I’m Completely Confused Now

So let me see if I get this timeline straight…

In the middle of 2011, the Red Sox are the best team in baseball. Then, they lose their #3 starter. They’ve already lost their #5 starter for the season. Their #2 starter is being a gamer and pitching even though he needs Tommy John surgery. Then they lose their third baseman. The Sox decide that they have a decent lead in the WC race, and hope to ride out the injuries to the playoffs. It’s not a terrible strategy. It’s the same one the Yankees used this season when their injuries struck. Both teams ended up losing eight games off their lead late in the season. The Sox, unfortunately, only had seven to play with.

Because of this, the Sox decide that they need to replace their manager. It can’t be the injuries that are to blame. He must have just lost control of his players suddenly for some reason. So, if Terry Francona can’t get through to the players, bring in his exact opposite. Enter Bobby V.

Bobby starts the season with high expectations. The team is healthy, and ready to make it back to the playoffs. Then, he loses two thirds of his starting outfield a week into the season. Then he loses his back-up outfielders. Then, the Sox trade the wrong third baseman, because he doesn’t get along with Bobby. Their second baseman gets hurt, and screws the team by trying to return too early. Then, the Sox trade away all their talented players because they weren’t Bobby guys.

Then they fire Bobby?

So, now the team is left without the talented players and the talented manager? They can’t both have been the problem? Either it was the players who weren’t performing and needed to be replaced. Or, it was the manager who needed to go. You don’t get rid of both.

So, what’s the story?

Are they deciding that it was the players all along? That they ran the old manager out of town when it wasn’t his fault? Are they going to simply admit that an historic run of injuries derailed a season and a month? I wish they had done that before they dumped all the talent from the team. Because, now what do you do?

Rehire Terry Francona?