68 replies to this topic

[AlNipper49]

On Thursday July 13th @ 11am Seth Mnookin will be joining us for a Q&A session.

In order to speed up the process, please PM me or a Dope/Mod of your choice with your questions/comments/manifestos prior to Tuesday July 11th.

Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe has some interesting excerpts from the book this morning which will clearly generate a lot of discussion. This is your chance to fire right back at Seth!

Seth is the author of Feeding the Monster (Simon & Schuster), a book about the John Henry-Tom Werner ownership group of the Boston Red Sox. In 2004, he published Hard News, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. He is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, where he’s written about Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code, the Judith Miller controversy at The New York Times, and the Red Sox’s 2004 World Series run. In 2002 and 2003, he was a senior writer at Newsweek, where he wrote the media column “Raw Copy” and also covered politics and popular culture. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, New York, The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post Book World, Spin, Slate, Salon, and other publications. A former music columnist for The New York Observer, he began his journalism career as a rock critic for the now-defunct webzine Addicted to Noise and has also worked as a crime reporter at The Palm Beach Post, a city hall reporter at the Forward, a presidential campaign reporter at Brill’s Content, and a jack-of-all-trades at Inside.com. He graduated from Harvard College in 1994 with a degree in the History of Science, and was a 2004 Joan Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. A native of Newton, Massachusetts, he currently lives in Manhattan.

FEEDING THE MONSTER

Here is the remarkable, inside story of how savvy management turned baseball’s “cursed” team into world champions and how this success presented the biggest challenges of all. For the first time ever, a reporter was given full, unfettered access to the inner workings of a major league sports team, from the front office to the clubhouse. Seth Mnookin lived with the Red Sox in 2005, spending mornings with the front office, afternoons with the players, and evenings with the owners. Feeding the Monster offers startling new details on everything from the 2001 sale of the team, in which the winning bidders were rumored to be hand-selected by baseball commissioner Bud Selig, to Theo Epstein’s stunning decision to quit, and then return to, the team that had made him famous.

This behind-the-scenes account shows how owners John Henry and Tom Werner and CEO Larry Lucchino led the Red Sox to unprecedented popularity, spectacular on-field success, and greater profitability. Drawing on his unique access to players, management, and owners, Mnookin explains how Henry and Werner were only able to buy the team due to the blunders of bidders like Cablevision mogul Charles Dolan; how Nomar Garciaparra and Red Sox management had completely different views of their fatal contract negotiations; what led the Red Sox to acquire David_Ortiz and why they almost got rid of Manny Ramirez; and how the A-Rod fiasco and Pedro Martinez’s defection to the Mets helped cause a rift between Epstein and Lucchino that finally erupted into public view this past October. Feeding the Monster shows how a cutting-edge organization can seemingly outwit its competition at everything from evaluating talent to running its business operations and still be caught unprepared for the difficulties that come with success.

Stuffed with exclusive information about the Sox up to the beginning of the 2006 season, Feeding the Monster is the rarest of books: one that reveals the inner workings of a public institution in such intimate detail that it helps us better understand the world we live in.

Edited by AlNipper49, 13 July 2006 - 10:46 AM.

[Sille Skrub]

Thanks for your all your questions. Check back Thursday for the Mnookin chat!

PM a dope with any other questions. Lurkers feel free to PM me with questions or email me:

redsoxmike@gmail.com

Thanks again!

[AlNipper49]

OK folks, I have forwarded a ton of questions over to Seth so he'll be ready for Thursday.

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions!

- There will be a "open forum" after we're done with the predetermined questions, so if you have not submitted questions yet, you'll still get that opportunity.

The Q&A will be in a seperate forum temporarily subforumed underneath this forum. After the predetermined questions are done, the floor will be open to members and registered lurkers alike.

[AlNipper49]

Spoke with Seth this morning.

I'm pretty psyched to hear some of his answers after he dropped a few hints. (not as excited as teenwedgies.com, but you catch my drift).

We're on for 11am

we will definitely have time for additional questions at the end

[yazsui]

Is the "chat" going to be on this"thread" or should we go to the real chatroom?

[AlNipper49]

Chat will be starting in 5 minutes in this thread

[AlNipper49]

LansdowneNumber9 asks

Given the seemingly unfettered access you were given to the organization and the amount of information such access uncovers, how did you or your publisher arrive at the decision to release the book during the All-Star Break (especially considering this market's tendency to overreact)?

[smnookin]

That was the earliest we could get it out – it didn't have anything to do with the All-Star break. We wanted (or they wanted; I just wanted to finish it) to get it out before Father's Day, which apparently is the biggest book-buying day of the year. But no such luck.

[AlNipper49]

PedroKsBambino asks

I've heard from various places that the working hours of the Red Sox Baseball Ops group are extraordinary and that it was not uncommon for Theo, Byrnes, Hoyer and company to be in the offices at 1-2 AM day after day. Is this accurate?

[smnookin]

It's certainly true to say that I've never seen a group of people work as hard as the people who work for the Sox. The baseball ops people were there when I got there – at 10 or so in the morning – and there when I left, usually around 11 pm or so. I was surprised to see that was the case during the offseason as well. I should point out that it's not just the baseball ops crew: the PR department worked their ass off (putting together pre-game notes, post-game notes, etc.); Larry was there seemingly every second of every day…and on and on. I was exhausted just watching them.

[AlNipper49]

Also, relatedly, can you confirm or deny that there is a baseball ops roto league, and give any info on who may have won it...even if couched as "I heard a rumor that so-and-so might have"

[smnookin]

I never heard anything about a Roto League. It would surprise me, actually. To put it in language SoSH should understand, I'm sure Jenna Jamison doesn't watch porn in her free time.

[AlNipper49]

941827 asks

-- Did you get a sense of how much of a role does the reputation of the media in town plays in the FA acquisition process? Are players less interested in coming to Boston b/c of the media?

[smnookin]

I don't think so, although I talked to a number of players who were surprised by the all-consuming nature of the coverage here. But as far as I could tell, that kind of stuff came into play after they get here and not before they sign.

[AlNipper49]

- How do the Sox as an organization cope with the nature of the media in Boston? They initially seemed more interested in playing it like a fiddle, now they seem to be taking a more Belichickian approach (no leaks, etc.). Does anyone in the FO listen to WEEI?

[smnookin]

I'm not sure the Sox ever played the media like a fiddle; they were definitely aggressive in their PR approach during this ownership's first several years. Some of that came from John's experiences (in Florida), Tom's experiences (in San Diego) and Larry's experiences (also in San Diego) with needing to do everything they could to draw fans in small markets. But one thing that's been made painfully obvious is that there can be a downside to that level of exposure – certainly there are people on the team who feel like that's what happened last fall. And I think as a result we've seen part of what's likely the natural ebb and flow.

[AlNipper49]

Nuf Ced asks

"During Nomar's last season in Boston, we kept hearing in various media outlets that he had turned down a 4-year, $15 million a year deal from the Red Sox after the 2003 season. Why did he think he could get more than that? Did he divulge in any interviews why he expected to be paid as much or more than the big deals some of his contemporaries got?"

[smnookin]

He divulged it in an interview with me. Long story short: he was jealous of ARod and Jeter (and Pedro and Manny, to a lesser extent), both of whom were younger and both of whom didn't sign long-term deals during the second year of their major league careers.

[AlNipper49]

lurker Meemselle asks:

"I read the excerpt in the Globe and found it really compelling. Iíd be interested in knowing whether (and from whom) Theo received calls from other teams during his brief period of unattachment. Iím also curious about playersí reactions to the A-rod debacle and how they felt about Theo being hung out to dry for it."

[smnookin]

Theo was contacted by a lot of teams, but the most serious offer – or at least the offer that was most seriously considered – came from the Dodgers. As for the A-Rod debacle, I think you're memory isn’t quite right: it was Larry who was blamed, at the time and in retrospect, for the A-Rod trade not going down.

[AlNipper49]

lurker John P asks

"Do you think that the contents of your book will be news to anyone in the Red Sox FO and will any of the main players like Theo or Larry feel that confidences have been broken given what is included?"

[smnookin]

I don't the broad strokes of the book will surprise any of the principles; there may be specific details that come as a surprise, but I have no real way of knowing that. I'm really not in a position to speak about what the reaction of people on the team might or might not be. I do know that there was discussion at the outset of the project as to whether the book was a good idea or not.

[AlNipper49]

exGloucester asks

"Is there any valid thought within the Sox organization that Manny Ramirez suffers from clinical bipolar issues? His reported periodic bouts of apparent unhappiness with the organization, desires to be traded, etc., don't seem to jibe with his steady on-field performance and the impression I get as a fan that he is, in fact, quite happy most of the time. Even his period hitting slumps, as detailed stat-wise on the SoSH board by Eric Van, would seem to indicate some sort of cyclical mental problems, and last year right before the trading detadline, Johnny Damon was quoted as saying something to the effect that Manny's problems are in some measure the product of his own paranoia. Any light you could shed on the validity of this suggestion, and the organization's view toward it, would be much appreciated."

[smnookin]

Since I'm not a doctor, and since as far as I know no one on the team with day-to-day contact with the players outside of Dr. Gill is an MD, I don't feel comfortable talking about anyone's mental of physical state. I do think that if you look at Manny's career, his hot and cold streaks aren't that incredibly unusual. In fact, one of the most extraordinary things about Manny is his remarkable consistency year after year. And while Manny was often enigmatic during my time in the clubhouse, he was never anything but a playful, usually quiet presence.

[AlNipper49]

drtooth asks

I would be curious to hear Seth's comments on the WEEI interview(in the D&C audio vault) with Joe O'Donnell. O'Donnell discredits a lot of what is in the book in regards to his meetings with Henry and as to now having the money to buy into the team. This is a not so subtle shot at Seth's credibility in this story and is borderline libel (in regards to O'Donnell as a threat to Henry's life)

[smnookin]

Actually – as I wrote in my blog (Yammer can tell you all about it; he's a HUGE fan) – O'Donnell really didn't question much of anything that I wrote. He said he had asked John to come down to the waterfront at 1 in the morning; he also said that when John asked if he could bring along a business associate, Joe told him no. Finally, in regards to the specific conversations, Joe said I "basically got it right." I don't think it's going to come as a huge surprise to anyone that what was recounted on there differed greatly from what was in the book. I never come close to saying that Joe O'Donnell threatened John Henry's life. I do describe this early-morning meeting – about which there is no dispute – and quote from a email John wrote at the time in which he said he was a little freaked out.

On the EEI interview, Joe made a big deal about how preposterous it was that I wrote that he and Steve Karp did not have enough money to buy the team. That also does not appear anywhere in the book. What I said – and what Joe also more or less confirmed in his EEI appearance – was that he and Steve weren't willing to put up enough of their money. The Yawkey Trust's lawyers are quoted (on the record) as saying their impression is that Joe and Steve seemed to feel that if and when they got the team, they could raise the rest of the money then.

One last thing: I think it's disingenuous of Joe to complain after refusing – repeatedly – to speak with me either on the record, off the record, or on background. He said on EEI that he had done some "background" research into me and found I was "sketchy." I have no idea what that's supposed to be in reference to; perhaps my drug addiction (which I've written about extensively). But if he did do any checking about my professional reputation, he'd know that I have a history of being scrupulous about the facts and resolutely fair. I have on-the-record interviews with lawyers on the buyers' and seller's sides of the deal, as well as people involved in many of the other bidding groups. I also have primary documents and contemporaneous emails. And he went on Dennis & Callahan to argue against that but wouldn't sit down and have an actual discussion. I'll let people make up their own minds.

[AlNipper49]

Bucknahs Bum Ankle asks

"Have you received any feedback on the book (positive or negative) from Red Sox ownership, management, or players? Was there any resistance by the team to you publishing the book midseason?"

[smnookin]

I don't think I should speak for the Red Sox – if they want to talk about their reactions, they can. I will say this: when I began this project (before the 2005 season), the Red Sox were perhaps the most lionized and celebrated team in sports. And despite the fact that 2005 turned into an oftentimes difficult transition year, the organization never wavered in the agreement it had reached with me when the project began. I think the Sox deserve a huge amount of credit for that. It was a classy way to go about things.

[AlNipper49]

lurker Paul B asks

"1) One article about Feeding the Monster indicates that the effort to re-sign Pedro fell through because the Red Sox couldnít obtain insurance. Iím assuming that this relates to Pedroís right shoulder. Could you give more details? Is there more to this than just the insurance issue? Many have argued that management had grown tired of Pedroís ìdiva actî and that they simply wanted him to move on. The initial contract offers to Pedro do not do much to dispel this notion. Put another way, what is the view from inside the Front Office as to why Pedro is now pitching for the Mets?

[smnookin]

There was one point—before the 2004 season—at which the Sox and Pedro more or less came to an agreement. Pedro was unwilling to have a clause that allowed for any relief should he suffer a career-ending injury (the type of clause I believe Pudge has with the Tigers), and the Sox couldn't find an insurance company to cover the deal (despite Pedro's agreement to do ads, etc., for whatever company signed on). For the second part of your question, whether or not there were people on the team who had problems with aspects of Pedro's behavior, the Sox thought they had come to a deal when they offered him the final three-year contract. That night, he went out and got the four year deal from the Mets. (All this is explained in a lot greater detail in the book. It's awesome. You should all buy it.)

[AlNipper49]

myt1 asks

"Has there been any fallout from the book? Any nasty letters or legal threats?"

[smnookin]

No legal threats. I've gotten some nasty letters (or dumb ones, like this one: "If this was about the White Sox it would have a chance. What’s the over under for your book sales? 2500? ha-ha.") I've also gotten letters asking for a job, asking for introductions to players, and asking for free copies.

[AlNipper49]

lurker Jon L asks

"Seth, assuming that the understanding you had with the Red Sox was that anything was fair game for the book, was it ever explicitly expressed to you that the organization was at all afraid that any particular incident or event that you witnessed might cast the organization in an overly negative light and hurt their ability to do business in the future? Did you ever get the feeling that someone regretted saying something in your presence, realizing that it was probably bound for the book? Was there anything you might have excluded from the book because you thought it would create an unfair characterization?"

[smnookin]

Well, it's not true that anything was fair game: because of the access I had to Fenway, the one stipulation to my operational freedom was that if I came across any proprietary financial data – if I chanced upon a spreadsheet or whatever – I had to clear that with the team.

I can't think of any particular incidents that people seemed particularly concerned about at the time. And I excluded everything I thought might create an unfair characterization – if I thought it was unfair, I didn't print it.

[AlNipper49]

bosoxlady asks

Is it true that when James Dolan upped the ante to $700M by offering to purchase NESN in addition to Fenway and the club, JWH was forced to take out a $200M mortgage on Fenway Park? If true, is that the reason JWH took on so many partners (19), and is that what's driving their obsession for new revenue streams?

[smnookin]

Cheri! Good to see you last night. One question: what were you thinking when you brought Sille?

Anyway, I think you mean Charles Dolan; James is the mastermind behind the New York Knicks. And Dolan's and Henry's final bids were both $700 million -- $410 million for the Trust's portion, $250 million for the limiteds' portion, and the assumption of $40 million in debt. As for offering to purchase NESN, that was always part of the deal; the Red Sox's 80 percent stake was never not a part of what was up for sale.

[AlNipper49]

ok let's open up questions to the floor. Some of that ownership stuff, in particular, sounds pretty juicy.

[LoweTek]

Seth, I'd like to better understand Les Otten's role. I know you wrote some about it in the Vanity Fair article a while back but what was his role in the original purchase and how has it evolved to today?

[smnookin]

Les was the guy that got the ball rolling -- it was his initial bid that Tom, and then John and Larry joined. My sense was/is that he doesn't have a huge amount to do with the team on a day-to-day operational basis, but without him there wouldn't have been a bid for everyone to join up with.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Seth, was there any indication WHY O'Donnell and Karp were so unwilling to put up much of their own money for ownership of the team? Was it hubris in that they expected to land the bid as the locals?

[PedroKsBambino]

Seth, how "fair" would you characterize the contemporaneous media reports during Theo's departure period (say, October 15th to January 15th, give or take) as being to both perceived "sides?" Based on your knowledge of what occurred, do you think the media was favoring Theo, Lucchino, or neither of them?

[LoweTek]

So is he presently a minority share owner? Was that his "payment" for organizing the bid? I have heard that he did not actually put up $$, but rather got his minority share for the formation work.

[smnookin]

TO SJH: Without having gotten the opportunity to talk to them, it's hard to say. The lawyers seemed to think it was hubris -- and if you remember the tenor of the discussions and the coverage at the time, it wasn't crazy for them to think they were going to win out.

[smnookin]

PKB: I need to admit, I wasn't tracking the media coverage all that closely during that period; I was more concerned with talking to the principals and making sure I finished the book. I think -- and this doesn't mean that I think Larry's some kind of saint -- that in general Larry's gotten the brunt of the criticism for all sorts of things related to the team, whether or not that's always been fair.

[Div School Sox Fan]

Seth,

Thanks for chatting. I very much enjoyed the book. I have a couple questions...

1) Do you know the story w/ Roberto Petagine? Why did he not earn playing time in '05? Were there members of hte FO who wanted him to play, or was there a general concensus he wasn't good enough, and if so, what was the basis of their opinions?

2) What happened with the nixed Colorado trade? In the book, you make clear that Henry and Epstein killed the trade, and it was not Lucchino's fault as Gammons alleged. In that case, were baseball ops people leaking anti-Lucchino rumors to Gammons? And did Lucchino blame Byrnes for the failure, when it wasn't his fault? Could you flesh out that narrative any further?

3) What about BK Kim? You talk about how Grady misused him down the stretch, and the tactical error of pulling Kim from Game 1 of the ALDS, but the Kim story dies there. Do you know anything more - did he get injured then? What was the basis of the many stories in the media of BK having to apologize to his teammates for his actions in '03? What was his problem in '04 when he pitched so poorly, even in the minors?

[yazsui]

Were they ever really close to hiring anyone but Theo after he left and could you elaborate on what happened?

[smnookin]

LT: I don't know the exact specifics, but Les certainly put up some money -- he had to pay in order to even begin the bidding process. There are some details about the specific ownership -- the Times Co's 17 percent share, or whatever -- that I know, but I didn't focus on the exact specifics relating to the minority partners once the deal was done. The sale itself, and then what came afterwards, was of more interest to me.

[smnookin]

Div -- thanks for the questions. I actually got a chance to take a look at some of those and have answered them already; Nip has them and will post them soon(ish) since I need to run in about 4 minutes.

[Harry Hooper]

Follow-up on BSL's question: I believe Dolan upped the ante by offering to buy both the Yawkey Trust's portion of the team/park/NESN and the minority owners' shares. So, any reaction to the rest of her question re mortgage/partners/revenue streams?

[smnookin]

Yazsui -- certainly the team had to (and was) prepare(ing) for a scenario in which Theo didn't return, and they talked to all of the people you read about them talking to. That said, I think both Tom and John were pretty determined to find a way to bring Theo back and to keep Larry around.