FOLLOWING WHAT MATTERS TO YOU.

BOSTON RED SOX
Sox-closer-job-in-real-flux 5/09/13 - Sox closer job in real flux
BACK
Add the Boston Red Sox to My HUB

Rudderless Red Sox strike again with Crawford surgery

by Dave Jacober       August 21st, 2012 3:19 PM
  • Rudderless-Red-Sox-strike-again-with-Crawford-surgery-
  • Boston Red Sox left fielder Carl Crawford doubles in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE

    • You know the saying about having too many chefs in the Kitchen? Yeah, that isn't the Boston Red Sox. Boston has about four self-appointed grill masters working the kitchen, all of whom shouldn't be trusted grilling a hot dog. Truth be told, I'm thoroughly convinced a 12-year-old with zero understanding of statistical analysis, gross profit margins, and public relations, yet spends his nights glued to MLB ’12: The Show 2012 could do a far better job governing the Red Sox at this point.

    Come Thursday, Carl Crawford will have Tommy John surgery to repair a tendon in his left (throwing) elbow. According to doctors, Crawford will miss the start of the 2013 season, yet should be back somewhere around the All-Star break if there are no hitches in his rehab. Roughly a month ago there were reports that Crawford might need reconstructive surgery in his elbow, which begged the most logical of questions: why delay the inevitable?

    Did the Red Sox front office seriously contemplate that this particular team was fit for a postseason surge? Boston's front line pitching this season — to put it nicely — has been horrid. The rotation has a collective WHIP of 1.35, and a collective record (although we aren't supposed to count wins anymore) of 43-48. If Larry Lucchino, John Henry, and Ben Cherington- actually huddled in a conference room and said to themselves, “You know, we're right there in the Wild Card hunt. All we need is some more offensive production from Carl,” then they're more delusional than the Reality Stars who think they actually have a career.

    What the front office has yet to understand is that the right baseball moves might not coincide with projected ticket sales for the remainder of the season.

    Aside from the Pink Hat brigade, or the Sox fans who drink from the chalice that is Red Sox fandom, we all knew that invoking what used to be the common theme in Boston of “Wait until next year” was the way to go with this team. Lucchino needs to go back to the cell to which John Henry sent him after his first spat with Theo Epstein and let Cherington do general manger things. What the front office has yet to understand is that the right baseball moves might not coincide with projected ticket sales for the remainder of the season.

    Crawford, like it or not, is a $124 million investment, which is teetering on turning into a liability on the Sox's payroll. Sure he had a torrid August, slugging .556, and as of August 1, Boston was sitting just three and half games out of Wild Card berth. But was the Red Sox's offensive production really what was holding them back? The albatross which hung firmly around the neck of the team, has been — and until further notice will continue to be — their pitching.

    With all that's gone on in Boston this season, and the complete and utter mismanaging of quite possibly every important baseball decision (starting with the managerial search), the one prevailing theme is unavoidable: this front office has done everything possible to bungle the 2012 season, and this is merely the latest example.

    What did you think? Leave a comment

    TOPICS

    RELATED STORIES
    More

    Fan Hub Action

    LATEST CHATTER

    Rangers, Bruins ready to resume hostilities
    The irony - and bravery - of Jason Collins's decision

    • Charlie Lobosco May 1st

      This is a very compelling story because Mr. Collins is a very passionate, tough, intelligent, athelete taking on some additional responsibliity to help others as…

    • Scott Cohen May 1st

      Charlie.. very well said.. he does have guts

    • Scott Cohen May 1st

      but it shouldn’t require guts. .like you said it’s nobody’s business but his own

    The irony of Kobe Bryant's injury

    • Hisham Zameeth April 30th

      best player ever…..

    • Kareem Musa Mayowa April 29th

      We don’t need to be hopeless about the situation bryant his. Because even david villa situation also up to the level of his own to…

    • Maritess Lim April 28th

      I still believe in KOBE’s power…… He is still the best…… He will make it possible no matter what……

    • mimi_aragon84 April 28th

      I feel no pity for him. First of all, it is EAGLE, COLORADO, not Eagleton, secondly he enjoyed success and adulation from fans from 2003…

    POPULAR NOW

    Rangers, Bruins ready to resume hostilities

    May 16th, 2013 12:13 PM

    1
    Nate Robinson misses all 12 shots in loss

    May 14th, 2013 1:28 AM

    Learning to settle with second-rate fights

    May 20th, 2013 9:09 AM

    ALL TIME FAVES

    Despite tragedy, Boston and its marathon will endure

    April 16th, 2013 12:15 PM

    6
    Tiger on top is the best thing for golf

    April 9th, 2013 11:57 AM

    18
    Questions about sexuality arise at combine

    March 1st, 2013 8:37 AM

    10

    Twitter Chatter

    PEOPLE

    VIDEOS