Fall Guy
Whenever a conspiracy goes bad the individual participants go every man for himself. Such was the case in the conspiracy of John Henry, Theo Epstein and Terry Francona. The purpose of this particular conspiracy was to make John Henry as much money as possible while deluding the fans of Boston into thinking that Theo actually could evaluate the talent necessary to win his first World Series in Boston. (The 2004 and 2007 teams were won with largely Dan Duquette's roster and draft picks.) Since Theo's personnel has taken over the Sox have gone three years without winning a playoff game and two years without making the playoffs altogether.
The best way to deflect attention in a conspiracy is to find a "fall guy" to take the hit for the entire operation. So like Nelson Mandela, Iron Mike Tyson, and now Foxy Knoxy, the heretofore innocent manager Terry Francona gets framed and takes the fall (ironically for a September collapse which indicated he was not a Fall (as in season) type of guy.)
Hard to believe that the guy who breaks an 86 year old curse not once but twice in three years with two world championships could be run out of town. As Billy Sunday put it in Drown, New York is a bad town to have a PR problem. There is no where worse town than Boston to have a baseball PR problem. The Sox now have major problems from the owner to the front office to the underperforming players on the field. The one person who seemed like part of the solution was unceremoniously dismissed.
In response two local columnists are calling for John Henry to sell the team and move on. Rather than answer questions about the season and his role Henry propelled himself down the stairs of his 200 foot yacht. It appears Henry was the one tightening the noose around Tito's neck. Not sure why this came as such a shock to everyone.
A couple years ago the goofy Henry married a waitress who had twice his looks (not difficult) and a quarter of his IQ. The new bride went from asking, "What kind of dressing do you want on your salad," to Vice President of the Fenway Park Renovation Project. Why? Because she wanted to and Henry thought it a good idea. The architect who worked diligently on Fenway's improvements for years was unceremoniously canned in attempt to get the new Mrs. Henry credit, sound familiar?
It now appears that Henry used the same stringent hiring process to retain Henry's good personal friend but professionally incompetent GM Theo Epstein.
I for one just want say thanks Tito. You did your job and then some and brought a few years of baseball sanity to Boston. In return Henry and Theo stabbed you in the back.
Keep that in mind next year if you are rooting for the Henry owned, Theo led Red Sox. I can tell you I won't be a party to this two faced, two time, two bit conspiracy now posing as the Boston Red Sox.
KOKO
