RED SOX GM THEO EPSTEIN RESIGNS

[mainepatsfan]

Just heard on WEEI that Channel 7 in Boston and New England Cable News is reporting that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has resigned and is cleaning out his office.

[misterrob]

Holy Sh#t!!!!

I guess he and Darth Larry couldn't work it out. Good for him for not selling out for the $$$$. Luccino is a first class bum hole to work for. But, by losing him and Byrnes the Sox have real problems..

[mainepatsfan]

I've seen him run up the steps at Fenway during the game. He might want to avoid that this year.

[Airborne1986]

"I want [Manny] to stay and whine and undermine team morale for three years. :-)"

Manny Ramirez '04: 43 HR 130 RBI
Manny Ramirez '05: 45 HR 144 RBI

I think team morale is fine as far as Manny is concerned. He is a production machine and he played in more games than Damon and all of the other "dirt dogs." The fans love him. The trade-Manny advocates have always been the team owners who don't like his big salary ($22m/year) which was a contract they inherited from the prior ownership group.

[misterrob]

This is a problem but not something that cannot be overcome. Theo brought us Ortiz, Mueller, Millar (2/3 good years), Schilling, Wells and Foulke (who was amazing in the playoffs in 2004) plus 3 trips to the playoffs and a WS win.

He also gave us Jeremy Giambi, Renteria, Clement, Bellhorn for $2.7 million last year, bullpen by committee in 03 and a lousy pen in 2005.

He will be missed....

[Andy'smom]

{Cough}...I've heard the rumors, too...{cough}.

[MikefromOhio]

Clement was your guys best pitcher until he took that liner off the melon last year....

[nutmeg]

Wow, I'm shocked to hear this. I really thought Theo and the Red Sox organization would work out some kind of deal...

Can the 2006 Red Sox be as good as they were without Theo???

Related thread and more Red Sox info:

Theo Epstein Walks Away From Red Sox

BostonDirtDogs.com

[misterrob]

He took the second half of last season off as well. He lacks, how do say, testicular fortitude and mental focus?

[MikefromOhio]

I don't think so.

He was the Cubs best pitcher in 2003 as well even with Prior and Wood.

I think that liner off the head changed him somehow. Understandably, but if you aren't going to go out there 100%, you shouldn't go out there. He came back awfully quick too.

[misterrob]

Peter Gammons just bitch slapped Shaughnessy in an interview on ESPN. Said that some columnist writing for the paper doesn't know what's really going on. Gammons also said:

Lucchino was not the source of the leak that pissed Theo off. It was people who worked for Larry that did it.

That Lucchino had really been making an effort to work this out.

Theo burned out in Boston. The job isn't just baseball, it's PR as well.

Theo overreacted by doing this. He had a great owner to work for in John Henry and will likely regret this someday.

The Sox have real problems given that Theo had the team focused and moving in a good direction. They had good scouting, good drafts and a good organization.

[misterrob]

He was good from a wins and losses perspective but his 2nd half was just bad and it started right before the All Star break. He wasn't picked for the team, got shelled in his next appearance and was never the same after that. The smack off the head didn't help but his mental make up is simply not that strong. He loses focus too easily, he cannot throw from the stretch and as soon as someone gets on base he simply doesn't respond well. He pitched some great games this year but he's a #3/#4 guy.

[MikefromOhio]

He pitched some great games this year but he's a #3/#4 guy.

I agree there, but your other pitchers were pitching like #5 guys until about mid-July....of course it hurt not having Schilling, but when Wakefield is your #1, that's a problem.

[nutmeg]

Thanks for that info from Gammons. Hubby and I went out to eat earlier at a sports bar. ESPN was on TVs all over the place, but the sound was turned down. We saw Gammons speaking... it was frustrating to not be able to hear what he was saying.

I agree with your last two statements. I think Theo will regret this decision someday, and YES, the Red Sox will have real problems without him...

[misterrob]

Theo decided that Pedro was not worth the risk of signing for 4 years which wasn't so good this year but time will tell how it will pan out. Lowe is a headcase and pretty much sucked in 2004 after a mediocre year in 03. He did well in the playoffs but then again, so did Beltran and the Mets overpaid for him.

[MikefromOhio]

Lowe was a serious headcase.

He proved to be the same guy in LA as well.

I wouldn't have signed Pedro for 4 years either.

[nutmeg]

Lowe is a headcase and pretty much sucked in 2004 after a mediocre year in 03.

Ugh, I don't miss Derek Lowe at all. He did OK in the post-season last year, but was pretty lousy in 04 and 03, like you said. Sure wish we still had Pedro, but who knows how long he'll last...

[IDontLikeToPayTaxes]

How the heck does a guy that young get a job as a General Manager for a MLB team ! ?

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

I was listening this am to WEEI online and it was a done deal! This is the first I heard of it. To answer your question. I think so. As much as people despised Duquette Theo just finished the puzzle Dan started. I personally think Duquette was a better judge of talent he just sucked in disciplining his players. That said I dont know who is out there to fill the GM posistion.

Its only going to get weirder this offseason

[TheRedSoxWinThePennant]

I will be more than happy to take the posistion for half what Theo was asking.

[nutmeg]

Just updated on BostonDirtDogs.com: