Terry Francona Gives Up on Life, Becomes ESPN Baseball Analyst

We had higher hopes for Terry Francona. He could have really gone places. Seen things. Helped people. Instead, he'll be joining the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball telecast in 2012.

The former Boston Red Sox manager, who has honestly put up with enough crap in his day, will be on your television Sunday evenings, sitting right alongside Dan Shulman and Orel Hershiser in the broadcast booth next season. Good times are sure to be had by all but Terry.

Theo Epstein Officially Joins Cubs, Ben Cherington Likely Replacement in Boston

A guest post from our girl Muffin Top to support her new blogging endeavors.

An incredible run that included two World Series Championships (and three extra playoff berths via Wild Card) for the youngest ever general manager in baseball at the time ended on a sour note with fried chicken, beer bellies, and mayhem last month before Theo Epstein decided to abandon ship and head for Chicago.

Not sure it will be any smoother sailing in the windy city, but Theo Epstein is always up for a challenge... except that one time he quit his general manager job for five days upon sneaking out of Fenway Park disguised as a gorilla. We all do things we're not proud of.

Epstein, now 37, officially resigned from his position as Red Sox general manager Friday night and became the president of baseball operations for the Cubs. Of course, fans on the North Side are especially giddy, considering they haven't won a World Series since back in 1908. The one man who seems equipped for the job of bringing that end of the city their first Championship in over a century made it possible for Boston after an 86-year drought before they captured another ring three years later in 2007.

Leave it to a $161 Million Payroll to Try and Steal the Postseason Thunder

In case you missed it, the Boston Red Sox epic collapse is still in motion. Leave it to a $161 million payroll to try and steal the thunder of the playoffs. I mean, would you look at that? They didn't even make the playoffs, yet here we are talking about them.

From Bob Hohler of the Boston Globe:

"How a team that was on pace in late August to win 100 games and contend for its third World Series title in seven years self-destructed is a story of disunity, disloyalty, and dysfunction like few others in franchise history."

Good point, I suppose. It all started with them losing a crap-ton of games during the final month of the season. In fact, they failed to put together any sort of winning streak, never winning more than one game in a row in the whole month of September. Total failure.

Terry Francona, living in a hotel all season while in the middle of a separation from his wife, was "let go" as Boston refused to pick up his 2012 contract option. However, he kept his head up and did color commentary, surviving the voice of Joe Buck during the first two games of the ALCS. We're proud of him.

General Manager Theo Epstein was the next to go, taking the vacant position of Chicago Cubs GM for $15 million over the next five seasons. Obviously, he's planning on ending their 102-year Championship drought.

Theo Epstein Leaves Boston to Heal the Chicago Cubs

Someone slipped a juicy rumor to the Associated Press Tuesday night: Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein is definitely headed to the Windy City to take over the Chicago Cubs organization.

Turns out it's more than just a rumor, as WEEI Sports Radio reported Wednesday morning that Theo has signed a five-year deal worth roughly $15 million, which is expected to be finalized by the end of the week. Maybe he'll invite Terry Francona to join him, cause Mike Quade is not exactly getting the job done.

The Cubs fired general manager Jim Hendry back in August and managed to avoid a 100-loss season with a 71-91 record. While the Red Sox missed the postseason following the most embarrassing collapse in big league history in which they failed to win back-to-back games at any point in the month of September, the Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908. Both sucky scenarios.

Robin Ventura Shakes Headlock, Takes a Stab at Managing White Sox

Robin Ventura, best know for getting his ass beat by Nolan Ryan (I swear that will be on this poor sap's tombstone) has taken Ozzie Guillen's job as skipper of the South Siders.

The former White Sox third baseman joined the team this summer as a "special adviser" to director of player development Buddy Bell, which is apparently a lot like managing a ball club. Fun fact: Ventura has never so much as managed a little little league team in his entire life... Oh well.

The White Sox don't seem to care about this minor detail, however. They just had to snag him up before another club did. You know, one who preferred a skipper with zero credentials. Besides, they had to get a name out there that someone recognized so the world would'nt realize that no one wants to be in charge of that mess, let alone listen to Ken Williams babble on and on.

Terry Francona is too Cool to Manage, Opts for Commentating

Terry Francona, after being ousted as the Boston Red Sox manager last weekend, has been offered a job as an analyst with FOX during the first two games of the American League Championship Series this postseason. Obvioiusly, he accepted since he doesn't really have much else going on.

The two-time World Series Champion skipper and curse-breaker, who was with the Red Sox for eight glorious seasons, maintains that he wasn't exactly fired, but he did mention that owner Jim Henry didn't really ask him if he wanted to stick around last Friday, either.

And maybe this whole Boston Bust wasn't his fault anyway. Apparently players were pounding beers during games and packing on the pounds this season. Kinda hard to hit or throw a baseball when you're buzzed. Take it from me.

Moving right along. Since Tim McCarver will be out of commission due to some mystery medical operation (hopefully getting his voice box removed) Francona will take his place alongside Joe Buck. Tito seems a little nervous about his new endeavor:

"I’ve only broadcast one other game in my life, and that was in the Arizona Fall League about 13 years ago and it was on radio and there were probably 12 people [listening] and I sucked. So this is going to be interesting.’"

This will likely be a complete disaster, but we're going to watch it unfold with the volume up anyway.

Game 1 of the ALCS is scheduled for Saturday with the Texas Rangers either hosting the Detroit Tigers or facing the Yankees in the Bronx. We can't wait.

[Boston.com]

As if this Whole Mess is Terry Francona's Fault

According to several sources, including Ken Rosenthal, Terry Francona and the Boston Red Sox will be parting ways this offseason, which began some time Thursday morning when Sawx Nation woke up and realized this was all not just a bad dream, and they indeed had missed the playoffs.

The decision to let Francona go was on the shoulders of principal owner John Henry, who has apparently seen enough over the past month. He would not be fired, rather the club would simply not pick up his 2012 and '13 option.

Of course, now that Ozzie Guillen has left the Chicago White Sox to spend the next four seasons with the Miami Marlins, there is some speculation that Francona could take the job on the South Side, since he already managed five seasons with their minor-league system in the early 1990s. Speaking of Chicago, Mike Quade is bound to get canned, so there's a possibility Tito could end up on the North Side as well.

In what has been deemed one of the worst collapses in the history of baseball, Boston and their $161 million payroll (third highest in the majors) dropped 20 of their 27 final games due to a lethal combination of untimely injuries, crappy pitching, lethargic offense, and perhaps even some mismanagement. Yes, 2011 was a complete failure.

General manager Theo Epstein said, "nobody blames Tito for what happened in September. That would be totally irresponsible and totally short-sighted."

Totally.

Francona vs. Big Papi: Who you got?

It's a classic story. Manager does interview. Player clowns around in the background. Manager threatens to kick player's ass. Even better when the manager is Terry Francona and the player is David Ortiz.

The magic happens at the end of the interview.

I seriously think Francona could take him.