’re (Valentine) a time bomb. Tick, tick, tick.”
It’s only a matter of time till the FO let’s him go.
Just some quotes from fans when Bobby V got hired
“This is awesome news. He was my favorite from the start. Can’t wait for 2012” – @Redsoxn8tion
“I’m going to go ahead and be unpopular here and say this is quite possibly a very good idea. ”
@sourbob
“Congrats to the Red Sox. I think Bobby V will be a great manager for them. Bout time somebody hired him again.”
@madman2TX
“Great hire! Smart and a good evealuator of young talent, just what the Sox need”
@Cyyoung
Note, just Google “Red Sox Hire Bobby Valentine MLBTR”
I think the players are a bigger problem. Gonzalez has been playing much better this month, maybe he is focusing on baseball instead of the manager?
Does this all really boil down to Youk not giving 100% and getting called out on it or saying nice inning to Middlebrooks after a bad inning?
Sox may be getting paid a lot but they haven’t won anything, they need to stop acting like they have.
I’d think guys like Dustin Pedroia earned the right to voice their displeasure. Not wanting to play for the manager is usually more of an indictment of the manager than the players… and clearly, he’s done a number of things that have rubbed the team the wrong way.
Managing personalities is the most important part of being an MLB manager… and it’s something Bobby’s always struggled with. Mitch Williams talked about that when Bobby was hired. There’s a lot of players who really didn’t like playing for Bobby V.
They made his life hell before the season even started, he never got a chance. I don’t really care for him myself but he doesn’t seem to be the problem.
The team and manager are both making themselves pretty un-likeable to the fans. The bickering back and forth is becoming pretty nauseating.
Would have loved to see someone like Ozzie in here to put these guys in their place. They get paid to play a game and not many of them are playing up to their paychecks.
So sick of hearing about managing personalities, how about we have a manager who managers ball players? I think most of the team forget what it means to be one.
You’re making it out to be a lot more simple that it actually is.
Like it or not, the game of Major League Baseball is filled with Egos and keeping those Egos motivated is the most important part of being a MLB manager, because simply, the talent level of these players is good enough to go out there and win with even the worst strategic manager (look at Charlie Manuel).
I still put all of this on Lucchino, don’t overlook the fact he brought in valentine, and the only reason why nothing is happening is because they don’t want fans to think it’s a “lost year”… If i was John Henry, fire lucchino, find a new man for the job, let Cherrington DO HIS JOB, fire valentine, clear out the coaches, do everything you can to drop the contracts of Beckett, Crawford…Pair Ellsbury with a prospect or 2, and land an ace, and go from there…That would atleast break up the characters on this club, and make them actually play the game again
They made his life hell before the season even started,
No, the Boston media did.
And if Valentine didn’t know about the Boston media before taking this job, then he has the intellectual capacity of a second grader.
@Dustroia15:disqus As someone who watched the Ozzie nonsense firsthand for 8 seasons, that would not have been the answer for the Red Sox. He absolutely quit on an owner that he “loves like a father” and his “putting guys in their place” was often a measure he used to cover for his own mistakes.
“Gonzalez has been playing much better this month, maybe he is focusing on baseball instead of the manager”
people say things like this on the radio/tv because they are paid to talk constantly and stir the pot and they quickly run out of thoughtful ideas
you have no excuse
What’s your excuse?
What’s your point?
What would happen to you of you teamed up with your co-workers to get your new boss fired? It’s your fault the old one was fired because your work was so poor someone’s head had to roll. Your time would probably be better spent improving yourself opposed to getting the new boss fired.
There’s a major difference I’m not more important to my company’s owner than my boss and baseball players on a contract don’t have to worry about finding new jobs. Bad analogy.
Well there is really no real life equivalent to playing a kids game for millions of dollars, so a spot on analogy will be difficult to come up with.
Do you enjoy watching this soap opera of a season? It’s all mindless off the field trivial BS. It’s like watching a bunch of little girls feminly slap each other…how’s that analogy?
Honestly, I tend to figure a majority of the drama is overblown by the media. People don’t trust the media for actual news… why trust it for sports?
why are you changing the subject? i quoted only one portion of your comment. you suggested that adrian gonzalez struggled this season because he was focusing on his manager, and that he came out of his slump because he “focused on baseball” instead
just think about that. does it really make sense, at all? in any way? or is it hollow rhetoric you overheard guys on the radio blabbing about because they’re paid to do so. the answer is obvious
yes, the players have underperformed. no, it isn’t valentine’s fault. but no, that doesn’t mean valentine is anything other than a terrible manager
there were 17 players in the meeting, and many more players and baseball people could have told you the same thing about valentine before he was hired
you are reading into this like the manager is being blamed exclusively. really what’s happened is that the players have said we’re having a bad year, it’s our responsibility, but we really hate this guy and he isn’t helping. which is true
I think the ownership is the problem!
We may have a secret “Al Davis” scenario on our hands.
I wish I had my quote – When they fired Tito, I said I would cry if they even entertained the idea of Bobby V…
I’m still crying.
The second link, “Bobby Valentine Hiring Reactions,” was quite interesting too.
Peter Gammons of MLB.com says GM
Ben Cherington and Valentine, two smart baseball people, have what it
takes to work well together and turn the 2012 Red Sox into a team worth
watching. “They are both so smart and so very different and need to win,” Gammons writes.
ESPN.com’s Buster Olney believes
Valentine and the Red Sox players have an opportunity to bury the past
and succeed in spite of what has been said about them. Olney reports
that some Red Sox players started grumbling to each other as Valentine
emerged as a serious candidate for the position.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Red Sox have put in place a formula for greatness or disaster. Valentine is “a combustible manager as likely to throw the organization into further chaos as he is to bring championship glory,” Sherman writes.
Well Gammons was right about one thing, this team is worth watching…for all the wrong reasons.
love this
I just went and looked at that thread to find my comment and saw that .gif you posted and just started dying. Retroactively thank you.
I think the situation is obscene. By NO means am I a fan of Bobby or his personality but since when does a team get to dictate who they will play for? Right there, that’s the problem. Who are YOU to say you don’t want to play for him? It seems that several players had already decided they didn’t want to play for him before the season even started.
It was clear that Bobby V was sent in to shake things up but the problem is, almost all of the players that were issues in 2011 are back in 2012 and nothing has changed. Obviously, things wouldn’t be AS bad if Beckett and Lester were pitching better, if Agonz was hitting w/ more power and if Cawford, Lackey, etc were healthy. However, adversity doesn’t build character…..it just gives you a HUGE stage to reveal what character you are made of.
There’s a lot to check Bobby V on from the Youk comments to the stupid and insensitive “Stop Snitching” press conference he held but players, alleged leaders like Pedroia, did nothing to make the situation better. And who the heck is Agonz to make ANY comments about displeasure with Bobby V? And whatever players said they “no longer want to play for Bobby V” should be ashamed. You’re not playing for the manager. You’re playing for the team on the back of your jersey that’s paying you and the fans that spend earnest money to show up and support your sorry you know what.
A lot of teams have managers that were hated by their manager (ex the Billy Martin Yanks). The difference between those teams and this RS team is that those players banded together and played for something greater. These guys, no disrespect to RS fans here….have no heart. No pride. Sad. And as much as I dislike Bobby V…he isn’t the problem. As much as I hate the RS, even this isn’t that funny to me.
Thats a real fine mess you left us wonder boy Theo!
i don’t know if you can conclude they have no heart or pride based on any of this. no shame, maybe. and they certainly don’t have much to be proud of at this point
i do agree though that this club could use some yankee professionalism
It’s my opinion that instead of worrying about what a manager might say to “hurt your feelings” you worry about what it is or what you aren’t doing on the field. I would respect them a little bit more if the griping had to do with lineups, pitching changes and things dealing with the actual game.
Aside from Ortiz there’s not a single RETURNING star on this team that is performing up to their standard level of play. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen an entire group of players collectively and individually underachieve and I just can not accept the fact that these professionals have the audacity to say they can’t or no longer want to play for a manager.
In the “hood” (the mean streets of the cul-de-sac I was raised) these guys would be refereed to as having no heart and their hearts are pumping kool aid. They all need one big, collective hug. They are playing with the apathy of the fictitious Cleveland Indians team in Major League II. They need this guy here to illustrate what they need….see attached
“Aside from Ortiz there’s not a single RETURNING star on this team that is performing up to their standard level of play”
Not entirely true there. Gonzalez abandoned his old hitting approach he had used for years at the end of June of being pitch selective and it has been what turned his season around. he is now on track to have his normal, productive season RBI wise, set a career record for doubles, probably second best for average. His HR will likely not be nowhere near normal, but he is on track for a nice year and pedroia is slowly tracking back up after sustaining 2 serious hand injuries since early June and should wind up at least close to his career norms.
Of course Ells and Crawford missed half of the season and we know it’s tough to figure out when Boston is going to pull the plug on CC’s season for good and have him get the TJ surgery, but him playing the 1 month he has and somewhat dispelling that awful 2011 season he had showed the 140m was not a total waste to some of those box score read only RS fans, as CC has been nothing short of outstanding with the bat. he might not be able to throw the ball past SS from LF, but he has been nothing short of splendid at the plate over the last month.
Pitching staff? you are 100% correct from a veteran standpoint, except for Bucholz, who has been one of the finest SP in the league since late May.
Not trying to argue but my point was that several vets have not had the kind of year you EXPECT from them. No matter how you dice it, despite him having a good year by baseball standards, Agonz is not having a good year by HIS standards.
.352 OBP down from his career avg of .373 and his 2011 season (.410).
Assume he’ll get 700 ABs and he’s on pace for 18 hrs which is down from his career avg of 31 from the previous 6 seasons and his 2011 total of 27.
His 6% walk rate is down from his career 10.7% and his 2011 rate of 10.3%.
And he’s a different hitter on the road w/ a .730 OPS than he is at home w/ a .902.
Now clearly there are Yankee players w/ similar issues so don’t think I’m picking on him because he’s a RS player. I’m just point out the truth.
As for Pedroia, his .760 OPS is good for a 2b but it’s not the elite level we’ve come to expect from him (career .827).
As for Crawford, he should get a mulligan because of the injury but I don’t see anything great about his performance other than a .289 bat avg. Other than that a .313 OBP, 2% walk rate and inability to hit on the road (small sample size obviously) are nothing to be happy about. He is driving the ball more which is good but if he’s going to leadoff then he has to do better.
I understand ur not trying to start any kind of argument bro.. We had these discussions over the years here. We both have different info on sort of inside things, or stories and things players say also though and just a few days ago, Gonzo stated he was not taking pitches like he was, but looking for a type of pitch instead and not being nearly as selective at the plate from June on and that coincides with his “hot” streak. His seen pitch this year is at a career low also. Without going to the WEEI article and bringing it here, it was barely 3 pitches per AB seen for Gonzo now all season. It seems to be working.
His slugging was in the “.380” range as recall before he took off and now is approaching .500 and his BA was near .250
Pedroia played through a torn muscle in his thumb(missed 1 week eventually) then came back when he should have been out and THEN hurt the same hand again and didn’t miss but 1-2 games. this has been since June. not exactly sure what else he can do, but show up and try and play as well as he can? Sit on the DL like
many others do? Pedroia is the guy who plays through almost anything, like with a freshly inserted pin in his foot.. his stats might suffer, but he is going to play and when he is healthy (to a degree) his stats will improve.
Does one think his amount of XBH are suffering because he is just swinging and missing at pitches because he is holding some kind of grudge at the manager or something? i really can’t believe you think that YFS. He is just now healing from the injuries to his hand.
CC? I doubt he is going to be the leadoff hitter, never was. 32, Jackie Bradley (in another year, maybe 2) will be the leadoff hitter.
CC has begun swing the bat much, much better and never was known for his pitch selection skills very much, just hitting the ball and putting it into play. IMO? Pedey will be the #3 and a decent one at that when he hits like he normally does and has began again. probably not a better 5’8 #3 hitter in decades
Back to CC for one item.. Boston (even with injuries) has a far better offensive lineup than Tampa has ever had.. CC is not going to get walked, he is going to get pitched to. With CC hitting 2nd, do they walk him and THEN face pedroia and Gonzalez?
With TB, they didn’t have that, Tampa generally had 1-2 bats in that lineup, 1-2 mediocres and 5 outs, still do.
“It’s tough,” Pedroia said. “We had a meeting. I’ll be honest with everybody. We had a meeting in New York. The coaches had a meeting. Bobby had a meeting. We all had a meeting. Basically, when I spoke, I said we all need to do better. That includes owners, Bobby, coaches, especially the players.
“I had one problem with Bobby earlier in the year and I went into his
office and talked to him like a man. He talked to me like a man. We’ve
been great, had a great relationship. I’ll go out there and play for him
any day of the week. I’m playing for all my teammates.”
Look..I’m not going to sit here and say I know what’s going on inside the clubhouse but you should know better than to expect him to say anything other than what he said. There clearly are some issues if the team has half of it’s players approaching MANAGEMENT about their unhappiness with the manager. Clearly, not every manager is going to be loved by every player but there’s a difference between players being at odds w/ a manager and voicing that to the manager vs going over his head and holding clandestine meetings with the owner regarding the manager. Clearly you know that.
Usually I take the media w/ a grain of salt but there’s so much collaborative evidence that I think it is as it appears.
on the whole, you and i agree about this situation. having said that, this isn’t a spot where it’s obvious that a player was going to say what he said. pedroia has been vocal when he has disagreed with or disapproved of valentine’s actions. recall: “maybe that’s how they do it in japan, but not here”
so no, it wasn’t a given that he’d say that – or say anything at all, really, if the report was accurate. what he did say confirms my assumption: that this meeting was just not about bobby being the problem with the season, but that there are a lot of problems — we (the players) are chief among them — and that this guy is not helping
do i approve of that meeting? no. you and i agree that it’s a mistake. but let’s not take it too far and say that they’re a bunch of cowards blaming everything on the manager. they’re just a bunch of entitled boston ball players who dislike their manager and don’t have the sense to suck it up
that’s bad enough, thank you
Wow you’re really making some of these contributors look like fools on this one.
For the record:
“Excuse me while I go cry for several hours.”
@Karkat
I hate this team. I can’t believe what a train wreck things are and the worst is that they are locked in to pieces for multiple years to come.
I’m a Boston fan and I’m hoping that they just blow up the team, coaching staff, and front office and start fresh. They’re the most hateable Boston team since the soulless bunch from 2000.
I’d love me some Pedroia
I’d gladly accept fair prospect value for anyone on the team save for Middlebrooks, Lavarnway, and current prospects. That’d be more than enough to clear payroll and build a solid team for 2014 on.
Only problem is there is no way to move Beckett, Lackey or Crawford. That’s over $50M right there.
I think that a team would conceivably take a flyer on Beckett and I’m sure the Sox could rid themselves of Crawford if they paid a chunk of his contract.
Problem with that, is Pedroia and Gonzalez are cornerstone pieces that on just about every team out there they would be upgrades on, so why would Boston want to move them when both are still in productive seasons and signed for not extravagant amounts and for the next several seasons?
I could see many others being more than available.. Ells, Salty, most of the pitching staff, even Middlebrooks while his value is high if he had not broken his wrist. Lester even, but Pedroia and Gonzalez are still top 3-5 at their respective positions in the game and any team Boston has in the near future that will be competitive will be needing those. They have no 1b in the system and 2b is iffy. Sure, they could move (or try to) a Cecchinni type, but how that would work could be scary. Coyle has not done well.
Moving the 2 best players on the team in pedroia and Gonzalez just does not make any sense, but getting rid of Ellsbury, Salty would. Those people they have guys who can step in short term, as well as long term already.
Same with Middlebrooks. 3b they might have a hole in the short term, but Cecchini should be ready in a couple of years and imagine the team would immediately move Bogaerts to 3b if he was moved and get him ready with so many other SS prospects behind him.
Gonzalez is making $21 MM/year through 2016 and then $21.5 MM/year in 2017 and 2018. Moving him would add a lot of payroll and positional flexibility and would net a few very good prospects. 1B has the highest marginal WAR cost on the market; it’d be smarter to invest that money elsewhere, as productive first basemen aren’t hard to come by.
Pedroia is a cornerstone, but he’d bring a king’s ransom back in prospects. He’s one of the few veterans I’d love to keep, but they shouldn’t turn down a good deal for him if one is offered.
I think what you are suggesting Devern is a total rebuild. That is something the “good people” of Boston and especially the media would never stand for.
I see your point now on doing a total blow up of the team and even when Boston did something akin to that.. Moving Freddy Lynn, Butch Hobson, Rick Burleson and letting Fisk walk they even went and got established (or some young people) people back in Carney Lansford, Mark Clear and older vet, Frank Tananna. A total blowup, followed by a rebuild with youngsters has not been done in Boston since 1965 and man… I honestly can’t see that being repeated. Partial? Yeah, they have retooled a couple of times, that 80-81, after Morgan came onboard with his “kids” and I think they need to do it again, but the typical front running fan base (no us, but the typical, know nothing yahoo) that likes to just go to a game, gets drunk and act like a dolt would cease attending, buying NESN, buying a shirt.. Blah, blah..
It’s why think Cherrington has his work cut out for him figuring out which pieces to move, based on which prospects are ready and allowing them to play now, as he now has enabled Lavarnway the chance. Next he will have to figure out which piece he can move based on who he also has ready and there are only a limited few.. SS perhaps if he can get much to anything out of Aviles and I still think Ellsbury will continually be in play, even though Kalish has struggled. Bringing back Pods was a decent emergency move that could have signaled a possible move in the distant works.
Wouldn’t be surprised if Salty does not follow Shoppach on the waiver wire, even my personal favorite Ross as much as would like to see him around next season.
They have to make these moves based on what they have available at the MiLB level, or on what they get back in return and is ready, but IMHO? I would think they should target pitching, pitching and more pitching in any deal(s)
HAHAHA. Jimy Williams.. Don Zimmer with hair… That guy TRULY had no clue.
No idea why Duquette kept him around so long and one of the reasons The Duke got shuffled out the door, other than ownership change was Williams.
Williams hasn’t got to worry about any more MLB jobs after butchering it up in Boston so badly.
Sooooo I said before the season started that Rays> Red Sox in every possible form. I was mocked with how the Rays where a fluke last year yada yada. Guess what? Rays> Red Sox next year AGAIN. RAYS HAVE A MORE TALENTED ORGANIZATION( players FO personal). Not only next year but i can see the Rays being atop the division the next 8-10+ years. The RS will have an aging Pedroia(resigned), Lester, Crawford and Agone.
Now RS fans will tell me that this seasons failure is due to BV(scapegoat) and injuries(everyone has them). Then they will state they had the best team this year without those issues and will win the WS next year. Lol
You realize that Pedroia is 29 and Lester is 28, right? Now I know neither are as young as Rays contributors Ben Zobrist or Luke Scott or Carlos Peña or James Shields or Fernando Rodney… wait.
Or Upton, or Jennings, or Longoria, or Joyce, or Price, or Moore, or…………stop me if you’ve heard this……………or Hellickson, or….
My point is if a 28 year old is an aging player than what exactly will 32 year old soon to be top free agent Josh Hamilton be referred to as? Ancient?
What does Josh Hamilton have to do with the Rays?
Anyway, my philosophy has always been that 28-33 are the prime years of an MLB player. So by my modest assumptions, yes actually, 32 is the back end of the best years of a player’s career, most of the time.
Sigh,
Let’s try this again without the sarcasm. What 28 year old player is considered an “aging player.” That terminology is typically used when signing a player who’s 33 or more.
Let’s try this again without the sarcasm.
Good luck.
You want my answer to be the one you want to hear. Sorry friend. It is not going to be. 28 is not old, but its not young either. Bryce Harper is young, Elvis Andrus is young, Stephen Stratsburg is young.
28, meh, its not old yet, but its not young either. At least that’s my take, feel free to disagree, which I am sure you will.
For the record, the average age of an MLB batter is 28.7, and the average age of an MLB pitcher is 28.5. if 28 is old, then the average player is old.
huh…well that blows that theory…..lol NEXT!!
I was thinking of the Matt Moore, Hellickson, Longoria, Joyce, Cobb, Jennings, Prices of the world. Potentially 3 YOUNG, cheap aces in Moore, Price and Hellickson. The only RS that can scratch Ace status is Lester and he’s more of a #2. Not much promise in your farm in the way of pitching(barnes I guess). So a team with Top notch pitching and just enough offense > No pitching outside of Lester(Doubrant isn’t good), Bad contracts Galore in Crawford, Agone, Lackey, Beckett. Pedroia will get an extension is his age 31 season, Lester most likely too so 2 more big contacts, And you are losing your most talented player in Ellbury( Jackie Bradley is just a prospect). Oh yeah Friedman is a borderline genius with what he has to work with. Good day sir
I refer to my point above.
ahhh I see. I don’t want to sign Josh to a contract, as he is to old(aging) which is risky. Any contract that takes you past 35 years old is bad business imo.
Now Start Wearing Purple I will stop hammering the RS when they stop making a circus out of themselves. That seems unlikely though as it has been going on for nearly 3 years now. Just shut their mouths and play baseball.
I’m well aware this has become a circus but I still tend to think this is overblown. No one really takes the media seriously until it says something they want to hear anyway.
David Price isn’t going to be very cheap in the near future.
I though you were hard headed until i came across this “wearing_purple” guy.
Red Sox lead the MLB in amount of players on the DL this season. I would like to see how any PO calibur team could compete missing 2 of the better OF around half the season, then 3b breaks their wrist, ortiz out a month (so far), Ross missed a month, Pedroia missed a month, Bailey hasn’t pitched yet and that is just scratching the surface.
Saying the Rays have a more talented organization needs a response that leads to a post getting removed.
Yankees lost Gardner, Swisher has been out a few times. CC has been on the DL twice, Pettite broke his ankle, Joba missed most of the season, Mo has been out all year, Arod broke his hand, Tex was sick the first few months…and still first place. Thats how one PO caliber team in the same division has done this year.
Don’t forget the Yankees didn’t even get to use Michael Pineda
I’m Sorry the Jays have used 51 players this years, they’ve used 32 pitchers and 19 Position Players. In fact the last time we activated a player from the Disabled List was June 25th and that was Ben Francisco and he’s now gone. You’ve had players on the DL that have been activated you have no excuse ours have sat there and not come off.
“With Will Middlebrooks’ recent wrist fracture, the Red Sox this season
have had 25 players serve 29 stints on the disabled list. Both figures
are the most by a Red Sox team since 1971, and according to STATS, the
25 players are the most by any team since 1987. Only two teams in the
last 25 years have had as many as 29 DL stints.”
This ain’t my 1st rodeo to not posting something posting without facts to back it up…
Nats lost Werth and Zimmerman for extended time and have the best record in the game.
2 != 25
Valentine has always been a cancer as a manager, always will be.
I’ll say this about Valentine:
1) Was his signing right at the time: Yes. The alternative choices were sketchy at best at Valentine was supposed to provide a better narrative at the beginning of the season.
2) Is he the best bet for next season: No. Too many players are having off years to just blame bad luck. At some point you have to look at the coaching staff.
This reminds me an awful lot of the NY Mets circa 2007………….
Calm down! This is a gap year…Cherington knew exactly what he was doing when he hired Bobby V. He would alien all the players with Bobby V to help them rediscover the greatness of Francona…and then he brings back Francona for 2013!
Valentine will be back. The plan has always been 2 years until their real target (Farrell) is available. If needed they can dump him mid next yr and have an interim coach until JF is off his contract
They are not getting Farrell, that dream is gone. Why would he leave Toronto? Brad Mills is a way more realistic target for the Sox and he would have a style more similar to Francona then Valentine
What a bunch of babies.
Really can’t blame Bobby V, everyone has been injured, clubhouse was a mess, Pedroia is loyal to Terry Francona. The Youkilis decision was the right one, and also the Shoppach.
I think Bobby has done a great job with everything he was placed in to. He couldn’t hire his own staff or anything. If the players don’t like him, then at the end of the season he has to get dumped, and certain Sox players need to get moved. This is a talented bunch of guys, but a few of them can and are becoming detrimental to the team.
Get rid of the trouble making players and rebuild. They got Francona fired and now they are trying to do the same thing to Bobby.
This should have been expected. As a Mets fan, this is just like the 2007 hangover in 2008. After the collapse, the team was competitive, but had a lot of players grumbling about Willie Randolph. He was fired midway through 2008, and Jerry Manuel, the “gangsta,” couldn’t save us. The players played a bit better, but the bullpen was god awful. An injury to Wagner led to depleting the farm system and killing the payroll, and the Mets haven’t had a winning record since. Sorry Boston fans, but this might take a while.