A Sad Day

Theo resigns.

Hopefully he'll run for Governor.

Someone please forward me the Saturday globe article in question. I tried looking but I can't find it.

This is like getting an apple on Halloween.

Update (11/1): Here's the original Globe piece. It is of course from Shank the Red Headed Bastard Clown and according to Peter Gammons and Sean McAdam, it is filled with innaccuracies, which is Shaugnessy's m.o. anyway. (His "Go ahead, blame me" article is here.)

I am just sick over this whole thing, because it reveals that we lost a good person for the ugliest reasons. But I guess you have to expect it with the way it is in Boston. I mean, living here in a proud baseball town with lots of history, it is pretty interesting in how different the level of intensity is. Maybe this will calm people down a bit when they see that their overobsessing is a major factor in people not wanting to manage, let alone play, in Boston. I read somewhere Billy Beane said his decision not to go to the Sox was the smartest decision he's ever made. This very public atmosphere of insanity will undoubtedly lead to others being wary of going to the city. My friend Paul emailed me this earlier and I think it needs to be repeated:

I doubt th[e Shank piece] was the reason he walked. there were probably many issues we will never know about. i hate shaughnessy as much as anyone, if not more, but i can't blame him for this. i blame lucchino and i blame red sox nation. the nation needs to get a life. it is a sports team that we all love but they are people first. let them have a life and leave them alone. having passion while wathcing a game at fenway is one thing, bothering these guys when they are with their families or friends is wrong. we have to ask ourselves why a gm was this popular? it's not because red sox nation is knowledgable about the game and its workings, it is because red sox nation is a trend and full of losers. it is way too much right now. i almost wish they have an average season to see what happens to the nation. be a fan, love the team, but know when to draw a line. i don't understand why people here don't understand why players don't want to play here. you know i love the sox as much as anyone, but it is too intense.

After this, I almost have more respect for Theo if that is even possible. I was serious when I suggested running for governor. He won't do it because of the spotlight (ironically, Mitt is not in the spotlight as much as the GM of the RedSox so in that sense it would still be a step out of the public eye to be Governor!) but I bet he'd be good at it. Gammons suggested yesterday that Theo would do social work with his twin brother who he considers his hero. That's right, social work. He also said that though the article may have been the tipping point, it was really about the atmosphere in the city and the building. This is a guy who walked away from millions because he wanted more privacy and after all the power struggles and inter-office political spin he asked him self "Do I really want this?" and the answer was "No." He looked at himself and questioned whether or not the Red Sox GM job was healthy situation for him. Wow, for a Brookline native to come up with a negative after that question is really telling about the city and the man.

As far as souls go, the Red Sox lost a good one.