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You might be inclined to assume that because I have first hand experience with “curses” and “droughts,” that I might be inclined to pull for the Chicago Cubs to win the 2016 World Series…but you’d be wrong. I just can’t get myself to root against Terry Francona, and for Jon Lester and/or John Lackey; not after 2011. I get that we owe them for their parts in the 2013 Championship, but there are just somethings you don’t overlook.

 

I’ve never been able to understand and forgive the actions of Lester, Lackey, and Josh Beckett during the famous “Beer and Fried Chicken” debacle that led to the late season collapse of 2011–a collapse that saw the Sox fall out of playoff contention, and would cost Francona his job. I know that this is all old stuff, and that I’ve written about it before, but it’s still has a presence for me, as I feel it is far more meaningful than just a game and that it says something about the individuals themselves. It isn’t just that they snuck out to have a “rally beer” and Popeye’s fried chicken in the club house while their teammates were out on the field struggling, losing something like nine of eleven games. It’s the way they betrayed a man who had been good to them, and who was a father who had two loved ones–his son Nick, and son-in-law Michael Rice–fighting in Afghanistan. In addition to all that, if you can throw into the mix a leadership team of John Henry, Larry Lucchino and Tom Werner that apparently didn’t feel that they Sox were winning “sexy” enough, and it was effecting the ratings of NESN, then I think you can understand why I couldn’t possibly root against Tito.

 

Once again, I get that it’s not new and that it’s been written about before, but I’m particularly disappointed in Lester’s treatment of Francona, as it’s often been said how he was like a second father to the young pitcher back in 2006, when he was fighting to overcome cancer. I just feel that Lester’s action’s were self-centered and immature, and just makes it more difficult to root for him. I suppose if he hadn’t gone 19-5 over the season, then I could say it was karma getting him back with a lousy first inning in game one. Given that he had a bit of a disaster when he pitched for Oakland in the playoffs, maybe it is karma, or just a bad case of the yips. I’m choosing to believe that it’s karma getting him back for not returning to Boston and completely redeeming himself. Who knows?

 

3 ACTS OF EXTREME RANDOMNESS:

 

ACT I: Even if Cleveland wins to go along with their NBA Championship, Boston still leads the nation over that past decade and a half or so with the most championships.

 

ACT II: Speaking of karma, it was not lost on me that former Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp got a big two run homer late in Game 3 to pretty much seal the deal. Crisp was moved out of Boston after the 2007 win to make room for a young Jacoby Ellsbury.

 

ACT III: It’s difficult not to be happy for Mike Napoli, as he was an important member of the 2013 “Boston Strong” Red Sox.

About Jerry Ballgame

The personification of "old school", Jerry Ballgame was born in the shadow of Dr. Naismith's peach basket, and baptized in that "Dirty Water." Designated by his "Uncle" Ted, to keep an eye on things, he's here to tell everyone what his view is like from the Hub of the Universe.