#terryfrancona

[jayanicely]

Recent illustrations for The Ringer 

[apollo-glove-repair-blog]

The Indians are rolling. #Windians .. .. #PostSeason #playoffs @indians #⚾️ #postseason2017 #playoffs2017 #indians #cleveland #clevelandrocks #clevelandindians #tribe #francona #TerryFrancona #comeback #rolling #teameffort #freighttrain #rally #win

[gilbertoswaldo-blog]

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#terryfrancona saluda al publico luego que los #indiosdecleverland se adjudicaran el banderin de la división central de la #ligaamericana en el juego de esta tarde. #indios #indians #cleveland #clevelandindians #divisióncentral #title #manager

[colinwalker13]

Who are the Boston Red Sox?

                                   The recent trade of Kevin Youkilis means only one active member from the 2004 World Series championship remains with the team.

  In 2004 history was made when the Boston Red Sox became the first team to win a MLB postseason series after being down 3 games to none. Ironically, this series was against their rival, the New York Yankees, and it appeared to be another disappointing postseason for Boston fans. Despite the odds being against them, the Red Sox rallied to win 4 straight and advance to the World Series. If you want to witness the complete story watch either Fever Pitch (2005) starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon or ESPN 30 for 30’s Four Days in October starring Boston sports writer, Bill Simmons.

Most Boston Red Sox fans claim the 2004 championship series as a change in the team’s luck because of it ending an 86-year drought and leading up to another eventual World Series title in 2007. The fans are very supportive of the members of each of these teams, which is evident by the 4-minute standing ovation upon Nomar Garciaparra’s return to Fenway Park as a member of the Oakland Athletics on July 6, 2009 and the curtain call given to Kevin Youkilis on Sunday June 24, 2012. Fans had been expecting Youkilis to leave Boston with the large volume of trade rumors surrounding him during the preceding weeks. Some Boston fans even knew it was possible at the start of the 2012 season when Manager Bobby Valentine and Youkilis were not getting along after previous statements were made. The question was who was going to go first: the beloved player who helped bring 2 world series titles to Boston or the manager brought in to rid the clubhouse of chicken and beer?

It was not a surprise to see Youkilis to be traded because the Red Sox organization is appreciative of the players’ work to win two World Series championships but knew the system in place was no longer working. This was shown by the biggest collapse in the last month of the season in baseball history when the Red Sox went 7-20 after having a 9 game lead in the AL East division, which cost them a playoff berth. Manager Terry Francona was fired less only days after the season ended and a few weeks later General Manager Theo Epstein left the Red Sox to become the GM for the Chicago Cubs. The only active member on of the 2004 Red Sox team is David Ortiz now.

Age isn’t the only reason the 2004 team has been dismantled for the most part. It is a reflection in the change of philosophy by the Red Sox organization. The addition of a new GM, Manager, and other members of the staff were inevitable. The infamous curse on the Boston Red Sox was broken in 2004 but it is a lesson the organization and fans must learn from. Loyalty is easy but realizing when change is needed is hard because fans and staff members alike have respect and allegiance for the players who accomplished this great feat.

Boston may not be the current powerhouse in the AL East, as fans have been accustomed to seeing, but it takes time for change to occur. Look at these three divisional leaders: Washington Nationals (NL East), Cincinnati Reds (NL Central), and the Chicago White Sox (AL Central).  Three years ago in the 2009-2010 season, these teams combined to be 216-270 or an average of 72-90 (.444).

This is a season of change for the Boston Red Sox and it will be tough for fans to handle it after being used to attend the playoffs for most of the past decade. The Red Sox organization has learned its lesson after the September 2011 collapse and it will be a matter of time before seeing if they have made the right moves to achieve future success.