Terry Francona: GONE!

Justified or not? Win a couple of World Series (breaking the team's 86 year drought) but then be the skipper of a squad that blows a 9 game wildcard lead in September a few years later. Was management right in cutting him loose? The Sox were favorites to win the AL this year after getting big money players Gonzalez and Crawford but their pitching imploded down the stretch including aces Lester and Beckett. Is Francona to blame?

Discuss.

Originally posted by no1marauder
Justified or not? Win a couple of World Series (breaking the team's 86 year drought) but then be the skipper of a squad that blows a 9 game wildcard lead in September a few years later. Was management right in cutting him loose? The Sox were favorites to win the AL this year after getting big money players Gonzalez and Crawford but their pitching implode ...[text shortened]... wn the stretch including aces Lester and Beckett. Is Francona to blame?

Discuss.

I think if you need a scape goat (and that's always a foolish proposition) then fire Theo Epstein.

He signed Dice-K, Lackey and Crawford. He re-signed Becket at top dollar when he was injury prone and decided that the team did not need reinforcement at the trading deadline. He even traded prospects for guys like Gonzalez (a success) instead of signing free agents (like the Yankees did). He also was unfortunate that the Yankees got more production from Garcia and Colon then he did from guys like Smoltz and Bedard.

Originally posted by quackquack
I think if you need a scape goat (and that's always a foolish proposition) then fire Theo Epstein.

He signed Dice-K, Lackey and Crawford. He re-signed Becket at top dollar when he was injury prone and decided that the team did not need reinforcement at the trading deadline. He even traded prospects for guys like Gonzalez (a success) instead of sign ...[text shortened]... Yankees got more production from Garcia and Colon then he did from guys like Smoltz and Bedard.

I would have kept francona and fired Epstein. Then lure the Phillies' gr mgr. Or sweeter still, the Yankees'!

Originally posted by no1marauder
Justified or not? Win a couple of World Series (breaking the team's 86 year drought) but then be the skipper of a squad that blows a 9 game wildcard lead in September a few years later. Was management right in cutting him loose? The Sox were favorites to win the AL this year after getting big money players Gonzalez and Crawford but their pitching implode ...[text shortened]... wn the stretch including aces Lester and Beckett. Is Francona to blame?

Discuss.

Francona quit, he wasn't fired. How did management cut him loose?

At least those were the words I heard Terry Francona utter.

He is revered in Boston. He managed two world series champions.
He broke "the curse"

He had a longer tenure as manager than anyone other than Joe Cronin.

Originally posted by shortcircuit
Francona quit, he wasn't fired. How did management cut him loose?

At least those were the words I heard Terry Francona utter.

He is revered in Boston. He managed two world series champions.
He broke "the curse"

He had a longer tenure as manager than anyone other than Joe Cronin.

I think Francona left because ultimately he wasn't wanted. He did a great job and could get another job immediately if he desired. I do believe he would have stayed if the organization announced publicly that they really wanted him back.

Originally posted by shortcircuit
Francona quit, he wasn't fired. How did management cut him loose?

At least those were the words I heard Terry Francona utter.

He is revered in Boston. He managed two world series champions.
He broke "the curse"

He had a longer tenure as manager than anyone other than Joe Cronin.

Are you joking? "Revered"? You obviously weren't listening to Boston talk radio on Thursday.

Numerous sports writers filed pieces following the joint Epstein-Francona press conference on Thursday that it was obvious he was being forced out. The Sox could have announced then they were picking up his 2012 option, but they passed. Friday was a formality. Francona was being a good soldier, but it strains credulity to believe that management still wanted him.

Originally posted by no1marauder
Are you joking? "Revered"? You obviously weren't listening to Boston talk radio on Thursday.

Numerous sports writers filed pieces following the joint Epstein-Francona press conference on Thursday that it was obvious he was being forced out. The Sox could have announced then they were picking up his 2012 option, but they passed. Friday w ...[text shortened]... s being a good soldier, but it strains credulity to believe that management still wanted him.

You, of all people, should know that fans are fickle as hell.
Talk show callers are generally idiots caught up in the moment.
Certainly the fall from the playoffs after a large lead early in September caused the
suicide rate in Boston and surrounding areas to jump off the map.

I saw a similar collapse in Atlanta and heard no noise on Fredi Gonzalez.
He is in his first year and has won a thing for Atlanta.
Atlanta has a fairly large payroll and a winning tradition, just like Boston.
Francona won TWO world series championships for the beaners.
Francona didn't go out and stop hitting. He didn't go out and stop pitching.
He didn't cough up the lead in the last game....that was Papelbon.
Should he have pulled Papelbon from that game???

For crying out loud. If they blame Francona for this demise, Boston deserves another curse.

Theo Epstein and John Henry surely are not that stupid to believe that crap.
Maybe they were tossing a sacrificial lamb for the rabid jackals to feast on.

Francona will be managing again very soon.

The only people happy about Francona leaving are the dummies who don't know baseball
in the Boston area, and the NY Yankee fans who don't have to face him anymore.