"Blame Pie"
Well the 2006 season has officially ended (thank God), and the Red Sox – a team that held soul posession of first place for most of the first half of the season – finished up a game behind the Toronto Blue Jays and in third place for the first time this young century. So now, of course, is when the hatchet falls, moves are made, and weaknesses are addressed by both the team and the media.
The first casualties of ’06 were coaches Ron “Papa” Jackson and Dave Wallace. Jackson, as most of you will know, is the man David Ortiz credits for turning his career around, and making him the slugger he is today. Ortiz thinks so highly of Jackson that he gave him the bat he used to tie Jimmy Foxx’s home run record. Could it have been a parting gift? Jackson says he is pretty sure Papi knew he wouldn’t be coming back, and the buzz around the clubhouse was that Jackson’s lack of technical knowledge rubbed some players the wrong way. There were complaints that his approach was too simplistic, with “anonymous” players coming forward in the media saying that they felt his coaching did them more harm than good. While it is no secret that the 2006 Red Sox suffered offensively, one also has to take into consideration the makeup of the team, as well as the unprecedented amount of player injuries.
Jackson served as the hitting coach from 2003 to 2006, and, while there was a slight offensive decline last season, his first two seasons saw record offensive numbers from a ballclub that featured, amongst others, Nomar Garciaparra, Johnny Damon, Bill Mueller, Todd Walker, Mark Bellhorn, and Kevin Millar; all very capable hitters. The 2006 team was bound to see something of an offensive decline with the loss of players like Damon, Mueller, and Millar (who put up respectable numbers in somewhat limited playing time with the Orioles), and, like Beavis and Butthead said, “You can’t polish a turd”. Alex Gonzalez is known for his defense (and rightfully so), while Mark Loretta hits for average, not power, and Kevin Youkilis is a walking machine; none of these players fit the raw power mold of the ’03 or ’04 Sox. Meanwhile, Coco Crisp’s numbers suffered due to a hand injury that plagued him all season, and Jason Varitek looked completely lost at the plate (and missed a large chunk of the season, himself). The only bright spots of the season were Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and, surprisingly, Mike Lowell.
So was the lack of offense in 2006 Jackson’s fault? Well, if you believe the “anonymous” reports from the Red Sox Clubhouse, it was at least partly. But, with the man’s track record, I seriously doubt he’ll have a problem finding a similar position on another team next year.
Wallace’s situation is a bit more complex. While a highly regarded baseball mind, and a very respected pitching coach, his effect on the pitching staff is a bit of a mystery. While veterans like Schilling, Wakefield, Pedro, Lowe, and Wells all put up decent numbers, one hardly thinks Wallace’s input had anything to do with that save for a few “tweaks” and suggestions here and there. The real story is his effect on the younger, less-developed pitchers. While Jon Papelbon had a breakout year, Josh Beckett, Manny Delcarmen, Craig Hanson, and other upstarts looked overmatched, and many suggest that Wallace’s work with these young pitchers contradicted what they had learned from Al Nipper (who served as interim pitching coach for most of the season while Wallace was recovering from hip surgery) earlier in the season. However, there are also suggestions that the Red Sox system’s pitching development is flawed from the minors on up. Cla Meredith, the young pitcher packaged with Josh Bard in the trade to bring Doug Mirabelli back from San Diego, credits his impressive first season in the National League to “forgetting everything the Red Sox” told him to do.
Wallace can’t be held accountable for Schilling’s lackluster year, or Wakefield’s injury marred season, but it is very possible that his work with the younger members of the Sox pitching staff could be blamed for those player’s poor second half performances. In any event, the pitching, from the rotation to the pen, needed a shake-up, and bringing in a new approach may be the best thing.
Of course, the Sox aren’t done cleaning house just yet! Stay tuned for what promises to be one of the most exciting off-seasons in years!
Well the 2006 season has officially ended (thank God), and the Red Sox – a team that held soul posession of first place for most of the first half of the season – finished up a game behind the Toronto Blue Jays and in third place for the first time this young century. So now, of course, is when the hatchet falls, moves are made, and weaknesses are addressed by both the team and the media.
