Reputations

The last month of the Red Sox season is a month to forget. Not only did the Red Sox go 7-20, they blew a 9 game lead, as they were up 9 games on Tampa Bay for the Wild Card on September 4th. Numerically, it is the worst collapse in baseball history. A couple days after the season, Terry Francona abdicated his position as Red Sox manager. Now, general manager Theo Epstein has reportedly agreed to a 5 year deal with the Cubs. So, the ashes of the collapse will be reborn to form a new era. The last time the Red Sox needed a manager (after they fired Grady Little), they hired Terry Francona, who led the team to two World Series titles. Now, two weeks after the Red Sox missed the playoffs for the second time in as many years, details of some horrid scandals are coming through.

The dedication of this team, the unity, the determination, all unraveled. However, a shocking and scandalous act rose to the front page today. Three players who all could have turned the luck of this team around, let the team down, the city down, and their own reputations down. Jon Lester- Red Sox ace southpaw, Josh Beckett- part of 2007 World Series team, and the overpaid and overrated John Lackey. Management has fired all the clubhouse members, but that didn't stop these three players from drinking beer in the clubhouse, eating fast food chicken, and playing video games in the clubhouse. During the games they weren't pitching, and the team was playing. No wonder Terry left. He doesn't deserve this. Pedroia and Ellsbury don't deserve this. Newcomers Adrian Gonzalez, and even Carl Crawford doesn't deserve this. Crawford may have put up pitiful numbers this year, but he was trying- he even apologized in the middle of September. This is just me, but if you are drinking, eating, and gaming in the clubhouse, it is worse than hitting .200 with 200 strikeouts, or going 3-16 with a 8.00 ERA. If you're disrupting the chemistry of the team, the work ethic of the team, and the unity of the team, in the midst of the worst collapse in the history of baseball, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Jon Lester is a tremendous pitcher. But he is a leader of this team, and he let himself down, the city down, and the Red Sox down. Same deal with Beckett. I had all the respect in the world for Josh Beckett. He is a tremendous pitcher, and led the team to the world series. He was my favorite player. But what he did is a disgrace to the team, and he ruined his whole reputation. Now, the situation with John Lackey is different. He is nowhere near the type of pitcher Jon Lester or Josh Beckett is. He finished the season 12-12 with a horrid 6.41 ERA. Now this is a guy who is going to be paid 82.5 million. He cries and moans when Francona comes to take him out of the game. And he is doing this crap? Awful. He is awful- as a baseball player? Look at the stats. Now he's drinking beer and gaming in the clubhouse? Pitiful. I had no respect for him before, and now I never will, even if he pitches 40 perfect games next year. Even though Lester and Beckett weren't crying when they got taken out of the game or had a 12-12 record, they still aren't off the hook. This just makes Lackey look the worst, because of the combination of complaining when being taken out of the game, his overpriced salary and his record.

These three players should be ashamed of themselves. Lester and Beckett are leaders of this team. They have damaged the reputation of the team. It's a disgrace. No other way to put it. Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Kevin Youkilis, Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, Tim Wakefield and other Red Sox veterans were let down by these three players. Legends like Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, and Bill Mueller were let down. Even people like Keith Foulk, Kevin Millar, Dave Roberts, and Nomar Garciaparra should be ashamed of these players. They should know better. If any one of them step up and apologizes for their actions, they may gain a sliver of respect. But, the damage has been done, and Terry Francona, Theo Epstein are both gone, and a new era has begun.