Red Sox pitchers drank beer during games

[Dragonbait]

As reported over at CBSsports

They point out a few reasons for the Sox collapse... but this is the jist of the article

 

 

• And now the big one. The starting rotation, specifically Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, John Lackey and occasionally Clay Buchholz have been accused of regularly drinking beer and eating fast-food fried chicken while playing video games in the clubhouse during games. From the Boston.comarticle:

Drinking beer in the Sox clubhouse is permissible. So is ordering take-out chicken and biscuits. Playing video games on one of the clubhouse’s flat-screen televisions is OK, too. But for the Sox pitching trio to do all three during games, rather than show solidarity with their teammates in the dugout, violated an unwritten rule that players support each other, especially in times of crisis.

 

Sources said Beckett, Lester, and Lackey, who were joined at times by Buchholz, began the practice late in 2010. The pitchers not only continued the routine this year, sources said, but they joined a number of teammates in cutting back on their exercise regimens despite appeals from the team’s strength and conditioning coach Dave Page.

 

“It’ s hard for a guy making $80,000 to tell a $15 million pitcher he needs to get off his butt and do some work,’’ one source said.

 

For Beckett, Lester, and Lackey, the consequences were apparent as their body fat appeared to increase and pitching skills eroded. When the team needed them in September, they posted a combined 2-7 record with a 6.45 earned run average, the Sox losing 11 of their 15 starts.

[Thurston Fluff]

Can you imagine what Prince would do to a pitcher who sat in the clubhouse drinking, eating and playing video games during games?

[RockCoCougars]

I've always thought that John Lackey looked like an enormous tool. His actions over the past few months have cemented that he is one.

[SoCal Brew Crew Fan]

The Boston Globe article on www.boston.com is an absolute must read. The author really dug up some inside dirt on the collapse.

[chuckiehacks]

Historically, I think the Globe has been the mouthpiece for Red Sox ownership. Most of that info likely came from ownership, which has not been shy about passing the blame for this season. I'm sure none of this would have come out (especially in the Globe) if the Sox had won one more game.

 

It is a good read, though.

[homer]

I'm shocked that I have so much in common with the starting pitching staff of the Boston Red Sox for I, too, drink beer and eat chicken during baseball games.

[SconnieKid]

Meh. Blaming Wakefield because he wanted to come back and AGon because he complained about Sunday night getaway days is just poor reporting. Clearly there was no accountability for the team but that is all to common in pro sports. Give a guy a 100M guaranteed contract and see what he does. Unfortunately, a lot of guys do the same thing you and I would do; quit their day jobs.

[owbc]

The Cubs just have to win the World Series as an indirect consequence of the Red Sox collapse, the story practically writes itself.

[JET15]

Can you imagine what Prince would do to a pitcher who sat in the clubhouse drinking, eating and playing video games during games?

Join him?

[brettac1]

This is a pure and total hatchet job on Francona. Chuckiehacks is dead-on - ownership fed this stuff to sell out Francona/Epstein because they knew Theo would be leaving. Stuff like this isn't exactly uncommon in baseball.

[hawing]

Perhaps they should have taken a cue from The Onion and called it "A Nightmare Descent into Booze and Pills."

[logan82]

Can you imagine what Prince would do to a pitcher who sat in the clubhouse drinking, eating and playing video games during games?

Join him?

Eat him?

[StearnsFTW]

Can you imagine what Prince would do to a pitcher who sat in the clubhouse drinking, eating and playing video games during games?

Join him?

Darn it. Too slow.

 

Based on Prince yukking it up in the dugout last night, I think it's safe to assume he would join them.

[dlk9s]

Based on Prince yukking it up in the dugout last night, I think it's safe to assume he would join them.

That's just a dumb comment.

[StearnsFTW]

Based on Prince yukking it up in the dugout last night, I think it's safe to assume he would join them.

That's just a dumb comment.

Care to expound?

 

I don't like my players yukking it up in the dugout in a tight playoff game.

[owbc]

If you want serious baseball players, you picked the wrong team to follow. If he had the serious "doom and gloom" face, then you know the series is over.

[StearnsFTW]

 

 

There's all kinds of positives to having that attitude. I just thought that was a pretty inappropriate time for it.

[SconnieKid]

Video games and fried chicken? AMATEURS!

 

http://hardballtalk.nbcsp...0s-mets-had-a-porn-room/

[endaround]

Micheal Shur gives this the response it deserves:

 

http://www.grantland.com/...696/the-collapse-red-sox

[nate82]

 

There's all kinds of positives to having that attitude. I just thought that was a pretty inappropriate time for it.

So when is an appropriate time for that? It really doesn't matter when Prince does that as I prefer the team being loose than playing tight like you are suggesting they should be remember in baseball you can't have fun at all no matter what. You are losing in a playoff game you better not smile because hey you have to be serious 100% of the time there is no fun in baseball!

[RockCoCougars]

As long as players aren't joking around with the opponent, I'm fine with it.

[brettac1]

Micheal Shur gives this the response it deserves:

 

http://www.grantland.com/...696/the-collapse-red-sox

This made me miss FJM. Fantastic and totally right. Can't believe people would say this garbage about Francona. Good guy, good manager, etc. When the Red Sox drank beer all the time and won championships, that was their "chemistry", now it's the cause of their demise. How stupid.

[Invader3K]

I still hate the Redsox, but these sound like dudes I would want to party with.

[TooLiveBrew]

From what I've seen of Francona in-game, I like him.

[StearnsFTW]

 

There's all kinds of positives to having that attitude. I just thought that was a pretty inappropriate time for it.

So when is an appropriate time for that? It really doesn't matter when Prince does that as I prefer the team being loose than playing tight like you are suggesting they should be remember in baseball you can't have fun at all no matter what. You are losing in a playoff game you better not smile because hey you have to be serious 100% of the time there is no fun in baseball!

Not the 9th inning of a playoff game. And I'm not suggesting that they "play tight". I'm suggesting that they take the 9th inning of a playoff game when they're down 1 run seriously.

 

But thanks for putting a whole bunch of words in my mouth.

 

For the record, I don't think it's a huge deal. Just a mild annoyance.