2011 Boston Red Sox: It's not as bad as it seems!

Alright, alright, it's been long enough, enough has been settled: I can now talk about the season that was 2011.

Just today, it became official that Theo Epstein WOULD indeed be heading to Chicago to serve as the Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations, and Billy Goat #1, should the Cubs end up finishing third or worse in the NL Central, as they seem to have done every year since Steve Bartman. Have fun with that, Theo! While I am sad to see Theo go, it was clear with the fallout following the season that he would not be back. We have a great replacement in Ben Cherington, who, along Jed Hoyer (current Padres GM, who is set to become Theo's GM in Chicago) made one of the bigger trades in recent Red Sox history (getting Josh Beckett and Mike "World Series MVP" Lowell for Hanley "Bad Attitude" Ramirez.) while Theo was hiding in a Gorilla suit. (if you aren't familiar with this story: http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=51027) Cherington is an apt replacement and look forward to his tenure.

Theo's leaving came after it was announced that field manager Terry "Tito" Francona would not be returning next season. The move was made as a mutual agreement, but I believe it is more of Tito didn't want to come back, and the Sox brass were willing to let him go. To be fair, and I've been saying this for years, he was not that good of a manager. Sure, he led the Red Sox to their first two World Series championships in 86 years, but it's not like he was playing! I have consistently said over his years at the helm that he posses an inability to manage a bullpen, which has turned out to be quite an issue. His nickname of "Francoma" did not come without reasoning. I'm not sure who the next manager will end up being, but I sure as hell wish John Farrell hadn't left last year, for multiple reasons...

John Farrell was, hands down, the best pitching coach the Red Sox have ever had. I mean, at least in my lifetime. He showed signs of the makings of a great future manager, which he became last year for the pathetic Toronto Blue Jays. While he not only would be the answer to our current managerial problems, he also would've been great to have as our pitching coach, instead of the useless Curt Young. Sure, Curt Young had a great track record in Oakland (where he will be returning next year), but that could be wholly attributed to the fact that Oakland is a team that gets good draft picks, and has the pitchers while they are young and impressionable, before they are shipped out because Oakland won't be able to afford them. Well established pitchers like Josh Beckett and Jon Lester won't listen to a guy they don't really respect. With Young, this was apparently the case. This brings me to the next point: starting pitchers.

So, it turns out that Francoma was so lax in discipline that on off days starting pitchers would go back to the clubhouse and drink crappy beer (Bud Light) after the 6th inning. While I do not technically have a problem with players pitching on their off days, I think they probably should have remained with the team in the dugout, showing their support. Francoma was not a discipline man, and was very much a players manager, which is why this type of issue developed in the first place. Our next manager needs to be a good mix of fun and strict, an aspect that Francona was clearly heavy on the fun side of the spectrum. The guys I would most like to be the next manager are Joe Maddon and Buck Showalter, both of whom are unlikely to leave their posts (additonally, Showalter has shown distaste for the Red Sox organization, putting it lightly.)

I know that I have high hopes for Cherington and the Sox brass picking a new manager, and working out the drinking problems, and getting a good deal for getting rid of terrible signing John Lackey (unlikely), but I think things will work out because, really, things are not that bad. Sure, the Red Sox finished third and missed the playoffs. Sure, they have one of the highest payrolls in the league. But, it's not like they were terrible (with the exception of September). The Sox ALMOST made the playoffs, and only were eliminated from such hopes on the last day of the regular season. And it is not like they did not have some stiff AL East competition to deal with. Based on the fact that the Red Sox started off the season 2-10, went 7-20 in September and STILL managed to be in the playoff race until the very last day of the season should speak well of the team and their future, not negatively. Yes, this was the 2nd year in a row missing the playoffs and finishing 3rd, but I am not worried. The Sox consistently put out a great team that will compete for the playoffs until the very last day, and there is no reason to expect them not do so in 2012. Consider this: Jacoby Ellsbury had one of the best seasons in baseball, and he is poised to be at least half as good next year. And keep in mind, the Red Sox will get a much better year out of Carl Crawford next year (he can't possibly not bounce back). Additionally, the Red Sox still have Adrian Gonzalez. ADRIAN. GONZALEZ. Get excited for 2012.