Henry and the Rally Beer

For anyone that didn't hear the surprise interview that principal owner John Henry took part in on Felger and Massarotti, do yourself a favor and take a listen. The interview was over an hour but was the most captivating radio that I've heard since Brian Scalabrine; inebriated, emotionally spent and full of love for the Boston fans called in to Toucher and Rich at 3AM West Coast time the day after the Celtics lost the Championship in Los Angeles and headed for his inevitable departure from Boston.

John Henry, unaccompanied by Larry Lucchino for the first non-bathroom break in a long time, came onto the show to defend Red Sox ownership and try to lure the fans back to Fenway Park. John Henry's interview, while great radio, left many things to be desired. For the first time in a long time you did get the feeling that he cared about the team. Some of his answers were pleading for acceptance and believability, but others were out and out lies.

When Henry said, "It doesn't matter what I say, you won't believe me," that's not entirely true. If more transparency existed between the organization and the media or the organization and the fans his "word" would hold a lot more weight in Red Sox Nation. Now there are just as many question marks surrounding the current regimes when they started a decade ago, and they have only themselves to blame.

Some of his comments however were disingenuous at best and outright fabrications at worst. Henry said that Bob Hohler (the writer of the clubhouse buzz kill heard 'round the world) came out and said ownership had no part in the writing of this article. When Hohler was asked where this statement was his response was that, he hasn't spoken publicly on the article, will not speak publicly about it, but never once made a statement saying that ownership didn't have a hand in the writing of this article.

Here's the thing though. I believe that John Henry had no part in that article. It reeks of Larry Lucchino, a man that according to The Yankee Years, George Steinbrenner warned John Henry was a snake. He was the one that was put on the spot, and made to look a fool the day Francona was let go. But tell me Larry Lucchino doesn't give off that Gordon Gecko-vibe. Strange visions of Lucchino in a secret room at Fenway Park with Bob Hohler playing Red Sox Clue are flooding into my head. It was Josh Beckett, with a bucket of chicken in the clubhouse. No, it was Terry Francona with a vicodin at his hotel room. I'm onto you Larry Lucchino.

The one thing that seemed generally out of character for Henry was his outspokenness about a couple topics. His outspokenness about not wanting Carl Crawford, and pinning that on Theo Epstein and "Baseball Ops." Why? Why go to those lengths of condemning a player who is here for another 6 years that you still owe well over 100 million to? Yes he had a horrible season. But couple his horrible season with trying to be a clubhouse leader and a few malcontents essentially spitting in his face, there is no way to recover from that rut. Why come to the defense of the pitching staff (mainly John Lackey) when they were single-handedly the biggest reason for the collapse? This guy simply cannot come back in 2012. Can you imagine him standing on the first baseline and waving his little hat on Opening Day 2012, the 100^th anniversary of Fenway Park? Either can I.

One thing however was apparent for the first time since 2003, he wants to win. His genuinely pissed reaction to anything regarding his full attention to the ball club has resonated with me. At least 33% of the triumvirate wants to win. I look at the ownership like this, and he reaffirmed this with this impromptu interview. John Henry is the guy that wants to win, he generally loves the team. Tom Werner hadn't really had a hit since the Cosby Show, he is indifferent about the team, but generally likes it when they win. Larry Lucchino is the business end of the three, and doesn't care about winning or losing and the color green is the only thing that matters in his world.

OK, have to lay off the ownership for a minute, and turn our heads over to the left-handed pitcher that usually keeps my heart a-flutter. But I'll be goddamned if his comments didn't come off as pompous and prissy, rather than accountable and apologetic.

Jon Lester came out and spoke to the media for the first time since Chicken-gate. First off I'd like to say that his media frenzy was carefully orchestrated. Did anyone else notice that he was doing 5 plus interviews in one day, after he had been dragged through the mud for 2 weeks without even a peep? No doubt in my mind this came from the top, probably the same reason why Henry came out and talked as well.

His explanation for a "rally beer" was weak. If you need to do it pound a beer pound it and get back in the dugout. Whatever happened to flipping you ball cap inside out or throwing some sunflower seeds in your hat and shaking them around? The problem with drinking the beer wasn't the beer itself, it was that you knew it was wrong, or would be frowned-upon and you did it anyway. In twitter speak I would say, #TakingAdvantageofTito.

This chicken thing is still perplexing to me. I hate to tell players what they can eat, but when it's visible that players are not in peak physical condition slap the "Say No to Popeye's" sticker on everyone's locker.

I think the biggest thing that I took away from Lester's interview was how his comments about Francona came off:

"I never saw guys purposely breaking rules or doing the wrong thing in front of him and rubbing it in his face. But this particular team probably needed more structure. Tito was the perfect guy for this team for a long time but I think he got burnt out.''

"On a personal level I was more than grateful for what he did for me and my family. But there comes a time when your authority is no longer there; you kind of run your course."

Run your course? Jon, you and the rest of the pitching staff are "grown ass men", in your own words, and if you need that "iron-fist mentality" to know that you should probably not be slugging back Bud Heavy's during the game, whether you're pitching or not, you should grow your ass up.

On a positive note I liked that he was the one of the staff to come forward. He is the future of the Red Sox pitching staff, not Buchholz, not Beckett, Lester. He owned up to pitching like horse-shit when John Lackey simply would have talked about a bloop that just got through the infield and a poor defensive play behind him. He didn't blame Francona for the collapse, and he addressed his following around of Josh Beckett.

I have heard from Pedroia (position player rep) and I have heard from Lester (pitching rep), two players that will for sure be back in 2012, the rest of them I could really give a rat's ass about. One thing for certain is that they both care enough about the Red Sox as a whole to make a statement whether asked by ownership or not, they confronted the media and were accountable.

Stay Tuned

Norton