Chowdaheads - Sitting on Frog One: Wanted: Red Sox General Manager: Oral Skills, Knee Pads A Must...

In Boston it's Baseball and politics and not always in that order. When political back stabbing and down to the wire dealing mix with UB's Red Sox it can get real ugly. And what is the result? Theo Epstein, the man who played a big roll in bringing Boston it's 1st baseball title in 86 years, is out and Red Sox management continues to spin the story...

For the past several weeks this deal between Theo and the Red Sox appeared to be about money. There was some talk that Theo was upset that he had to report to Sox President Larry Lucchino instead of directly to Red Sox owner John Henry, but it seemed to be positioning on Theo's part to up the price. As the days went on there was still no word on Theo's deal getting done but it all seemed to be getting worked out at Fenway, as the two sides even issued a press release together on the issue. Theo even turned down a 1.2 million dollar a year offer for 3 years and the word was he was looking for more years and something closer to 1.4 million a year. Enter Dan Shaughnessy...

For those who aren't familiar with the Boston sports scene, Dan Shaughnessy is a senior writer for the Boston Globe who has was responsible, yes responsible, for the "Curse of the Bambino." If you watch the 1967, 1975 or 1986 World Series there is no mention of the "Curse" because Shaughnessy had not yet invented it in a book he cleverly titled "Curse of the Bambino". The book, which got a new printing every year the Sox blew a chance at the Series, was re-written as "Reverse of the Curse of the Bambino" after the Sox finally won the Series in 2004. Shaughnessy has become rich from this, which still angers many Sox fans....Anyway, last week UB heard Dan on Michael Felger's radio show "The Drive" on 890 am ESPN Radio bashing Theo, saying he is not a "Baseball Guy" and praising the scouts and other guys that were brought in by Lucchino as just as big a part of the 2004 title. Now UB was a little surprised to hear this, but not really too surprised since Dan's paper is part owner of the Red Sox and was an outlet for Lucchino. UB brushed it off as a counter to the comments from Theo's camp that Lucchino was too power hungry to let him deal directly with Henry.

On Sunday Shaughnessy's column Dan starts out talking about the two sides coming to terms and signing a new deal on Halloween, then he goes on to credit Lucchino with Theo's success (yes he was a big part of it) and repeats his comments on "The Drive" saying that Theo has no real baseball background to warrant this big time contract or drawn out process. UB could almost hear Lucchino telling Shaughnessy how to write this over the phone. Monday rolls around and WEEI, the station that broadcasts Red Sox baseball, announces that the Globe is reporting Theo will sign a new 3 year deal later in the day. Hours later, as UB is pouring the Halloween candy in a bowl to hand out to the ghouls in the neighborhood, word comes down that Theo has stepped down and will no longer be the GM. All day Tuesday WEEI is pointing to the Shaughnessy column (again no surprise since WEEI hates the Globe and Shaughnessy who look at the station as beneath them) as a major cause for Theo wanting to leave. UB can see where that could be a reason, since Theo was hoping for change in the management structure and red tape he has to deal with, and Lucchino's butt boy prints his pagan manifesto the day before the deadline like a slap in the face. (UB ran into the Boston Herald's Tony Massarotti heading into a building to do another interview. Here is the how the interaction went: UB: Hey Tony Mazz!! Tony: Hey how are ya? UB: Good man, hey nice job you're doing! Tony: Thanks. UB: Hey Tony, do UB a favor, when you see Dan punch him in the face for me! Tony: (laughing) Aw come on he was just doing his job... UB: Well if this all fell apart over an article UB would be pretty pissed at both sides!)

Now we all know UB has issues with Lucchino (seen above with UB fav Hazel Mae) and the rest of the dicks that own and run the team, so natually the blame is gonna go on their desk. But UB has a bone to pick with Theo as well...Yes Theo made some amazing moves (Schilling, 2004 Foulke, the Nomar deal) but Ortiz was mainly luck, not getting Jose Contreras (though he was a stiff with the Yankoffs) and Rent-a-wreck for 10 mil a year over OC were not highlights. Letting this drag out for so long and leaving the Red Sox without a GM a week before the GM meetings is his fault too. So now the attention will turn to the new GM search, and since the Sox fans can't fire Lucchino and Henry and the rest, UB will have to just sit back and see what happens...

After watching about 80 ads for "Jarhead" over the weekend, UB has the theme song stuck in his head...You gotta wonder if Theo feels like this kid, coming into the Sox job as a eager go-getter and leaving not noticing the bombs blowing up around him..."boop, boop, boop-bo-boop-bo-boop"