The Boston Red Sox fired manager John Farrell because Red Sox ratings on NESN were down 15% this year. Sure other explanations will be given for the firing but the real reason is because NESN's freaking ratings were down and the clowns who own the Red Sox needed a scapegoat.
I'm not kidding.
John Farrell won the AL East 3 out of 5 years he managed in Boston, beat cancer for a franchise forever linked with battling cancer (the Jimmy Fund and Boston Red Sox are synonymous in New England) and HE WON A WORLD SERIES. His job should have been safe if he worked for more stable owners anywhere else in any other sport.
But the Red Sox have the least stable (and likable) ownership of all the four major sports franchises in Boston. Theo Epstein and Terry Francona should still be here and be historically somewhere between the duos of Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens with the Celtics and the all-time great duo of Brady and Belichick (no first names or team citation needed). But no - ownership needed a perceived scapegoat then too!
It will be said that GM Dave Dombrowski wanted "his own man" as manager and that's true to an extent. But the only reason Red Sox ownership let him make this move is because ratings at NESN were down 15% this year. If the rating were flat or down just a couple points - John Farrell would still be managing.
I don't care to engage in everyone's favorite new game of "who will be the next Red Sox manager" but I will make one prediction - rating at NESN will be down another 15% next year too.
Because Red Sox ownership doesn't get it and probably never will.
All solid reasons why I stopped watching or caring about them or MLB since they canned Francona. They're getting what they deserve. It's great not supporting the clown car ownership group and the overpaid, overhyped, and overrated players and the crappy toilet they play in. Haven't missed it at all. They lost me for good.
ReplyDeleteThe way they smeared Francona on his way out of town took away any doubt in my mind that John Henry is a scumbag. I spend much less time on the team now than in the past but God help me I'm still an addict.
ReplyDeleteThe franchise is bigger then the current owners. I pray for the day when either running the Boston Globe bankrupts John Henry or his young wife divorces him and takes half his money forcing him to sell the Red Sox.