|
2 0 0 4 BACK FOR MORE
Chat and Discussion Manny's own Red Sox discussion board
"I like to be fun... life is
Join the discussion now The interview room: Youkilis, Robert Parker, Johnny Pesky, Daubach, Leigh Montville, more. Remdawg's board Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer
The Nitpicked Venue of "Slavish" - Sean McAdam
"The Internet geeks are getting all the
interviews" HEADLINES 2004 2003 Please email for more information or questions. Contents Copyright 2001-2004 Boston Dirt Dogs, except logos used in accordance with the Fair Use provision (section 107) of U.S. Copyright Act. Photographic images posted with permission of Associated Press unless otherwise indicated.
|
|
Wed, Thurs, Fri Oct 31 Stuck with the Manny (Untrue) (listen/lyrics to Stuck in the Middle with You)
Well, I don’t know why you came here tonight,
Yes, I’m stuck with the Manny (who knew?),
Well, you started off with nothing,
Yes I’m, stuck with the Manny (got flu?). SORRY MANNY
The Yankees don't want you either. Maybe the Mets will make the next move. Clock Expires on Moving Manny for Free PLAN B: A-ROD Let the Three-Way Trade Talk Begin. TRICK OR TRICK Jeff Moorad Opens His Mouth, As Usual the Truth Goes South
The Ultimate
Lying Machine Said Manny "David Ortiz is going to have a busy offseason himself... he ought to mind his own business." - Moorbad on Ortiz exposing Manny's multiple trade requests throughout the season. "Manny is a great player, but if he doesn't want to pull on the same rope as the rest of his teammates, then, you know what, he can go somewhere where he can be happy. We continually hear he's not happy in Boston." - Kevin Millar (Apologists have literally run out of rocks to hide under, can't take back "see he loves it here!" comments fast enough) Mooradds on: "No one is more competitive and trying to get back on the field faster than Mo Vaughn..." Thursday October 30, 2003 MANNY ASKED OUT
Manny
asked Theo to put him on waivers and insisted that the "Yankees will
pick me up"... (But NY won't Pony Up the Dough) Moorad the Ultimate Fraud: "Manny will be just fine if he stays in Boston... he's always expressed a desire to play in New York." "If he doesn't want to be here so be it, we've got a great core of guys here, we'll be just fine." -- Red Sox player
Theo Plays Mannyball Bold Move By GM Will Accelerate Manny Trade Pedro Hopes He's Ahead of Nomar on the List Take My Strife, Please Red Sox Hear the Cries of the People
Just What the Doctor Ordered:
Theo "Stones" Epstein Puts Fake-Pharyngitis, NY Loving, Nation Applauds Bold Move, Clueless Jock-Sniffing Lemmings Panties in a Bunch Again. Fraud Flip Floppers Will Cry for Charles Dolan Now After Praising John Henry for Months. Sucker Born Every Minute But Unfortunately Dan Duquette is Still A Groundskeeper. Yankees Not Expected to Bite on Albatross, But Move Sets Stage for Trade in Off Season. Manny Expected to Get the Message by Spring. Pedro Will Chime in Soon, Announcement Coming from the Dominican Republic on Former Ace's Last Season in Boston. Ramirez Put on Waivers But We're Stuck with Him After 1:00pm Friday Texas Won't Bite on A-Rod Deal (Nomar Getting Nervous) Manny's Mother Has Fainted Again! But Ramirez Just Calls Home as He's Busy Playing PS2 With His Cousin. Manny Wins Silver Slugger Award, Gets Another $100 Grand (Yippee, Almost Makes You Forget Game 7)
Apparently Theo's Eyes Were Wide Open This Season Sox Keep Up with Patriots, Celtics as Manny Joins Antoine, Lawyer on "Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out" List. MEDIA MAVENS: RED SOX REFUSE TO RELINQUISH FRONT PAGE TO PATRIOTS, CELTICS, OR BRUINS Preparation F Grady's "seat of the pants" managing sunk Sox "(The next manager) will be very, very prepared for games and will know his opponents inside and out and will put in the pregame preparation that is necessary to make in-game decisions run really smoothly." - Theo Epstein
Unprepared Grady Left Sox Little Choice - John Tomase, Eagle Trib Lucchinotes Au Revoir Ramirez? Goodbye Garciaparra? "One of the biggest mistakes you can make in management is to fall in love with your veterans. We appreciate them. We respect them. We feel grateful for the style of play that they had but as we reassemble the team for next year, we'll look at ways we can get better and try not to let that gratitude and sentiment stand in the way." 10.28.03 LL with D&C on WEEI: We want to get into the post-season regularly, like the Braves, the Empire, the Giants... that is the standard we set for ourselves. There were times when Theo in his daily conversations with Grady would talk about available information, not just stats, other forms of preparation, there's been an information revolution that impacts various businesses including baseball. What we're really looking for is balance and applying the various tools and approaches to managing. Managing the personalities, keeping a harmonious clubhouse, particularly one that's been as fractious and difficult as the Red Sox clubhouse has been over the years, that is a critical part of the job, but so is the other an important component of the job, we want someone who's balanced in that regard. But we want someone who has the personal gifts, the human abilities to manage these personalities but also someone who is prepared, who takes advantage of all the tools and information available to make us the better prepared team on the field. (If they had beaten the Yankees) As Theo said, a similar debate would have taken place because there were misgivings throughout the course of the season. We were enormously grateful and respectful of the job that Grady had done. He was the right manager for us at the right time, the middle of spring training, they were tumultuous, uncertain times. There were a lot of issues in the clubhouse, he was the right guy -- then. But as we evolved as an organization, we're at the end of the beginning, we're in a different stage now. And if we're being asked to make a long-term commitment to Grady as we were, I think some of the same discussions would have taken place, some of the same misgivings would have been expressed. Now if we had won the World Series, I think we'd have looked foolish, ungrateful, and would probably have offered some kind of extension to Grady under those circumstances, but there still would have been plenty of uncertainty and misgivings about the long-term. We're looking for someone who has a balanced approach. Who has a comfort with players and the personality part of the job, but we're also looking for someone who is open enough, young enough if you will, young enough in attitude, open minded enough to take advantage of the information revolution that's taken place in the last decade and apply all of the tools that are available. (Can we rule Whitey Herzog out then?) We'll I don't want to rule anybody by name in or out at this stage, we really have just begun the process. We were scrupulous not to make any effort to look around before we made a public announcement... we haven't had any sit down where we say "OK Theo why don't you consider these three names".. it's Theo's job to go out and survey the field and bring back some candidates that he likes, there has to be a comfort level between the GM and the manager, they don't have to be on exactly the same page because a little creative dissonance is not a bad thing but they have to be able to work together and in the chain of command it's Theo's responsibility to go out and look for people with whom he can work, who bring the kind of balanced approached, someone who can stand the rigors of working in Boston. I would say it would be hard (to bring in someone with no major league managing experience) but certainly not impossible. We did it with two years ago. Someone who had major league coaching experience, who was familiar with Boston... as we go forward, we're not going to jump into a decision, look at the three or four usual suspect and pick a person. It took us a while last year to pick a general manager and I know we wound up with the right person. We've got to do something about a coaching staff and we'll address those issues this week, but after that I think we have the opportunity to wait and pick the right man for hopefully a longer term. Personal relationships and personal history may factor into the decision. If we know certain people and know how they behave, you have more information and a better feel for the person. (Silly Remy talk) There's an example (Bruce Bochy) where we know a lot of what we'd be getting there. The relationship was certainly better before we took so many people from the Padres and brought them here over the objections of some of the people out there. But I don't think it precludes anybody from San Diego being a candidate, but there are people under contract and you cannot speak to them without permission and we're not going to do that. Employment interviews in various businesses can be quite shallow and superficial and you'd like to avoid that whenever you can, so we'll try to do it a little bit differently (e.g. using video of game situations). With the information revolution you have lots more tools to conduct a deeper kind of inquiry, but some of the same virtues that come through in a coat-and-tie interview will be important, you'll be looking at the personality, the personal gifts, the style of the person as well but I know Theo and the baseball ops people are determined to probe more deeply into something as important as to who the next manager of the Boston Red Sox will be. We're going to reassemble the team, you have to do that every year, there were holes and deficiencies, there are some players who may leave because of age or free agency. I'm just guessing at this stage, there will be 5-8 new faces on this team next year... they would require a trade or release but I do think that's possible. We're not going to stand pat. We're not going to stay the same team. There's going to be an opportunity for us to get better. There are some free agents we're going to look at to be sure and we just aren't going to make the mistake that's been made before, that I've made before (in San Diego) which is to be too comfortable with your players. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in management is to fall in love with your veterans. We appreciate them. We respect them. We feel grateful for the style of play that they had but as we reassemble the team for next year, we'll look at ways we can get better and try not to let that gratitude and sentiment stand in the way. Last Year in Boston?
Pedro Will Make an Important Announcement About His Future with the Red Sox in a Few Days. 10.28.03 - DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - AIRPORT OF THE AMERICAS - The stellar pitcher of the Boston Red Sox Pedro Martinez said yesterday that he feels satisfied with the performance made in the just finalized season in the Big Leagues. "I am prepared to start my rest in Dominican Republic, in addition I am very satisfied with my performance last season, although I did not have a lot of victories for the Boston team", said Martinez, who arrived quietly from his flight from the United States. In his last appearance with the team in the New York Yankees series, he repeated that he is the culprit and it (losing the lead) had nothing to do with the Red Sox manager. "I was the one responsible for staying in the box in the game against the Yankees, not Grady. Grady shouldn't be blamed for anything. He did a great job for Boston in the last two seasons." In addition, Pedro said that he will meet with the national sport press to offer greater details on his performance last season and his future plans in the Big Leagues. When questioned on his future with the Red Sox, he said that he does not have any comment and that in the next days he will offer important details. Tues Oct 28 Black Eyes Sox Job Mon Oct. 27 "I Hurt with Each of You"
Preparation G
Analytical decisions? Grady wasn't
prepared to make them. Manager caused hemorrhoidal issues for
owners. "This ownership group prefers an increased reliance on thorough, more comprehensive analysis and preparation so that the manager's decisions are more synchronous with our player acquisition and development decisions. We seek one, unified, organizational philosophy." - Larry Lucchino Henry, Werner, Epstein Led the Charge to Dismiss Little Lucchino Got on Board to Make it Unanimous "Henry, for example,
took the position well before the post-season that the club may need
to question a long-term commitment to its manager." GRADY IS OFFICIALLY A GHOST OF RED SOX PAST
PRESS CONFERENCE MOVED TO 3:00PM EST.
Grady Officially Let Go at 11:11am Monday Mourning SOX TO ANNOUNCE GRADY'S NOT COMING BACK FIRST THING ON MONDAY Monday, Monday Submitted by Mamas and Papas Ba
da, ba da da da
Monday, Monday
Monday, Monday Sun. Oct. 26 Oh My Josh!
Marlins Deep Six Yanks in the Stadium to Win World Series Beckett Does What Martinez Could Not, Beats Yanks 2-0 in Clincher Texas Bowler Goes to Bat for Little, Badmouths Sox Brass "All I know is that they make a change, there's going to be a lot of pissed-off players in that clubhouse next year. This is going to fire up a lot of guys in the wrong way and this would not be a good start for them. They are making a mistake. If they think making a managerial change is not going to affect the team negatively, they are making a misjudgment. I think what's happened with the Red Sox the last two years has as much to do with Grady Little as anyone else, and I think the people upstairs think it has to do with the people upstairs. You have to decide what's more important - handling personalities and things on the field or listening to Larry Lucchino, Theo Epstein or Bill James. Who do you think is going to do that job? Joe Kerrigan? They want someone to push buttons." Grady Lays Guilt Trip on Theo "The conversation was termed "awkward'' by the source, and that when Little was told ``we have not made a decision on you yet,'' Little's response to Epstein was, "I thought YOU were going to make the decision.'' - Silverman, Herald 10.25 Fri./Sat. Oct 24/25 BLACK OUT? Angels Nip Sox in the Bud. Wiser as pitching coach in Anaheim?
No Gray Area: Black gets one-year contract extension
True. (Rising) Sun Sets on Valentine's Day in Boston McAdam: "Sox won't interview Valentine."
"Managing, I just miss it."
Thurs. Oct 23 Wells Runs Dry Old Contreras Can't Get it Done (Get that sweathog a towel) Florida Now One Win Away Marlins 6 Yankees 4 (Penny for your thoughts?) Wednesday Oct 22 GONEzalez Marlins Beat Yanks in 12 4-3 to Tie Series Bronx Bonger Gives Up Game Winner to Alex Gonzalez Clemens Time is Up Urbina There, Seen That Ugueth It: Yanks Tie it Up in 9th (Oh, and just in case you've had enough)
Red [Sox] Rubber Bawl - Paul
Simon Tuesday Oct 21 - D-Train Gets D-Railed. Bad Guys Win With a Little Shove
Submitted by Paul McCartney
With a Little shove, we can get five
outs. Monday Oct 20 Yankee Police Blotter - Jeff "Assault" Nelson and Karim "Battery" Garcia will be formally charged for their attack on Red Sox employee Paul Williams - Jason Giambi subpoenaed in steroids probe - Don Zimmer is still under surveillance This Bud's for You? "Word" in South Florida is that Bud Black will be named the next manager of the Boston Red Sox. True? Celtics Trade Antoine Walker, Tony Delk, and Grady Little to Dallas for Raef LaFrenz, Chris Mills, Jiri Welsch and 2004 Pick. (Feeling left out, Bruins
owner Jeremy Jacobs announces he will join Saturday Oct 18/Sunday Oct 19: BRADY'S BUNCH MAKES BOSTON FORGET GRADY'S HUNCH
(if only for a day as somebody's squishing Florida fish) Gammons on Grady "What some in ownership are asking Theo Epstein is whether blurred vision at a time of crisis management is what they want leading the Boston Red Sox."
February is Only Four Months Away
Media Stumps for Gump
Writers, Beat
Guys, and Players Go to Bat for Grady. "Would people be as inclined to fire Little today if the Sox had been blown out in Game 7, if Pedro Martinez had been knocked out of the box in the first inning instead of the eighth? What if Jorge Posada's broken-bat popup is caught by Todd Walker on the infield dirt instead of falling in shallow center field? Does Little get fired then? What if Posada had gotten his game-tying hit off Alan Embree or Mike Timlin? Do the same people who are touting statistical evidence that Martinez loses his effectiveness after 100 pitches scream that Posada was batting only .191 lifetime against Martinez, with a stunning 29 strikeouts in 47 at-bats, and how could Little have lifted Pedro? Does Little get fired then? What if Martinez gets out of the eighth inning still ahead by a couple of runs, gets pulled for Mike Timlin or Scott Williamson in the ninth, and the Sox lose? Does Little get fired then? What if Little had played it by the book in the eighth, and Embree and Timlin and Williamson can't hold the lead? Would the same people who killed Little all season for having a quick hook with Martinez be saying today that Little shouldn't have pulled his ace, that it's push-button managing based on pitch counts? Does Little get fired then? Does anyone really believe that Martinez talked Little into leaving him in the game? Or is it more likely that Little knew, even as he was going to the hill, that he would leave Martinez in the game, that pitching coach Dave Wallace and bench coach Jerry Narron and catcher Jason Varitek had not given him any reason to do otherwise? Varitek, when asked if he expected Martinez to come out for the eighth, said, "No question." Call me a Little apologist. That's still kinder than the incredible array of names being hurled at a man who managed for 16 years in the minor leagues and two seasons in the toughest big-league environment there is, and apparently still knows less about the game than everyone managing from the comfort of their living rooms or their seats in the press box.
Apparently, all those comeback wins the Sox had this season, all the times they picked themselves up when things looked their darkest, all those times this club didn't lose faith in itself -- even when it was down, two games to none, to Oakland -- Little had nothing to do with that. But lose Game 7, and that all falls on Little's head. He's Gump, he's The Idiot, he's the guy who choked when the spotlight was most intense." - Gordon Edes, Baseball Notes, Boston Sunday Globe Florida Takes the D-Train Through the Bronx
(Nice Jewelry Pal, How's Game One Workin' Out for Ya?) So That's Whatchu Talkin' 'Bout Willis. Lucky Pierre: Juan Single Pushes Fish Past Yanks. Get Down Ugie, Ugie, Ugie. Nation Feels a Little Bit Better
A Little Defensive,
Tries to
Spin the "Special Season" BS "A lot of people have the answers after the results come in." (Except everyone on the planet had the answer before the predictable result, and this time there wasn't even a question.) "I don't know what (the front office is) thinking right now. I know what my thinking is. My thinking was that there were a lot of things accomplished around here this year. There were a lot of people who were never baseball fans before in their life and they became baseball fans toward the end of this year. I know that what we did as a group, in this clubhouse and on that field, made that come about. I have so much confidence in myself that if there's some hesitation or some questions about whether they want Grady Little to manage here again next year, that's a decision they have to make themselves. The confidence I have in myself is that I'll be somewhere, if they opt to go in a different direction here. I'm just thankful that when it did come to an end without us winning the World Series, I'm just thankful that I'm the scapegoat instead of any one of my players. A lot of people have the answers after the results come in... if people want to judge Grady Little on the results of a decision I made in that last game the other day, so be it. In my heart, I know we had a great season here. That's a tough situation for one to be in throughout the course of a season in this market (no contract extension), but whatever they want to do now I respect. I sleep good because I know I have confidence in myself and I know that what we did here this year was special. It was special to a lot of people. I've got people on that field out there and throughout that game in the seventh game thinking about Bill Buckner. That's a tough situation to be in, you know what I mean. Everyone knows the environment we're in here in Boston. We're just fortunate that we have a large number of players on this club this year who aren't distracted by a lot of things like that. Knowing this, it just makes me thankful that Grady Little is going to be the one taking the heat for the last-game loss rather than one of my players. If we don't win the World Series, which is the definition of winning here, somebody's got to be that man and I'm just glad it's me instead. You know, Grady Little makes a lot of decisions throughout the season. The results of the decision are good sometimes. The results of those decisions are bad sometimes. The result of that decision I made on Thursday night in that seventh game, the results were bad. I can't turn back the clock to make another decision, just like every decision I make throughout the season. Just like the decisions I make every game, every day in this clubhouse and in the game. You make these decisions, a lot of them turned out well enough to get us in a position to get in that seventh game. But the results of the decision Thursday didn't turn out well. Nobody knows these players better than me. We know that we all did the best we could. I made the decision the other night to try to win the game. My players know that, and that's all that matters. Pedro was throwing as well in that seventh and eighth inning as he had the whole game. I made the decision to leave him in there. That's the man I wanted in the game. The results of that decision didn't turn out (well). My decision to leave him in there at that time was not that much different than in the two years I've been here with Pedro. When he gets in a jam, he's the one I want to get out of that jam more than anyone else. As long as he's got enough left in his arm. Four managers called me to say they would have done the same thing. There was a clubhouse full of tears. We just closed the clubhouse after the game and I told every one of them how proud I was of the job they had done. And the fact that they never quit even when they had plenty of opportunities to quit and fold up the tent and go on home, and they never did. All the way to the very last out. They have a lot of respect for the job that I do. I have a lot of respect for them. And that mutual respect is what we're trying to build on here. I have confidence in myself, The results on every decision aren't good all the time. But they were sure good enough to get us to where we were. And that's the way I'll go home." (You could fire him just for the fact that he has the audacity to drag Bill Buckner's name into it... but maybe that's the new W.B. Mason commercial for next season. Who knew?) Manajerk
It's Too Late Grady Stayed in bed all morning just
to pass the time Back to Little League
"For What?"
Grady's Post Game 7 Response When Told That Lies and Damned Lies: "Pedro's been our man in that situation all season long. He's the guy we wanted there over anyone in our bullpen." - G. Little Friday Oct. 17, 2003
Wild Card Championship Parade Friday at High Noon!
Wild Celebration on City Hall Plaza Followed. Mayor Menino Says "Cowboy Up Boston!
End Game New York Post Prints Boston Version
File Under: Grady Goes Belly Up! The Sons of Grady Little are DestiNY's Child Pedrovertime Backfires
Curse of the Grady-No! "Pedro had gas in the tank... he was the man we all wanted in there on the mound." - Grady Little "You want to point fingers... point them at me." - Pedro Martinez "Grady ripped the heart out of New England and stomped it right into the ground." - Ted Nation Member Manager for Sale: Grady on e-Bay Eighth, Wonder of the World (Series): Grady Leaves Cooked Pedro In. Stick a Fork in Little Now. Welcome to Boston Bruce Bochy, Good Luck New Red Sox Manager Tail Wagging the Dog: Pedro Pulled Grady's Strings, Stings Nation. OUTRAGED SAVAGE NATION WANTS GRADY FIRED BEFORE SUNSET THEO. (Today Theo. Please and Thanks) "Somebody Gotta Pay" Right Papa Jack? NEW YORK NIGHTMARE
Ruthless: Curse Crap is Everywhere
"The Worst Loss in Boston
Sports History" "What we have to go through on a daily basis, what we have to put up with, is unbelievable." - Nomar Whine Garciaparra The One T-Shirt the Sox Didn't Print this Season:
Pictures Worthless a Boonedoggle To Little: Too Late Little Makes All the Wrong Moves, Gets Star Struck, Stuck with Pedro the Manager. Will Lose Big Job After Costing Boston Red Sox World Championship. Bullpenned In. Sox Out. Turn Out the Lights, The Party's Over, They Say That All Good Things Must End
B.K. Tim Wake Keeps Nation Up All Night
Knucklehead Was Not Meant for Late
Inning Relief. Varitek, Ortiz Taken Out of Game by Grady Too. Trot, Millar, Ortiz Big Bombs Forgotten. Yankees Don't Suck Again.
Thursday Oct. 16, 2003 7-Up!
Pedro vs. Roger
Brawl in the Bronx Nervous Nation Can't Stand It
|
