What do the X sources say?

My eyes see "Ben Cherington" and my mind reads "Chareth Cutestory".

My eyes see "Ben Cherington" and my mind reads "Chareth Cutestory".

I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Well, thank goodness the exhaustive search is over!

It seems that the search for a new GM was about as exhaustive as the team's research on whether or not Crawford and Lackey would perform well in Boston.

My eyes see "Ben Cherington" and my mind reads "Chareth Cutestory".

So he has a degree in Maritime law - brilliant!!

Wasn't Ben Cherington already GM? Oh, right, that was only during Theo's Pearl Jam session.

youse redsox fans best hope this theo to cherington sucksession works better for all yall than the gerry hunsicker to drayton mclane - i mean tim purpura - did

p.s. no relation to #7

youse redsox fans best hope this theo to cherington sucksession works better for all yall than the gerry hunsicker to drayton mclane - i mean tim purpura - did

Hey, enjoy all these moves. Within a year Francona will be bench coach in Houston.

Hey, I've discovered (yesterday's Globe) that Cherington is a Duquette guy, not a Theo guy. He might actually be decent!

Are these the same reports that had Theo with the Cubs in 24 hours a week ago?

I know these are all likely true, but it would be more hilarious, and therefore better, if they were false.

He's a Duqutte guy and a Theo guy.

Duquette hired him originally and has warmly endorsed him. It'll be an interesting test. If Theo does fantastically in Chicago and Cherington fails, then it will be completely clear that Henry and Lucchino have to go.

it will be completely clear that Henry and Lucchino have to go.

How would that happen exactly? You can't fire the owner.

Hey Henry and Lucchino...MORE WORLD SERIESESES YOU JERKS!

You heard it here first - in five years, we will be saying that Cherington is a better GM than Epstein. Why?

1) I think Cherington will give you most of what Epstein does (saber-friendly analysis, open-minded approach to problem-solving), without Epstein's liabilities (I think Cherington will be better with the media/public; will be a better evaluator of major-league talent fitting into Boston)
2) He replaces Epstein at a time when a growing number of Red Sox fans will think of Epstein in the context of the failures of the last two seasons, rather than the 03-04, and 07-08 successes. Epstein will always be loved in Boston for being the hometown kid that built the two WS teams, but Cherington is going to feel like a breath of fresh air, in terms of his affable nature. And Cherington is a hometown person, of sorts, as well. He's from New Hampshire (one reason I've always been a fan of his).

2) He replaces Epstein at a time when a growing number of Red Sox fans will think of Epstein in the context of the failures of the last two seasons, rather than the 03-04, and 07-08 successes. Epstein will always be loved in Boston for being the hometown kid that built the two WS teams, but Cherington is going to feel like a breath of fresh air, in terms of his affable nature. And Cherington is a hometown person, of sorts, as well. He's from New Hampshire (one reason I've always been a fan of his).

I think this is true only if the Sox win another WS or two relatively quickly. No WS will lead towards pining for the good-old days with Theo & Tito.

EDIT: And Theo's performance in Chicago will impact the thinking.

16 could be accurate but I want to touch on two things;


First;

I think Cherington will be better with the media/public

I think Epstein has been quite good with the media/public. He has certainly made moves that were debatable both from performance and popularity standpoints (Lackey, Drew) but I think he has generally come off well when discussing them.


Second;

The big question for the Ben Cherington era (assuming it happens and this thing doesn't fall through. We're on like day four since it was a "done deal" aren't we?) and I think the Sox have a perception that Epstein has been holding the wolves at bay in the form of Lucchino/Henry. Is this true and if so can Cherington do it? Honestly, I think we're going to get a clear sense of what direction the "new" Sox are going almost immediately.

Relative contiuation - Pick up Scutaro's option

New direction (the Steinbrenner path) - Let Scutaro go, sign Reyes.

I can't imagine a situation where shortstop is not filled through one of those two paths.

If Theo does fantastically in Chicago and Cherington fails, then it will be completely clear that Henry and Lucchino have to go.

You forgot one. If Theo succeeds in Chicago and the Sox remain a consistent contender and win a pennant and maybe a WS in the coming years then Henry/Lucchino is excellent ownership, Theo is brilliant and apparently Duquette/Harrington was just a continuation of decades of incompetence.

I'm sure it was just an oversight that you forgot that possibility.

#18 Rollins? I make it a distant third possibility, but it sure seems at least plausible.

I expect Rollins to command more than he's objectively worth.

Rollins? I make it a distant third possibility, but it sure seems at least plausible.

Signing Rollins would be pulling a Crawford.

19/20 - Signing Reyes would be pulling a Crawford, signing Rollins, four years older and appreciably lesser of a player would be dumb. I think Ron is right, the contract for Rollins is going to be far in excess of his value. At least Reyes is a star player in his prime, he just can't sty healthy.

Oops, sorry just realized this is Sox Therapy. Anti-Sox troll removed...

"it will be completely clear that Henry and Lucchino have to go.

How would that happen exactly? You can't fire the owner."

If Baltimore fans ever figure that out, you can copy their methods.

Is karlmagnus a real poster, or just the invention of a mischievous Primate? This is an actual question. I have seen people suggest both.

Karlmagnus is entirely real. He's been here almost as long as there's been a "Sox Therapy", and he has contributed at length and in depth to the Hall of Merit.

He is, ever so slightly, partly kidding about Dan Duquette.

OK. And he really believes all this stuff he says about Epstein, then, I assume. Seems very strange to say these things if one likes to see the Red Sox winning games.

19/20 - Signing Reyes would be pulling a Crawford, signing Rollins, four years older and appreciably lesser of a player would be dumb. I think Ron is right, the contract for Rollins is going to be far in excess of his value. At least Reyes is a star player in his prime, he just can't sty healthy.

I'm surprised how little attention has been paid to Reyes's astronomical BABIP in 2011 compared to his career BABIP. At his career level w an adjustment for age, Reyes isn't a star in 2011, doesn't sniff the batting title, and has himself a very nice but hardly awe-inspiring 4 win season. Reyes didn't play like a star in 2009 or 2010, he was very good but very, very lucky in 2011, and as I mentioned in a Mets thread, is going to make a hell of a lot more money than he ought to because of that luck.

We have to assume the Red Sox FO, and Cherington, don't blow off BABIP because it's got a funny sounding acronym. Someone is going to give Reyes way too much money, but I don't imagine it's going to be the sharpies in Beantown. Reyes can't stay healthy, and his prime ended in 2008. He hasn't been a true star since then, fwiw.

(Edited poorly)

Well, thank goodness the exhaustive search is over

and

It seems that the search for a new GM was about as exhaustive as the team's research on whether or not Crawford and Lackey would perform well in Boston.

This is exactly how I felt when Ricciardi was finally booted and Alex Anthopoulos was hired in one complete move.

Hey, I've discovered (yesterday's Globe) that Cherington is a Duquette guy, not a Theo guy

Hey, those Amherst College roots run deep. It's practically a GM factory!

I am indeed real (at least i think so.) And I am genuinely not very fond of the current Sox management (partly, I know quite a lot about hedge funds, most of it bad.) And I genuinely think Duquette took a franchise that had gone nowhere for decades (I thought the late '80s renaissance was built on sand) and made it a huge success, that was in close contention every year. He was blamed for 2001 and pushed out the door unfairly in '02; as we saw this year, an end of season disappointment makes the Boston media culture toxic (and 2001's debacle had far more excuse in terms of injuries than this one.)

I liked Theo OK, but thought his '04 success was very lucky -- and I didn't like his getting rid of Nomar. 2007 was more impressive, however. I think the regime's bad behavior every time someone leaves is indicative that on average (Lucchino being a big part of the average) they are unpleasant people. But if Cherington combines the better parts of Theo and Duquette, and if Lucchino takes the opportunity for early retirement, I could become much more wholeheartedly positive on the Sox organization.

I see that as perfectly reasonable karl. How you go from there to some of your other posts I still can't see.

Has there been an official announcement on this?

Because Theo Epstein has not resigned and has contractual authority to run the Red Sox baseball organisation.

Is karlmagnus a real poster, or just the invention of a mischievous Primate? This is an actual question. I have seen people suggest both.

All I know is, having him on ignore does no good, as you people keep reposting his ####.

All I know is, having him on ignore does no good, as you people keep reposting his ####.

Km, is like a tiny, cute, little kitten - even when he's pooping on the rug he is friggin adoreable.

signing Rollins, four years older and appreciably lesser of a player would be dumb. I think Ron is right, the contract for Rollins is going to be far in excess of his value.

i feel this gets forgotten everytime his impending free agency comes up, but rollins is still a hell of a player.

I like to imagine tfbg9 and karlmagnus are the split personalities of the same Red Sox fan. That makes the Game Day chatter supremely awesome on days that Wakefield pitches!