Sometimes even I need a reminder!

From 1990 – 2002 the Boston Red Sox made it to the playoffs four times.

1990 – Lost the ALCS to the Oakland A’s
1995 – Lost the ALDS to the Cleveland Indians
1998 – Lost AGAIN in the ALDS to Cleveland
1999 – Lost the ALCS to the New York Yankees

This happened under three different Managers and two different General Managers.

Since 2003, when Theo Epstein became General Manager, the Red Sox have been in the playoffs three times (with two Managers).

2003 – Lost game 7 of the ALCS to the Yankees
2004 – Won the World Series!!
2005 – Lost to the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS

My point being, Theo might not be perfect.  Heck, I KNOW he isn’t.  But he certainly isn’t some clueless kid.

I might not like all the decisions he has made (if we ever meet my first question will be WHY DID YOU TRADE BRONSON????  Okay, that’ll probably be my second question…the first one will have to be about Manny.)

The way some folks are talking or writing, you would think he just signed Lupus and Tanner from the Bad News Bears, instead of JD Drew and Julio Lugo.

Let’s get it out right now…given his past, I’m not a fan of having Lugo on the team. (Oh and a apology to "Josh" over at "Surviving Grady", I was wrong…I didn’t realize this actually went to trial, I thought his wife just dropped the charges.)  I have to respect the decision the court made, but the quotes from his wife sound suspiciously like many battered women I’ve known.  But, that isn’t for me to judge, I suppose.  What I’ve been telling everyone is, while I will want him to do well for the team, I’ll have a hard time cheering for him as an individual.  Is that fair?  Probably not.  Will my opinion change as the season goes on and we learn more about him?  Possibly.

Taking my feelings about what we know about his personal life out of the equation, I have no problem having this guy on the team.  Same goes for JD Drew.  I know the two main arguments are that Drew gets injured easily (see Trot Nixon) and he doesn’t try hard enough (see WHY Trot Nixon gets easily injured), but these aren’t easily applied to an upcoming season.  As far as injuries go, well anyone can get injured.  Everyone warned we Sox fans last year that Josh Beckett was going to spend inordinate amounts of time on the DL because of blisters.  Never happened.  The past isn’t  going to frighten me from enjoying the possibility of an Ortiz/Ramirez/Drew middle of the lineup.   And as far as ‘not hustling’…he isn’t Manny Ramirez.  He dogs it in Fenway and it won’t fly.  And if he mixes things up in the clubhouse, that won’t fly with the Manager (see Payton, Jay – 2005).

I know it isn’t a popular opinion right now, but I’m inclined to believe that Theo might actually have an idea of what he’s doing.  Is he perfect?  Hell no.  I know that.  There are still many things he’s done that make me shake my head.  But all in all, Theo is the guy I want at the helm of this team.