The book stated the marketing report said: "(W)omen are definitely more drawn to the 'soap opera' and 'reality-TV' aspects of the game ... They are interested in good-looking stars and sex symbols," parenthetically citing All-Star second baseman Dustin Pedroia as an example of the latter.

...I don't think they love baseball. I think they like baseball. It's revenue, and I know that's their right and their interest because they're owners -- and they're good owners. But they don't love the game. It's still more of a toy or a hobby for them. It's not their blood. They're going to come in and out of baseball. It's different for me. Baseball is my life.

Terry Francona finally fires back at Boston Red Sox owners - ESPN Boston

As for chairman Tom Werner, the book describes how the manager nearly walked out of a lunch meeting he had with the owners in 2010 when, according to the excerpt, "Werner talked about slumping television ratings and whined, 'We need to start winning in more exciting fashion.'

"Francona started to get up out of his chair, but Epstein grabbed his knee. 'A good move by Theo,' Francona said later. 'When Tom started talking about ratings, Theo knew I was getting ready to flare.'"

Francona admits he may have been primed to react "aggressively" at that meeting. A person with knowledge of Werner's comment said Tuesday that Werner was laughing when he said it, and the parties present, with the possible exception of Francona, understood it to be a joke.

This was a lunch meeting with ownership! The only people who could be sources here are the owners or Theo.

This was a lunch meeting with ownership! The only people who could be sources here are the owners or Theo.

But they don't love the game. It's still more of a toy or a hobby for them. It's not their blood. They're going to come in and out of baseball.

The book contends that Epstein was responding "to the pressure from his bosses and the sagging ratings" when he traded for Adrian Gonzalez and signed free agent Carl Crawford, eventually signing the pair for a combined total of 14 years and $296 million.

Were these two trades defensible, at the time, for baseball reasons?

I think the argument for metaphorical sex appeal is the strongest with Lackey.

i have mocked consultants regularly but my background has been with finance/operational people who are highly prone to apply approaches that have worked elsewhere into every circumstance ignoring obvious contextual differences

i find this version hard to believe. at a superficial level it makes for a good read but i struggle to believe there is any semi-competent consultant who would make such an outlandish recommendation to a professional sports team like the red sox.

I wish *literally* anyone else had written this book. I refuse to buy it on principle and frankly would feel dirty reading it.

"They told us we didn't have any marketable players, that we needed some sizzle," he recalled.

I want to hear what Carl Everett thinks!

(probably the first sentence ever that began with "I kind of want to hear what Schilling thinks...")

If those aren't marketable players, then the only marketable player is Ichiro.

I don't get why Theo is trying to pass off the credit for the Gonzalez acquisition. That ended up working out for the team.

But Lackey, he was acquired for sex appeal.

If you click a link that mentions horses and sex appeal, you get what you deserve. In fact, I'd argue you WANTED it! Pervert.

but hey, maybe so. in which case shame on sox management for hiring doofuses

Tito bites back.

It's not Tito, it's his son, Terry.