Up three games to none at this writing, the Indians seemed poised for a big win over the Blue Jays for a World Series berth. Of course, no one knows better than Cleveland skipper Terry Francona that you don’t celebrate until all is said and done.
While we wait to find out which teams will face off in the Fall Classic, here are some of the latest news and notes for Red Sox fans from RSNStats:
flickr photo shared by Keith Allison under a Creative Commons ( BY-SA ) license
- The departure of Boston’s General Manager, Mike Hazen, was the top topic of conversation around Red Sox Nation this week. Hazen, who became Senior Vice President and GM under Dave Dombrowski last September 24, was named Vice President and GM by the Diamondbacks, where he will call the shots on all baseball matters.
Fans didn’t seem to know much about Hazen, and assumed his role was little more than a gopher for Dombrowski, but insiders report that just wasn’t the case. In Hazen, they say, Arizona found a capable executive with 16 years front office experience to lead the club out of its current rut. Perhaps of greatest concern to Red Sox Nation is Hazen’s tight relationship with Sox bench coach Torey Louvullo, who it is said will be a likely target to manage the D-Backs next season. Hazen was a two-time All-Ivy League outfielder playing for Princeton University in 1997-98 and played two minor league seasons in the San Diego system before joining the Indians’ scouting department, where he first met Louvullo.
Hazen was the 13th General Manager in Red Sox history, a role that started with Hall of Famer and player-turned-executive Eddie “Cocky” Collins in 1933-47. Three years after retiring from baseball in 1945, Hall of Famer and Red Sox shortstop Joe Cronin was Boston’s second GM, a position he held for ten seasons.
- As a postseason spectator it’s hard not to wonder what might have been had so many one-time Red Sox stayed in the fold. Most notable for me is the departure of Francona to say nothing of Jon Lester, Andrew Miller, and Mike Napoli.
- Be afraid, Yankees fans. That’s the word from New Jersey Online writer Joe Giglio, who says the 2017 Red Sox “could reach super team status by next summer.”
- David Ortiz said it best when he predicted a bright future for the Sox thanks to so many “young studs” in the lineup. Indeed, the 2016 Opening Day roster included five players age 25 or younger: Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley, Travis Shaw, and Blake Swihart. It was the most number of young players in a Sox Opening Day lineup since 1969: Mike Andrews, Tony Conigliaro, Rico Petrocelli, George Scott, and Reggie Smith.