Is Firing Terry Francona the Answer?

I say no...I think he got stuck with a bunch of over-priced cry-babies.  Start with John Lackey.  I think we are all Lackey-intolerant by now.

Unfortunately, Lackey never got hurt, so Francona had to roll him out there every fifth day. 

I think the big mistake - besides overpaying and overextending for Carl Crawford this past winter and Lackey last winter, was not bringing in another starting pitcher in July.  Rich Harden would have been a nice fit...along with Eric Bedard to hedge your bet. 

Another mistake, not getting a lights-out 7th inning guy to take some heat off Daniel Bard in the 8th.  Tyler Clippard would have looked good in that position. 

Now, I'll admit, it is easy for me to pick apart the moves in hindsight, but that's part of the job of a blogger, right?  I'll give Theo Epstein the benefit of the doubt on Harden that the reports were he wouldn't make it through the Summer.  And I'll give him the benefit of the doubt that a lot of other GM's new the Sox were desperate for more pitching, so they were all asking too much.

The Morning After - September 29th, 2011

The Red Sox have had collapses before...1978, 1986, 2003...everyone has their fondest/darkest memories of the Olde Towne Team taking it on the chin.

But, I will submit, that the Boston Red Sox Collapse of 2011 is the most monumental.

Why is it so monumental?  Because of the expectations coming into the season and the lead the team built up going into September and the rancid play of the team and personnel decisions of management.

I'll be expounding more as I sober up, but I'd love to get your comments and thoughts on the reasons for this collapse. 

Then, in a couple of months, once the dust has settled, what needs to be done to correct the team as constituted so it does not happen in 2012.