Firing Grady

[Clay Dreslough]

I had been on the fence about Grady. He's clearly a horrible strategic manager. And on that point, I actually think it IS OK to fire him for ONE mind-numbingly stupid decision. The Product Manager on my game at work just got fired for one bad move, and I expect the same would happen to me. It happens in the real world so it shall happen in baseball.

That said, the players appear to love him. I wish we could have two managers -- one for "Player Relations" and one for strategy. Sort of like how the American electorate seems to wish they could have a Democratic president for domestic issues and a Republican one for foreign affairs (hopefully George W. has shown them the error of their ways).

The real problem is that Grady doesn't get that he made the wrong call. Although I still see articles on the web talking about hindsight, the fact is that nearly all of Red Sox Nation knew that it was a horrible move to leave Pedro in -- even before everything unraveled. Grady missed a move that would have been made correctly by the drunken guy lying in the Fenway urinal trough screaming "pee on me".

And he still doesn't get it:

"Right now I'm disappointed that evidently some people are judging me on the results of one decision I made -- not the decision, but the results of the decision."

Sorry, Grady. We're judging you on the decision. Yes, if the Sox won you'd probably get to keep your job. But that doesn't mean the decision was right.

"The reason anyone wants to make changes is they feel that the team should have done better than it did."

Wrong again, Grady. You'd still have your job if you pulled Pedro in the 7th and the bullpen blew the lead. Mike Timlin might not have a job. But Grady Little would.

"I'm not sure," Little said. "You've got to win the World Series in Boston before it's considered winning."

Three strikes, Grady! I was telling everyone I knew that I'd be happy to lose to the Marlins in 4, if only we can get past the Yankees.

If Grady doesn't get that he screwed up, and that's why he's being criticized, then we probably don't want him around, even if the players love him. He doesn't exactly set a good example of taking responsbility for your mistakes. How do we expect Manny to admit that he should run out ground balls when the manager won't admit that he blew the ALCS.

Maybe we could make someone a Player-Manager. I'm voting Doug Mirabelli (or Varitek on days when Mirabelli catches). The catchers always know what's going on. There's probably a dozen guys on the team that could do better than Grady...



Clay

[williethebasset]

I agree, Grady was an awful situational manager and should have won the division. However he was unable to use the resources given to him properly, and as a result he had one of the best teams ever in Red Sox history. While Jimy Williams could get along with the players he did WAY MORE with WAY LESS, and he even had arguments with players. Of course that was under Harrington who allowed "duke" to run the team and when williams didnt cooperate, he was fired. I would like to see LaRussa in Boston but that won't happen anytime soon.

[Clay Dreslough]

What are your thoughts on Francona?

[michaelg123789]

Boo!

Francona is clearly letting the inmates run the asylum. Francona didn't do well AT ALL in Philadelphia, and the team wasn't nearly as bad talent wise as everyone thinks they were.

I don't know, but I sorely miss Grady Little. He turned around the most defunct clubhouse in MLB history, and made it one of the best in MLB history in the matter of 2 seasons.

The fact that last year we saw guys coming out of the dugout and cheering so much for their fellow teammates, it was about as close to a TEAM as you can get.

Under Francona, immediatly players started griping about what's going to happen next year (2005), and who's going to stay and how much they will make. It just seemed like the bloom came off the rose and turned to gloom.

Still, I hold out hope for them. If they can get the team playing together again, and hopefully they take the incident Saturday and run with it, then I see no reason why the Sox can't make another run at the title this year.

[boomboom]

Originally posted by michaelg123789
Boo!

Francona is clearly letting the inmates run the asylum. Francona didn't do well AT ALL in Philadelphia, and the team wasn't nearly as bad talent wise as everyone thinks they were.

I don't know, but I sorely miss Grady Little. He turned around the most defunct clubhouse in MLB history, and made it one of the best in MLB history in the matter of 2 seasons.

The fact that last year we saw guys coming out of the dugout and cheering so much for their fellow teammates, it was about as close to a TEAM as you can get.

Under Francona, immediatly players started griping about what's going to happen next year (2005), and who's going to stay and how much they will make. It just seemed like the bloom came off the rose and turned to gloom.

Still, I hold out hope for them. If they can get the team playing together again, and hopefully they take the incident Saturday and run with it, then I see no reason why the Sox can't make another run at the title this year.

well said!

[michaelg123789]

Thank you Bobby!

[boomboom]

Originally posted by michaelg123789
Thank you Bobby!

your welcome Michael!

[Clay Dreslough]

I believe the Red Sox are now 13-4 since trading Nomar.

Incredibly, the A's, Angels and Rangers are also all playing lights out.

Clay

[boomboom]

Originally posted by Clay Dreslough
Incredibly, the A's, Angels and Rangers are also all playing lights out.

Clay

sucks because the Mariners cant compete in the AL west....!! It would be so cool if it was a 4 team race!

Bobby

[Clay Dreslough]

As a Red Sox fan, I also wish the Mariners could manage to beat the A's, Angels and Rangers more than they have been.

Actually, I like the Mariners. I basically fall in love with any team that manages to beat, or tries valiantly to beat, the Yankees and Lakers.

Thus, I love the Mariners (from '95), Diamondbacks ('01), Angels ('02), Marlins ('03), and even the A's ('00-'01) and Twins ('03).

Unfortunately, it makes it really hard to root for the Red Sox for the Wild Card ("Yay, the Twins beat the Yankees today! Oh wait, that's bad. Or is it? I'm confused.")

[yank4251]

Originally posted by Clay Dreslough
I believe the Red Sox are now 13-4 since trading Nomar.

Incredibly, the A's, Angels and Rangers are also all playing lights out.

Clay

Now if they could only unload Manny...

[cartman00000001]

only 3.5 back!! It's 1978 all over again in reverse. How nice would that be!!

[RotoChamp2]

Originally posted by Clay Dreslough
As a Red Sox fan, I also wish the Mariners could manage to beat the A's, Angels and Rangers more than they have been.

Actually, I like the Mariners. I basically fall in love with any team that manages to beat, or tries valiantly to beat, the Yankees and Lakers.

Thus, I love the Mariners (from '95), Diamondbacks ('01), Angels ('02), Marlins ('03), and even the A's ('00-'01) and Twins ('03).

Unfortunately, it makes it really hard to root for the Red Sox for the Wild Card ("Yay, the Twins beat the Yankees today! Oh wait, that's bad. Or is it? I'm confused.")

Ah, 1995... <eyes tear up>. I can still remember 'Gar doubling down the line. I was at the Kingdome the night 'Gar hit 2HR (3R shot and a Grand Salami). That year was amazing and I don't think it gets enough acclaim nationwide for what a special year it was. Had it been NYY that came from 12.5G back and won in a one game playoff and then beat Seattle like that, you know it would considered one of the greatest baseball stories. Instead, us Seattle-ites remember it fondly as the year that saved baseball in the Northwest. I was a fan before that year and have been since. Although the sickening front office of Bavasi, Lincoln, et all is making me really wish I was a Red Sox fan...gotta love Bill James and Theo Epstein (kid-genius). Besides that, I think the Sox must have more former M's than any other team... VTek, DLowe, David Ortiz...oh what coulda been.

[michaelg123789]

If I'm not mistaken, Bavasi did a real nice job dismantling Anaheim before his ouster.

Even after that whole mess, the A's still managed to regroup, and 2 years later pull of a championship. But nothing good will happen in Seattle as long as Bavasi exists.

[RotoChamp2]

Originally posted by michaelg123789
If I'm not mistaken, Bavasi did a real nice job dismantling Anaheim before his ouster.

Even after that whole mess, the A's still managed to regroup, and 2 years later pull of a championship. But nothing good will happen in Seattle as long as Bavasi exists.

Yes, we were pulling for a Paul DePodesta hiring, but in the wake of his deadline trades, I'm not so sure I would've wanted that. Who knows though, Brazoban has replaced Mota nicely, Penny's a top of the rotation starter, and Finley's been a nice pickup...though moving Bradley out of CF was questionable logic. Anyways, Bavasi is a definitely not cut out to be a GM in this league...I was hoping that Brian Cashman would be let out of his contract, as he's one of the bright minds in the game....but good ol' George wasn't letting that happen.