Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

Man found dead on John Henry's yacht

A developing story from the Boston Globe: Boston Police and medics were called to John Henry's yacht, Iroquois, to tend to a man who died. Efforts were made to revive the man, said to be 28-30-years old, but were unsuccessful.

So far the Globe story indicates that the likely cause of death was suicide, and that the man may have been working on the boat. No name is given at this time.

A BPD spokesperson said the Red Sox were likely to issue a statement, although I doubt it will have any more than you'll hear out of the police. 

Liverpool trying the 'out-Yankee' approach with similar success

"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?"  Not particularly, no.

Thanks to an old girlfriend who played soccer through college, I've seen enough of the sport to know that I have no interest in it.  I don't follow it in any capacity.  I know how the game works on the field, but I'm in the dark as far as how its leagues and teams operate on the professional level.

So I won't even pretend to have any idea how clubs build their teams in the Premier League.  Is there a draft?  Do teams simply buy their players?  Is it a caste system?  Could be any of those things.  I have no idea.

What I do know is that the Fenway Sports Group owns Liverpool F.C. in the Premier League, and much like they've tried to do with the Boston Red Sox these past few seasons, Liverpool has apparently gone on a spending spree.

Take it away, ESPN:

Liverpool's debt rose by a third to more than $130 million after spending on players who have failed to re-establish the club as a power in England or Europe.

Liverpool is seventh in the Premier League and no closer to returning to the lucrative Champions League it last played in during the 2009-10 season.

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre says "net debt comes largely as a result of our activity around player trading."

A bit of déjà vu, eh?

I tried to comb through the ESPN comments to see if I could make sense of all this and all I walked away with was a headache.  The sentiment ranged from "Liverpool is shite" to a general sense that there really isn't a story here and the team is on the uptick.

Who knows?

The only reason it may matter to us Sox fans who live in a soccer-less world is that the money for our club comes from the same bank account as the money for this club.  They are separate businesses, but if one is taking huge losses, FSG is going to try to recoup that money somehow. 

So if Boston doesn't offer Ellsbury a contract once this season wraps up and Liverpool gets themselves a top-tier striker (actual soccer term!  nailed it!) it's OK to look at these guys a little cross-eyed.

Your Morning Dump...where John Henry breaks his silence

Photo: Michael Ivins/Red Sox

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

He is a “new” owner no more. He can take questions from the carnivorous Boston media without help from ubiquitous wingmen Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino. He no longer wears the Curious George Man-In-The-Yellow-Hat lid when he walks around the Sox spring training site. He has a newborn son to go with his two daughters and he still thinks owning the Red Sox is a swell gig.

John Henry says he doesn’t want to sell the Red Sox. He pledged that he will not sell the team this year.

“Tom and I have made a lot of money over the years,’’ said Henry. “That doesn’t drive us. . . . But quality of our lives is what drives us, and our competitive spirit. We’re determined to be successful. From Day One here, that hasn’t changed. The value of these assets is just something we don’t think in terms of.

“I’ve said it categorically [we won’t sell the team], so yes.’’

Globe - John Henry finally has answers

It has been almost a year since we've seen Henry speak to the media. Given the atrocious 2012 season, it was relieving to see Henry actually appear and show his compassion for the Red Sox franchise. 

From Bobby Valentine, to selling the team, to Liverpool, to the team's philosophy, Henry came out and addressed almost every issue. I give him credit for that, but it's been far too long since Red Sox Nation has heard from him.

But then...he said this:

"It’s ludicrous to say that we signed any player since we’ve been here for PR purposes. I don’t think anybody would assume that. It’s just ludicrous.’’

Let's get real here Mr. Henry. Your ex-manager and ex-GM came out and said that ownership wanted to create more buzz around the team. The trio of Werner, Lucchino, and Henry ultimately decided that NESN ratings needed a boost and thus signed some "sexy" free-agents. The more you deny, the more you come off looking like a fool. You've been had. Time to fess up. 

But to Henry's credit, he did admit that they shifted their philosophy and strayed from continuing to build a core group within. I guess that's as close as we'll get to admitting about the marketing push. 

My assessment for his silence? I honestly think he was merely exploring his options last year and that he in fact was gauging a selling price for the Red Sox. Henry took some time to assess his situation and he ultimately decided he'd like to stay and right the ship. We will see this ownership group for more years to come.

Overall, Henry comes off as the most "human" out of the trio. This franchise needs a voice like that and Henry can provide that.  I'd love to see and hear from him more. I think he realizes that as well.

WEEI.com: The blueprint: Defining the path to the 'next great Red Sox team' | Herald: John Henry refutes bad image with his Sox  | Globe: Red Sox will focus on base running | Globe: Red Sox will slow down Craig Breslow and Felix Doubront

Your Morning Dump...where John Henry reflects on his love of Stan Musial

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

"Growing up on a farm in Arkansas, my nearest neighbor was about a mile away. I really didn't have much in the way of playmates. I was a complete introvert. I had a great front yard. People would come to my front yard, friends would come over and play baseball, but I was too shy to ask if I could play. 

“The Cardinals were really my world. I had a rich inner life." 

His hero, of course, was Stan Musial. 

"Stan the Man," Henry said. "He was our Ted Williams.’’

ESPNBoston | Henry on Musial: Baseball lost its finest man

One of the more memorable quotes from the excerpts from Terry Francona's upcoming book was him saying that he thought Red Sox ownership liked baseball, but didn't love it. If you read this post from Gordon Edes, it sounds like John Henry loves baseball, or at least did at one point.

Musial was one of the greatest players of all time -- his stats are unbelievable. The comparison to Ted Williams is an apt one. Musial hit for average, hit for power, and even took a lot of walks, something that wasn't appreciated back then. My grandpa -- a huge Yankees fan -- always used to say that after Ted, Stan Musial was the best hitter he ever saw. Sorry, Babe.

My favorite random note from that post: John Henry received a telegram from Stan Musial...in 2004. I honestly didn't realize telegrams were still possible.

ESPNBoston | Henry recalls moment with Weaver | Herald | Red Sox prospects relish opportunity

Red Sox acquire Godfrey, clinch World Series title

The Red Sox received Graham Godfrey from Oakland today, completing their trade of Sandy Rosario a few weeks ago. 

Here's an unofficial phone transcript of the call when John Henry called Bud Selig to inform him of the deal (I'm really good at hacking into corporate telco systems):

JH: Commissioner, we've agreed to acquire Graham Godfrey as the PTNBL from Oakland.

BS: That's great, John. And why are you calling me? I don't make $20 million a year to handle day-to-day transactions.

JH: Well, I thought you'd want our ring sizes.

BS: What's that?

JH: Yeah. I mean, it's Graham Godfrey, so obviously we are championship bound. I thought you might get a better deal on those World Series rings if we could give you everybody's size now, maybe you could order them in bulk. Hang on, I have the list right here. Let me get my reading glasses. Ready? OK, David Ortiz is a...

BS: /hangs up

FOX: John Henry looking for minority owner

Last month the rumor was that John Henry was quietly shopping the Red Sox. Now the same reporter is back saying that Henry is merely looking for a little financial help:

The latest word to make its way around baseball circles is that Henry is seeking a minority owner for the Fenway Sports Group, the holding company that owns the Red Sox, the FOX Business Network has learned. The current thinking, executives say, is that Henry is entertaining the idea of selling a minority stake, or what’s known as a “limited partnership,” in the holding company that he controls.

Interesting concept, and one that probably should make anyone hoping for a big free agency splurge (not me) should be aware of. If Henry is having some financial "hardship" -- and please note the quotes there, this would mean purely from a cash flow standpoint -- the coffers might be once again locked up this offseason.

Not that we need any more help anyway -- John Lackey's coming back!

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Your Morning Dump...where ownership insists they're sticking around

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

That report from Fox Business yesterday, the one that hinted at the prospect that the Red Sox [team stats] were “quietly shopping” the team around and “mulling” a sale, sure stirred up a hornet’s nest.

It deserved to, and the fact that it touched a nerve deep in the core of the Red Sox was a good thing.

If it serves to keep the current Red Sox owners from selling the team and sticking around so they can try even harder to build it back up again would be an even better thing.

The report, after all, comes at a bad time for a franchise that is in a bad rut.

Herald | Don't sell John Henry short

Obviously the big story from yesterday was the report that the Red Sox are for sale, and then John Henry's vehement denial on WEEI. We covered it a bit yesterday, but I'd like to throw my two cents in as well.

1. I don't believe John Henry. I think they've had talks -- maybe they didn't seek them out, but I bet they were at least approached by potential buyers. Just like when the Dodgers asked about Adrian Gonzalez and the team insisted he wasn't available, a price can be set. Henry's background is as a commodities trader. If he gets the right offer, he's selling. If you own Apple stock, you wouldn't say it's for sale. But if somebody said they'd give you $1,200 a share, you might think about it.

Reports are all over the place as to the veracity of the original report, but all it takes is common sense. What makes more sense: that somebody made up this story, or that Henry was indeed approached, wasn't planning on selling, but heard an intriguing-enough number that he's starting to think about it? And that he'd like to keep it quiet so there isn't even more turmoil surrounding this team? I'm going with option 2.

Plus, Peter Gammons tweeted that there was nothing to it, which means that's what Sox ownership told him to say. 

2. I don't want them to sell. I know it's bad right now, and John Henry is an easy punching bag. He's passive and vaguely effeminate and certainly not from Boston. But he's a smart guy who's been atop the team at its most successful point. It's a little reactionary to say that because of one year (dating back to last September) we should roll the dice on new ownership (which could be anybody). This is the same group that won two World Series and made the playoffs consistently. 

3. That said, if they do stick around, they just need to get control of the baseball part of the organization. It's easy to blame Larry Lucchino and the pink hats and the bricks and whatever else, but if you think any sports ownership group is going to turn its focus from casual fans, you're nuts. Casual fans fuel the industry. 

I don't care about the marketing -- it's easy enough to ignore. I mean, it's kind of disgusting, but it was when they were winning too. It's not the reason they're losing. They're losing because the baseball operation lost its way. Whether that was Theo's fault, or is Ben's fault, or is because Larry's too involved -- whatever the problem is, they need to figure that out and fix it. A lot of people are pointing back to Theo's power grab in 2005, when he wrested control from Lucchino and got more respect. Maybe we need a similar situation involving Larry and Ben. Nobody except for John Henry can say for sure...but my hunch is that's what needs to happen.

So just because it's bad right now, don't just automatically assume that new ownership would solve all the problems. They're going to want to make money just as badly as these guys...but they likely won't have the baseball track record that Henry and co. do. Henry just needs to refocus.

Herald | John Henry answers questions about the club's future | Yankees throw blanks at starless Sox | Fans not buying on new owners | Guessing game for Red Sox | Globe | Five questions with Nomar Garciaparra | Hughes, Yankees shut out Red Sox, 2-0 | Alfredo Aceves won't be disciplined by Red Sox | Red Sox owner John Henry denies team is for sale | Hughes, Yankees stifle Red Sox, 2-0 | Doubront pitches 'excellent' but can't break winless skid | Red Sox notes: No word on possible suspension for Ross | ESPNBoston | Why would John Henry sell now? | John Henry: Red Sox aren't for sale | Henry: Lucchino will be back for 2013 | Derek Jeter ties Willie Mays on hits list as Yanks sink Red Sox | Image: Business Insider

Your Morning Dump...where ownership is angry about the players no show to Pesky's funeral

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Word from Yawkey Way is that the Sox front office hired buses to bring players, office and staff to the funeral from the ballpark to the church. The suits, we hear, were surprised and disappointed when the vast majority of the 40 players on the roster didn’t bother to show up for the services.

“We ordered the buses for the front office to go, knowing that any players could join us or drive separately from their homes,” Sox spokesman Charles Steinberg told the Track. “Between the ownership, front office, current players and staff, and former players, we were well represented by the people who knew Johnny best.”

The only players the Herald observed at the funeral at St. John The Evangelist Church in Swampscott were designated hitter David Ortiz [stats], pitchers Clay Buchholz and Vincente Padilla and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

By contrast, that same night, nearly the entire team turned out for pitcher Josh Beckett’s annual Beckett Bowl and country music show at Lucky Strike Lanes and the House of Blues.

“The front office was not happy,” said Someone Who Knows.

Herald: Red Sox skip out on Pesky's funeral

So let me get this straight... the front office is mad about the players not attending a funeral instead of  their under-performance on the field, their hatred for their manager, a triumvirate that's supposed to be the top of the rotation but is only good for 12 wins and a 30 rack of Bud Light each night, your seemingly incredibly incompetent medical staff that you've given unprecedented power in decision making. But no showing a funeral is what gets under your skin. No this is what has them upset.

Did they make it a mandatory event to attend? Nope. Why not?! You pay them, you can do this! The ownership went all the way by setting up all of the transportation, they could have made this mandatory if it mattered that much to you. But you left it up to the players, who traveled from New York to Boston and didn't get in until a few hours before the funeral started, to show up or not. Four did and probably the only member of the Sox who had a relationship with Pesky, David Ortiz, made it to the funeral.

But a majority of these guys have only been around for a couple of years. It's not like the days when Pesky would hang in the dugout with the players. Yes it's a little disappointing to not hear players like Jon Lester or Dustin Pedroia not attend but people grieve differently. This isn't going to turn into a debate about how people deal with death. Funerals aren't the greatest thing in the world to attend. 

But see here's why it's really ticking off the front office: the brand is at risk of taking another hit. The super PR conscious front office knows that this will damage the brand even more. Never mind that this team has been an embarrassment for the past year. If everyone wants to roast the players for not having their priorities right by not attending the funeral, let this be the reminder that the front office is more worried about the brand instead of the team. 

Globe:False start for Globe | Valentine reflects on baseball's drug use | Dice-K era over? | Herald: Buchholz torched as Sox' outlook worsens | Revolving coaches might be real Sox issue | Matsuzaka ready for final roll | Podsednik continues to go out & practice | Angels buddies laud Middlebrooks | Shame on Sox players | CSNNE: And so it goes... | Sox to open vs Yankees in draft of 2013 schedule | Niemann ready to 'go forward' with pitching staff | WEEI: Lackey could be part of the answer in 2013 | What's next for Mortensen, Morales | 

Your Morning Dump... Where Boston becomes less desirable by the day

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

For most of the past decade, the Red Sox [team stats] have been regarded by a vast majority of players as a desirable team for which to work.

And now?

“I don’t know,” ace lefty Jon Lester [stats] told the Herald yesterday. “It’s always been a demanding place to play, but until the last two years, it always was about baseball. Now we’ve got things written and said about guys’ personal stuff as human beings, as people. Now you’re starting to question people’s manhoods. That’s where it gets hard.”

But Lucchino is unconcerned that the Red Sox’ year-long soap opera will dissuade potential free agents from wanting to play for the team — even though David Ortiz [stats], the club’s longest-tenured player, has said he’s tired of the ceaseless drama.

“I don’t think that’s a long-term danger,” Lucchino said. “I do think there’s probably a little bit of a reservation on the part of some players, perhaps with respect to the grueling media coverage. You’ve just got to make sure you pick the right people and personalities to come here to be able to withstand that.”

Herald - Jon Lester, Sox brass ponder if woes will keep talent away

So much to say about this.  First off, this was a concern after last September's hit piece.  Back then we asked, 'Who in their right mind would want to come work for Henry and Lucchino after the attempted character assassination of Francona'?  The owners have not done a single thing to change the answer to that question.  While this Yahoo! article isn't pretty, it is NOTHING like that Globe piece after last season.  That was truly ugly.

Secondarily, Lucchino is right.  You need to pick the right people to play and work for the Red Sox organization.  That's something that these guys do understand.  That's why they creepily stalked Carl Crawford since birth.  There's a lot of pressure on these players from the fans, media and organization.  Too much pressure, and unwarranted pressure in some instances,  but that pressure isn't going away.  If the guy doesn't have the mental makeup to handle it, let him play elsewhere.

Lastly, pardon me if I get a little giddy with the thought that the Red Sox are going to have trouble shelling out $150 million contracts.  They may be forced to do something unorthodox like develop their own players again!  Oh, the humanity!  I kid about it, but we've been calling for the Sox to wind down the spending spree for a while now. 

But, honestly, none of this matters that much.  The Sox are able to offer players insane amounts of money.  Moreso than most other teams.  Players chase the dollars, regardless of who is signing the check, or which cap they have to wear.  That's not always the case, but it's the case often enough that we don't have to worry about the Sox getting frozen out of the free agency market.

Of course, if Ortiz doesn't re-sign, that could all change.  Ortiz saying he's sick of the drama, and backing that up by packing his bags?  That could be disastrous.  The Sox need to re-sign him, whether they want to or not, to put up a happy facade. 

Rest of the links:

Herald - Little suspense in weekend series at New York | Larry Lucchino acknowledges 'hits' | Globe -Red Sox, Clay Buchholz defeat Orioles | Mets send Beato to Boston to finish Shoppach deal | WEEI -Who will want to be a Red Sox after all of this? | CSNNE - Notebook: Brass' presence gives Sox a boost | Pedroia lets his play do the talking | Buchholz emerging as Sox ace

Henry: I called July meeting to discuss turnaround

Red Sox owner John Henry has responded to the media chaos surrounding yesterday's news that Red Sox players requested a meeting to ask for the head of Bobby Valentine. His full quote is available on the Globe's Extra Bases blog; here's a clip:

But more than anything else these meetings have been about the same thing the meeting in New York was about — what it takes to win – what can we all do to improve our ability to win?

About this time eight years ago we had one such meeting. It closely resembled the meeting in New York. Both were meetings I asked for. And both quickly went to the point – what do we need to do to turn things around. We held three meetings in New York – separating groups so as to have frank discussions about what was wrong.

He spends much of the statement excoriating the media for exaggerating the meeting; which he claims is a regular occurrence and had nothing to do with Bobby Valentine. Like Dustin Pedroia last night, Henry said the story was overblown, and also said the players are taking responsibility for their actions.

I commend Henry on lying, actually. It's quite obvious that the players are total babies, and that they seemed to have enabled each other into being worse. They don't like Bobby, which is fine. And I appreciate that he's trying his best to protect them. Some say it enables them more; maybe it does. I say it's an attempt at damage control, which is both a PR thing (I know, they do a lot of that), but also a baseball thing. He's trying to keep their values from falling completely through the floor. 

I also like his not-so-subtle 2004 reference. And he's right. People forget now, but for the first three months of that season, that team was considered a bunch of frauds. A bunch of millionaire babies. They had a lot of talent, but weren't producing. What happened? They dealt Nomar, fixed their on-field problem (defense), and the rest is history. They didn't have to fire Francona, cut Pedro to make a point, trade Manny for nothing, and deal Trot Nixon for a 25-year old single-A prospect. 

Is such a turnaround likely for this team? Not this year. But for 2013, I say yes. You don't need to dynamite this roster. We won two World Series with Manny Ramirez. A team can handle a malcontent, an aloof guy, a me-first guy. Maybe there are too many on this roster, but one or two isn't the end of the world. If they fix their big baseball problem -- starting pitching -- there might only need to be one or two guys removed from the clubhouse to help fix the off-the-field issues.

A lot of scribes are sounding off on the Sox issues today. A couple good ones: Jonah Keri at Grantland and Rob Neyer at SBNation.