Losing Season

[elktonnick]

Given their schedule I just do not see it realistic that they finish with a winning record.  In my opinion this was perfectly predictable in March.
That being the case I believe keeping Cora and his band of incompetent coaches is indefensible. 
The new guy at the very least should be allowed to hire his own guys as manager and coaching staff

[markj]

I've always figured they were a straight .500 team this year and would probably end up in last or 4th place in the ALE. But now I'm beginning to question whether they'll even hit the .500 mark.

[longgame]

Once again the Sox fall out of it and rather than at least show some pride and play the spoiler they just pack it up mentally and check out until the season ends.  We’ve seen this before and it all points to bad leadership.  It was a big mistake by the Sox to indicate Cora is safe.

[elktonnick]

I think anyone considered for HOBO should insist on the right to select his own guy for field manager.

[MongoLikeSox]

Given their schedule I just do not see it realistic that they finish with a winning record.  In my opinion this was perfectly predictable in March.
That being the case I believe keeping Cora and his band of incompetent coaches is indefensible. 
The new guy at the very least should be allowed to hire his own guys as manager and coaching staff

It's more than your opinion. Our small band was calling this back in March and have a thread to prove it. I think most of the Red Sox nation were on that same page.

[Sea Dog 23]

I think anyone considered for HOBO should insist on the right to select his own guy for field manager.

Looks like the new HOBO is going to walk into a crowded room with lots of the decision making already in place.  They seem to be looking for an individual somewhere who is Cora's BFF, and will agree to make coffee every day for Cora and O'Halloran.  I just hope I'm 100% wrong in how this is shaping up.  It's creepy looking.

[longgame]

I think anyone considered for HOBO should insist on the right to select his own guy for field manager.

Looks like the new HOBO is going to walk into a crowded room with lots of the decision making already in place.  They seem to be looking for an individual somewhere who is Cora's BFF, and will agree to make coffee every day for Cora and O'Halloran.  I just hope I'm 100% wrong in how this is shaping up.  It's creepy looking.

The phrase “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic” comes to mind.

[elktonnick]

I think anyone considered for HOBO should insist on the right to select his own guy for field manager.

Looks like the new HOBO is going to walk into a crowded room with lots of the decision making already in place.  They seem to be looking for an individual somewhere who is Cora's BFF, and will agree to make coffee every day for Cora and O'Halloran.  I just hope I'm 100% wrong in how this is shaping up.  It's creepy looking.

That is the way I see it as well.  I fear that the Sox are either going to "promote" Cora and make Veritek manager or hire an alumnus from years past.  Either way it is going to be business as usual.

[MongoLikeSox]

I think anyone considered for HOBO should insist on the right to select his own guy for field manager.

Looks like the new HOBO is going to walk into a crowded room with lots of the decision making already in place.  They seem to be looking for an individual somewhere who is Cora's BFF, and will agree to make coffee every day for Cora and O'Halloran.  I just hope I'm 100% wrong in how this is shaping up.  It's creepy looking.

Here's my take on that, fwiw.
The first part of this I'm cool with. The machine needs fixing and it's easier to fix when you see how it works. Ideally, the pieces in place can be re-assigned or otherwise instructed to suit the new HOBO.

That's easier said than done. There's some tenure in that room. Some people who have already proven that they are a bitchy bunch when not allowed to do things their way. or the more poetic term of "the Red Sox way." That's what Dombrowski had to work around. He had to run the show with some of the inherited senior staff moved to the side. They spent a few years bitching and moaning to the press, including Peter Gammons. They eventually won and got their jobs back(so to speak) when Dombrowski was fired and Bloom brought in. Then the Red Sox way fell on it's face AGAIN.

I'm less anti-Cora than many folks, but there are large aspects of his way of doing things that drive me nuts. That aside, no matter who is in there as Manager and HOBO, the two NEED to be able to work together.

The Dombrowski model OB was describing in basic terms does work, but is not without it's flaws. Ideally, a best of breed mind-set should occur in terms of creating a roster and running the team. Look at the San Francisco 49'ers dual. They may or may not have had that with Dombrowsi and Cora, but they were miles apart with Bloom and Cora.

Sometimes I think an outsider is needed, other times an insider or former insider. Maybe the latter. Someone who can come back to the organization with a list of lessons learned while away and has a good ideal for a composite in mind.

[Sea Dog 23]

Gammons has heard Sox may be getting the pitching development guy from Cubs, Craig Breslow.  He is currently the Assistant General Manager/Vice President, Director of Pitching for the Chicago Cubs.   Pitched for the Sox in 2006.



. 

[elktonnick]

Breslow is another Yale grad.  He was a pretty good reliever.  He majored in molecular biology at Yale.  A Minneapolis newspaper once called him the smartest person in baseball.

[SeaBeachFred]

Just get people in the right places who know what the hell they are doing and send the surplus hanger-ons somewhere in the minor league system.  It seems we still have too many ineffective would-be chiefs and not enough warlike Indians who can shake things up and get us back from the pits we currently find our team in.

[elktonnick]

Fred you are correct that the Sox have too many execs involved in decisionmaking.

[MongoLikeSox]

Too many execs might be why Dombrowski worked around them.

Gammons has heard Sox may be getting the pitching development guy from Cubs, Craig Breslow.  He is currently the Assistant General Manager/Vice President, Director of Pitching for the Chicago Cubs.   Pitched for the Sox in 2006.
. 

I remember the name. Hopefully he becomes, or already is a Dick Tidrow type that helped the Giants for so long. Say, anyone know who we have in that position now? If anyone?

Just thinking out loud. Someone else for the Red Sox to have already on staff that the new HOBO will have to inherit.

[Sea Dog 23]

Too many execs might be why Dombrowski worked around them.

Gammons has heard Sox may be getting the pitching development guy from Cubs, Craig Breslow.  He is currently the Assistant General Manager/Vice President, Director of Pitching for the Chicago Cubs.   Pitched for the Sox in 2006.
. 

I remember the name. Hopefully he becomes, or already is a Dick Tidrow type that helped the Giants for so long. Say, anyone know who we have in that position now? If anyone?

Just thinking out loud. Someone else for the Red Sox to have already on staff that the new HOBO will have to inherit.

Mongo, I read that the Sox had hired a guy who used to work for Drive Line Sports.  It is a "data-driven" group (hmm) that teaches college pitchers new techniques in their off-season.