by Mark Lawrence, Down-Under EditorNovember 18, 2011—Sydney, Australia. A Great American Philosopher - I think it was Frank Rizzo - once famously asked, "Who's in charge over there?" He could've been referring to Yawkey Way.
In the continuing chaos that is our Hot Stove Season, it must be dawning on The BenCher that his dream job is fast becoming The Nightmare Before Christmas - and it's likely to continue into the New Year. I'm getting the feeling that Club President and eminence grise, Lucchino is hauling on the reins with an abandon he never quite dared to try with Theo. The BenCher winds up a presser in which he declares that Major League experience is not essential - then the very next time he bobs up - it suddenly is. Is Larry letting him just appear to manage, then pulling that old 'oh, I forgot to tell you…' routine? Does Larry - deep down in his heart - want to tug on one of Francona's old fleeces, wriggle into those tighty-whitey pants with the red racing stripes and actually manage the team from the dugout steps? And has some mischievous muse convinced the Hedge Fund Guru that he could easily apply his fiduciary acumen towards the day-to-day mechanics of actually running a ball club? These guys are acting like pale imitations of Steinbrenner - suddenly unable to keep their hands off the wheels and levers, like kids who can't resist pulling a gadget apart to see how it works then finding themselves unable to put the damn thing back together again the way it was before.
There's only one member of this troublesome triumvirate who appears to know his place in the Grand Plan and that's Tom Werner - as long as the cash continues to tumble in, well, I'm guessing old Tommy won't give a rat's derriere who runs the dern ballclub. But - you know what? A lot of us do - and right now it seems patently clear that the cogs at the top are not working in a fashion that even remotely approaches cohesion.
Some years back, we all bemoaned the fiasco that was Bullpen by Committee - but this is a far greater threat: Management by Committee of One. Apparently emboldened by his perception of The BenCher as an easier-to-handle version of Epstein, it seems to me that the GM role is now edging towards mere figurehead status - the true power behind homeplate is Lucchino and it is he who is making the calls. I know, I know - I can hear you saying: "You're only just figuring this out now??"
Does Lucchino really think we'll believe that Cherington came up with the Valentine idea all by himself? By the way, the Valentine nomination - widely and vehemently opposed by a lot of fans in the know - is the ultimate wrong way for a discombobulated team to head - the last thing they need is another ego in that clubhouse - and touting a possible manager who apparently likes to kick player butt on a regular basis, sends a disturbing message to guys who may already be on the tipping point of signing with other clubs. And I'll bet Larry didn't think of that.
I am so sick up and fed with all this wasted time and effort frothing away down at the Fens - who's really in charge over there, anyway? Every other outfit is now using their time to get their houses in order and ready for 2012 and where are your Boston Red Sox? Hamstung by internecine politics, ego-maintenance and the dread spectre of ruination hovering over the park, that’s where. And all of this misery on the eve of Fenway's 100th anniversary - it's just disgraceful.
In glorious hindsight, the field-level management team should have remained intact at the end of the season - sure, kick Francona black and blue in the privacy of the Owner's Suite if you must and insist he take the hit for the team's failure (like he's done so often in the past) but, for pity's sake, get it all behind us and start re-tooling for 2012. That would've been the sensible choice and even an idiot baseball neophyte like me can see that.
So let the BenCher do his job, Larry - or pull on that fleece and ball cap and do it your own damn self. And I'll tell you another thing - no matter what happens in the next few weeks, come 2012 I think I'll be missing Tito and Theo even more than I'll be missing Widey Hotney - yes, folks, it really is that serious. Larry and John and to a lesser extent, Tom all need to remember one very salient point as they struggle to move forward: The Fans made this ball club - and they can surely break it, too. Shape it up – but quick.