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.

[nutmeg]

Yeah, I'd like for my husband to take Theo's job. Half of what Theo was asking would be JUST FINE! ;-)

Honestly, I think he'd do an awesome job... (he's laughing in the background. A "yeah, right" kind of laugh)

[SE Mom]

WOW.

I'm not sure I like this.

[warsaw44]

" I personally think Duquette was a better judge of talent he just sucked in disciplining his players "

I'd ask Roger Clemens about Duquettes judgement of talent. Dan Duquette was hated throughout all of MLB. Front offices throughout the country wouldn't even return his calls. The man was a putz.

[NYCVirago]

As a Yankee fan, I'm pretty stunned by this. Theo is an excellent GM, and the Sox are making a huge mistake by letting him go.

[misterrob]

Duquette left the Sox with no farm system, he didn't develop any pitching and the only positional players that they grew were Nixon and Nomar.

Good Moves:

Damon
Pedro
Lowe
Tek
Wakefield
Manny

Bad:

No scouting and no farm system

[Texas Eagle]

Was his letter of resignation signed, "Epstein's mother"?

[MikefromOhio]

you forgot Ortiz....

And Cabrera was a good move....

[misterrob]

Those were Theo's moves. I was talking about Duquette.

[MikefromOhio]

oh...

missed that :)

yeah I don't think Duquette ever endeared himself throughout the offices of the other teams in the MLB....

[misterrob]

He wanted out. Lucchino is a bum hole and I think he felt that the money wasn't worth the hassle. Theo also has made references to the fishbowl he lives in. In some ways the team created this mess with it's nonstop marketing and in other ways the Red Sox fans need to get a life. These guys are ball players, not gods, not heroes, just ball players and yet people just want to worship them. The press is allowed free access to the club house and they get no privacy. The media in Boston sucks and they will praise you one day then stick a knife in you the next.

When this team turns into a .500 special because the stars ask to be traded and no free agents want to play there maybe they might get it.

I doubt it though....

[misterrob]

Yeah but then again, the name of the game is winning and you do that through playing the game hard. He had no personality which didn't help him either.....

[MikefromOhio]

heh...

kinda like Billy Beane :)

[misterrob]

Dream job of running Red Sox no longer right job for Epstein

---

By Peter Gammons
Special to ESPN.com



Oct. 31


Theo Epstein was like so many of us who grew up in New England. All he ever wanted to do was be the general manager of the Red Sox. He and his best friend Sam Kennedy dreamed of the day they would run their team. And they did, Theo as GM, Sam as VP.

Kennedy talked to Epstein every few hours trying to convince him to stay. Red Sox ownership, specifically Larry Lucchino, tried to convince him to stay, offering more money than they ever dreamed of paying. But Epstein chose to move on, because while he loves the Red Sox, baseball and running a baseball operation, he did not love this job -- the hype, PR, spin-doctoring, leaks and rock-star status it entailed.

Lucchino should have gotten Epstein's extension done over dinner in spring training, and when he let it drag on several forces came into play. It eventually became a media circus, which made Epstein uncomfortable. With leaks and speculation, it became ugly. But Lucchino also doubled what he believed the fair-market value of Epstein's contract, and Epstein walked away because he didn't believe this is what he wanted to live with.

It is different in Boston, and Billy Beane has always said that the best decision he ever made was to change his mind and not take the Red Sox job. But John Henry is the primary owner, and he may be the best owner in the business, and while Lucchino may be a media machine, there isn't a team in the business where the GM doesn't have to answer to ownership.

The walk-off is bad timing for the Red Sox, who have several key free agents and have to try to trade Manny Ramirez and David Wells. Assistant GM Josh Byrnes, who would have been the successor, took the Arizona job. Jed Hoyer and other assistants will represent the team at the GM meetings in Palm Springs next week. As for a successor, it would seem that the line would start behind Gerry Hunsicker, unless the Tigers would let Dave Dombrowski out of his contract in Detroit.

[raccoonradio]

>>Peter Gammons just bitch slapped Shaughnessy in an interview on ESPN

Some comments on all this from Boston Sports Media (they name Shaughnessy as one of the "losers" in all this):

http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com

Ironic that the Herald got this scoop, not the "house organ" Boston Globe (part owner of team via New York Crimes...also I believe el Globo produces and sponsors the pre-and post-
game shows on Sox-owned NESN.

Dan "Clemens is in the twilight of his career" Duquette
is tanned, rested, and ready :)

So we have the anti-Duquette, Epstein, use his charm
to get the likes of Schilling signed...and Lucchino
chases him out of town!

[raccoonradio]

more via the Scott's Shots section of BostonSportsMedia.com

http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com/shots/

"Looks like Dan Shaughnessy did his chores a bit too early this week.

"When Shaughnasty penned the Sunday Globe column, “Let’s iron out some of this dirty laundry,” he thought he was putting the finishing touches on his paper’s “big coup” – the news of the re-signing of Theo Epstein.

"He thought wrong. And once again, like no other writer in this city can do, he became part of the story to the largest degree possible. (If Larry Lucchino is, in fact, co-writing with the Curse Creator, he should at least be given a “contributors” credit at the end of each piece.)"

[mainepatsfan]

He looked like a little leaguer making his first start in the playoffs.

[mainepatsfan]

He's going to take quite a beating for this.

[JIM O]

Every player on the Sox respects Theo and likes working for him. Wherever Theo ends up his new team will get a real close look at every Red Sox free agent for the next several years.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

I hope the Curley-Haired Boyfriend and Lawyer Larry Lucchino are ready to become the two most-hated men in Boston.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Bad:

No scouting and no farm system

Bad Duquette (more days in first place . . . more days in first place):

Arrogant attitude of Duke & staff prevented Teixeira not to sign w/Red Sox.
Let Mo Vaughn go.
Roger Clemens, "twilight of his career.
Jose Offerman (0-4man).