Happy Birthday, Theo!

Photo courtesy of Kelly O'Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com and used with permission.

There are many who point to Theo and consider him overrated or just lucky.  I am not one of those people.  The man who had a giant hand in 2004 and 2007 will always get my respect.  (Even when, as above, he dresses like an extra from a Nirvana video.)

I grew up in eras where the fans hated the General Manager.  I grew up hearing my father yell “He has no idea what he’s doing!” in the face of ridiculous trades or free agents who weren’t signed.  In 2004, the day Nomar Garciaparra was traded, my father watched Theo’s press conference and said “He looks like he’s sick about it.  I sure hope he knows what he’s doing.”  I don’t know why my father gave him the benefit of the doubt but he did.  Most of us did and it worked out perfectly.  (I also know the decisions of Dan Duquette played a large part in the ’04 championship.  I also know he had 8 years to put together a World Series team and even with the likes of Pedro Martinez, Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez, couldn’t do it.)

Theo isn’t like John Henry or Larry Luchhino or Tom Werner.  He doesn’t try to connect with the fans on an emotional level.  This used to bother me but, ultimately, I think it’s probably for the best.  He doesn’t have the emotional attachments we all do to cloud his judgment and that has helped the team more than it has hurt it.  Sure there have been some bad results, no one is perfect, but I think looking at the big picture the good outweighs the bad mightily.

So happy birthday to Theo Epstein.  And thanks, again, for knowing what to do with John Henry’s money.