My take is this - Francona is an excellent manager, and was perfect for handling the egos that lead them to the 2004 title (Schilling, Pedro, Manny, Ortiz).
However, he's not the right manager for this collection of players. For the most part, this is a laid-back team, that needs to be pushed - they needed a stronger hand to keep guys in line. The players took advantage of his laid-back style, and figured they could coast to the playoffs. I'm guessing Beckett (due to the weight gain in recent months) and Lackey were the guys drinking beer on their off-days. Youk is known as one of the bigger d-bags in the game. I've heard 3 or 4 stories of him being a complete jerk, so while I like him a lot as a player, if he were to get traded, I think most in the clubhouse would be happy about that.
Francona will land on his feet somewhere. The White Sox seem like a logical place for him, I actually think he could get the most out of that collection of talent. It would be a nice change of pace for that team where instead of getting called out in the press every day by their manager, they will have someone who has their backs.
I'm not sure who is out there for the Sox, every candidate will clearly be a step down from Tito. From an entertainment point of view, I'd love to see Lou Piniella.
<< <i>Hire a MGR who not only can handle the team, clubhouse, game and media - someone who isn't a pushover nor a drill SGT. I recommend Terry Francona. >>
"Let go" of Theo to the Cubs, and have Terry come back!
After reading the above article about the guys that are legitimate options to become manager, I'd say my top choices (taking into account my very limited knowledge of how they would managed) would be: Jim Riggleman, Joe Torre (the stick-it-to-the-Yankees factor plays a role), AJ Hinch, and Bobby Valentine. The guy I'd be most excited about - at least that was mentioned in the article anyway - would be Ryne Sandberg. I had no idea that he turned down the chance to manage at Pawtucket last year!
My gut tells me that Bobby Valentine will be the guy though.
Comments
However, he's not the right manager for this collection of players. For the most part, this is a laid-back team, that needs to be pushed - they needed a stronger hand to keep guys in line. The players took advantage of his laid-back style, and figured they could coast to the playoffs. I'm guessing Beckett (due to the weight gain in recent months) and Lackey were the guys drinking beer on their off-days. Youk is known as one of the bigger d-bags in the game. I've heard 3 or 4 stories of him being a complete jerk, so while I like him a lot as a player, if he were to get traded, I think most in the clubhouse would be happy about that.
Francona will land on his feet somewhere. The White Sox seem like a logical place for him, I actually think he could get the most out of that collection of talent. It would be a nice change of pace for that team where instead of getting called out in the press every day by their manager, they will have someone who has their backs.
I'm not sure who is out there for the Sox, every candidate will clearly be a step down from Tito. From an entertainment point of view, I'd love to see Lou Piniella.
What they need is (1) good health, and (2) players who give a rats arse about more than a fat paycheck.
<< <i>Hire a MGR who not only can handle the team, clubhouse, game and media - someone who isn't a pushover nor a drill SGT. I recommend Terry Francona. >>
"Let go" of Theo to the Cubs, and have Terry come back!
After reading the above article about the guys that are legitimate options to become manager, I'd say my top choices (taking into account my very limited knowledge of how they would managed) would be: Jim Riggleman, Joe Torre (the stick-it-to-the-Yankees factor plays a role), AJ Hinch, and Bobby Valentine. The guy I'd be most excited about - at least that was mentioned in the article anyway - would be Ryne Sandberg. I had no idea that he turned down the chance to manage at Pawtucket last year!
My gut tells me that Bobby Valentine will be the guy though.