Cool hand luke eggs Everyone knows I want to be out there

Cool hand luke eggs

Everyone knows I want to be out there. You can t control everybody and what they think. While team physicians initially proclaimed the injury to be nothing more than bruising, reportedly even refusing requests for an MRI, it was only after Ellsbury s return to the disabled list that the team s medical staff acknowledged the fifth broken rib suffered by Jacoby even then taking the stance that it was sustained during yet another diving catch in a May 23 game, part of his short-lived return to the lineup, and not as a result of his initial collision with Beltre. Ellsbury, of course, refuted the claim, leading to an all-too-public cool hand luke eggs with the team s medical staff and further scrutiny directed at Jacoby. Despite rushing back to the lineup in an attempt to appease the entirely off-base voice of the medias majority, Jacoby continues to receive negative attention for a season simply marred by unfortunate circumstance ultimately leading to reported trade rumors revolving around the young outfielder. via Over the Monster, I explored the potential that the then pertinent talks with the Kansas City Royals regarding the availability of outfielder David DeJesus suggested the end of the Ellsbury era in Boston. According to sources at FOX Sports, the Red Sox first made contact with the Royals in early July, around the time that the rift between Ellsbury and team physicians was at its peak, and left the meeting with a mutual interest in reigniting conversations some indications even implied the break in talks was used by the Royals organization to actively sift through the Red Sox s minor league ranks in search of potential trade candidates. Although the discussions with Kansas City produced nothing substantial, after all, Ellsbury is still a member of the Red Sox, unanswered speculation lingers as to why when it s so simple to dispel nearly all negativity aimed at Ellsbury this season using simple unbiased rationale and logic is the frustrated young star still being undermined and undervalued? For the sake of foreshadowing, it s worth noting that Jacoby Ellsbury is arbitration eligible for the first time in his career following the 2010 season; more on that later. But first, we shift focus to manager Terry Francona, who has spent so much time addressing those critical of his aforementioned center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, that he s allocated such little time to standing up for himself. Or, perhaps he s just used to the constant barrage of scrutiny that accompanies being a major league manager, especially one in Boston. The most reoccurring aspersion associated with the Red Sox manager is the nickname Terry Fran coma, seemingly meant to imply that he is less-than-swift with his in-game decision making. Particularly in regards to managing and monitoring his starting pitchers late in games, which is assuredly the easiest way to get on Red Sox Nation s bad side since Grady Little s 2003 travesty against New York in the deciding game of the American League Championship Series. Unfortunately, the man now only occasionally referred to lovingly as Tito, has probably heard Fran coma more times this season than his actual name, much less Tito. Now, that unremarkably creative nickname Fran coma was conceived a number of seasons prior to 20 However, not only has it grown increasingly frequent this year, its done so undeservedly, all things considered. Aside from the obvious argument that Tito led the Red Sox to their first World Series win in nearly ninety seasons in 2004 back when being in contention for a championship was riveting, not a right there are a number of other aspects routinely overlooked by this year s Tito-naysayers. Most notably, in relation to the popular belief most often instigating those Fran coma remarks, is that Terry cannot seem to grasp the notion that it s time to abandon his starting pitcher in favor of the bullpen. What s apparently lost in translation, however, is the stark contrast in effectiveness of this season s relief corps as opposed to last. It seems almost too simple, theoretically, to offer that as an excuse. But the fact of the matter is, in most instances it s true. Entering the season, contrary to popular belief, the Red Sox most glaring weakness was the bullpen and not the offense. Red Sox management did nothing to alleviate those concerns prior to the year, nor did they address them even during the season with problematic pen on full display. Even once reliable relievers like Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima failed to produce in 2010, making it hard to blame Francona for his reluctance in handing the ball, and the game, over to the bullpen. Also, it goes without saying that injuries in general were the ultimate downfall of this team. Over the Monster even featured a post entitled, What we what we gained submitted by Rogue Nine that used, you guessed it, new-age statistical measurements to roughly estimate that the Red Sox lost approximately eight games in the standings simply based on the subtraction of offensive players like Jacoby Ellsbury to injuries during the course of the season. Would Francona even be answering questions regarding his coma-like behavior on the bench during games had it not been for a disastrous, injury-riddled season? Of course not. Now, I m certainly not taking the cool hand luke eggs that Francona is always perfect with his in-game decision making. After all, you don t get a nickname like Fran coma without dropping the ball at least a few times. However, there isn t a single manager in all of baseball who hasn t done the same on occasion. In fact, in Michael Holleys book, Red Sox Rule: Terry Francona and Boston s Rise to Dominance, Holley points out that during Boston s search for Grady Little s successor post-2003, Theo Epstein and John Henry specifically targeted candidates who were more apt to handle selfish, larger-than-life player personalities with a diminished, yet still prominent, emphasis on the actual in-game aspect of the job requirements. After a written test and game simulation, Francona was hired. In other words, starting from the day that Terry Francona accepted the job, the Red Sox were aware of what they were hiring a guy who had mediocre success in his previous position with the Philadelphia Phillies, but also a guy who they knew could handle the likes of Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez. That s what Francona does best, and it has worked well to this point. People tend to forget that managing the Boston Red Sox is unlike almost any other managerial job in baseball. There needn t be an enormous emphasis on in-game management because, quite honestly, Boston s lineup is typically filled by veterans and All-Stars, not developing talents and rookies like you d find in Florida, Pittsburgh or even Tampa Bay the players know what to do, it s merely a matter of keeping them focused on that. Daniel Drezner echoed Holley s sentiments in an article written in 200 In it, he states that the three most tumultuous tasks required of a Boston Red Sox manager are keeping the players on the same page, handling the media and never panicking during the season; all of which Francona excels at regularly. Drezner even goes as far as saying that Francona is underrated as a manager, pointing out that he s never won a Manager of the Year Award despite the miracle season of 2004, a playoff birth in 2005 while guiding a team lacking any true top-tier starting pitchers or an established closer, and a 2007 team that finished with the best record in baseball en route to a World Series title.