More Theo Talk

In the comment section of the post before this one, my friend Kellia asked some questions that I thought should be answered in a more public place than just the comment section.  So here’s a post dedicated to it.  🙂

Here’s Kellia on Theo:

But you’ve got to admit this is WEIRD. I mean, your GM, who calls the job his dream job, walks away from on-field success and the kind of monetary offer to renew that he wanted. The Red Sox do Winter Meetings by committee, end up with 2 GMs and lose their Center Fielder/Leadoff Hitter, whom they still have yet to replace. (And yes, I am one of those people who believes Theo would have reached a deal with Damon). 10 and a half weeks later, he shows up again, which means the 2 GMs will be looking over their shoulder, never a good idea in any type of business, and if the Red Sox don’t do as well as hoped, fans and pundits will be saying, "But Theo is back! What’s wrong?" Who will you trust then?

(And to my friend Peter, Kellia isn’t a "naysayer", she’s a friend who’s a baseball fan before being a fan of any team.  And she’s on the west coast – pulled away from the insanity of east coast baseball)

🙂

And now here I am:

The issue with Damon is that the Yankees would have kept pushing the price up and the Red Sox (including Theo) wouldn’t have paid it because he just isn’t worth it.  Theo knows what Damon was to this team, but he also  knows that he isn’t worth the money that Steinbrenner was going to throw at him.  If Johnny wanted to stay in Boston, he should have been a man about it and continued with negotiations.

"10 and a half weeks later, he shows up again, which means the 2 GMs will be looking over their shoulder, never a good idea in any type of business,"

The co-Gms are men who have worked with Theo since the beginning…they aren’t two guys who got pulled off the street – they, unlike the rest of us, know what’s going on.  It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if they were told when they took their positions that if something could be settled with Theo, there would be some reorganizing.  At any rate, given the way they’ve been treated by the media thus far, I’m sure they’re both thrilled to have Theo back on their side.  Theo’s job hasn’t even been explained yet…I’m sure there is room for all three as there has been in the past.

"if the Red Sox don’t do as well as hoped, fans and pundits will be saying, "But Theo is back! What’s wrong?" "

Maybe the pundits will say that, but the fans won’t.  The Red Sox got swept in the ALDS last year and no one blamed Theo.  We know Theo isn’t some God who can do no wrong…but what he IS is someone the PLAYERS (and fans) trust.  He brings, along with his smarts and his talent, a feeling of respect toward the players from the FO…and the players respond.  Along with hs business and baseball sense, Theo brings unity with him.  He’s the connector between the players and the FO…and it’s quite an important piece of the entire Red Sox puzzle.

"Who will you trust then?"

I think the fans of Red Sox Nation are the only group of fans who feel as strongly about their FO as we do.  We haven’t trusted anyone for years – Theo was the first.  And with him back, trust returns as well.  We don’t demand another World Series win…we demand a person making the decisions who truly cares about the team, the players, the fans and what happens to them all.  Theo is that person.