The recent death of former Red Sox manager (and longtime Red Sox employee) Eddie Kasko moves me to share the story of his firing.
Kasko had replaced Dick Williams in 1970, and inherited what was left of the Impossible Dream team. He still had Yaz, Boomer Scott, and (post-beaning) Tony C to lead the offense, but the pitching was shaky. Baltimore won 108 games, the Sox only won 87, and that was that.
In ’71, Kasko had the same deal -- 3rd in the AL in hitting, 10th in pitching (in a 12-team AL). In an era of superb pitching the Sox rotation was trash (mitigated by their best bullpen arm being Sparky Lyle) – and this was the end of Jim Lonborg’s time at Fenway, as he’d never gotten past his injuries. Another 3rd place finish, as the O’s “slipped” to 101 wins.
1972 was the Near Miss – a player strike wiped out the first ten days of the season, and that meant the Sox only played 155 games, but the eventual AL East champs –the Tigers—played 156 and beat the Sox by ½ a game. Kasko was moved to the hot seat. He didn’t have a contract, and the Sox let him twist in the wind while they waited to see if Ted Williams was available. Kasko finally got another deal, but only for two years.
Kasko got in hot water because the Sox had started slow, gotten hot, and then blown a late-season lead. The manager had the reputation of being mild-mannered, in contrast to his predecessor Williams, a notorious hard-ass. After the Sox faded in ‘72, the offseason chatter was about Kasko being too soft. He responded by making statements in the press about how he was going to get the team to focus. On December 10, 1972 he told the Globe “If [the players] don’t do it on the ball field, then I’m listening to no excuses. Someone else will be playing the position.” Kasko also made much of his decision to have no off-days in the preseason, scheduling 33 games so “there will be a more concentrated effort right from the start.”
Despite the emphasis on starting strong, the ’73 Sox scuffled under .500 until June 8, rebounded for a great July, but never caught Baltimore, who won 97. The Sox fired Kasko before the last game of the season, and he took the firing in stride, telling Ray Fitzgerald on October 1, 1973, “It just comes with the territory.” Kasko agreed that he was not the fiery leader some fans wanted: “I was timid making moves at first, but as you go along you realize the things you have to do.”
The early 70’s Sox had the bad luck of being in the same division as those legendary Baltimore teams, and Kasko got the rep of being too easygoing (“gentlemanly” was sometimes the backhanded compliment sportswriters used). Danny Cater, whose claim to fame was being the lopsided (in the wrong direction) return when the Sox traded Sparky Lyle, put it best: “I can’t help thinking that we here in this clubhouse had a big part in it.”
Kasko had replaced Dick Williams in 1970, and inherited what was left of the Impossible Dream team. He still had Yaz, Boomer Scott, and (post-beaning) Tony C to lead the offense, but the pitching was shaky. Baltimore won 108 games, the Sox only won 87, and that was that.
In ’71, Kasko had the same deal -- 3rd in the AL in hitting, 10th in pitching (in a 12-team AL). In an era of superb pitching the Sox rotation was trash (mitigated by their best bullpen arm being Sparky Lyle) – and this was the end of Jim Lonborg’s time at Fenway, as he’d never gotten past his injuries. Another 3rd place finish, as the O’s “slipped” to 101 wins.
1972 was the Near Miss – a player strike wiped out the first ten days of the season, and that meant the Sox only played 155 games, but the eventual AL East champs –the Tigers—played 156 and beat the Sox by ½ a game. Kasko was moved to the hot seat. He didn’t have a contract, and the Sox let him twist in the wind while they waited to see if Ted Williams was available. Kasko finally got another deal, but only for two years.
Kasko got in hot water because the Sox had started slow, gotten hot, and then blown a late-season lead. The manager had the reputation of being mild-mannered, in contrast to his predecessor Williams, a notorious hard-ass. After the Sox faded in ‘72, the offseason chatter was about Kasko being too soft. He responded by making statements in the press about how he was going to get the team to focus. On December 10, 1972 he told the Globe “If [the players] don’t do it on the ball field, then I’m listening to no excuses. Someone else will be playing the position.” Kasko also made much of his decision to have no off-days in the preseason, scheduling 33 games so “there will be a more concentrated effort right from the start.”
Despite the emphasis on starting strong, the ’73 Sox scuffled under .500 until June 8, rebounded for a great July, but never caught Baltimore, who won 97. The Sox fired Kasko before the last game of the season, and he took the firing in stride, telling Ray Fitzgerald on October 1, 1973, “It just comes with the territory.” Kasko agreed that he was not the fiery leader some fans wanted: “I was timid making moves at first, but as you go along you realize the things you have to do.”
The early 70’s Sox had the bad luck of being in the same division as those legendary Baltimore teams, and Kasko got the rep of being too easygoing (“gentlemanly” was sometimes the backhanded compliment sportswriters used). Danny Cater, whose claim to fame was being the lopsided (in the wrong direction) return when the Sox traded Sparky Lyle, put it best: “I can’t help thinking that we here in this clubhouse had a big part in it.”