58 replies to this topic

[Foulkey Reese]

Terry Francona certainly has landed on his feet. First, the former Sox skipper gets a job on ESPN and now we hear he’s working on a book with the Globe’s own Dan Shaughnessy. In announcing the book deal, Boston-based publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt promises “an insightful, honest and entertaining narrative” of Tito’s tenure with the Sox. “We’re thrilled to publish the story of Terry Francona’s eight-year stint as manager of the Boston Red Sox,” said Gary Gentel, president of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Trade Division

http://www.boston.co...?p1=Upbox_links

Wonder how far Terry goes in this? At the very least, it will be interesting.

[mabrowndog]

There's a cavalcade of great beat writers covering the team, many of whom are reputable guys who've already co-written books with Sox players.

Yet Tito hitches his wagon to the likes of Shank. I don't get it.

[SawxSince67]

Agreed. Unless, with all of the drama that followed his departure, Tito - like Shaughnessy - has a 'kick dirt on the Trio' agenda?

I've avoided Shaughnessy columns even during the good times. How could I support this?

[Foulkey Reese]

There's a cavalcade of great beat writers covering the team, many of whom are reputable guys who've already co-written books with Sox players.

Yet Tito hitches his wagon to the likes of Shank. I don't get it.

He's angry and wants to hit back?

Makes sense to me.

[rembrat]

He's angry and wants to hit back?

Makes sense to me.

That's not Tito.

I expect some dirt because that's expected but not a full on revenge book.

[terrisus]

Fabulous. Any recent registrations for "The Curse of Tito?"

Seriously, of all the people he could have chosen to write something with, why him?
And, yeah, it guarantees, like everything written by that guy over the past decade, there's no chance I'll be reading it.

[TheGoldenGreek33]

Any idea when it'll be released?

[JimD]

Really surprised Francona is doing this so quickly. The fact that he chose CHB as his co-writer pretty much guarantees a full-on takedown of the front office. I would have liked to see a beat reporter like Edes or McAdam instead.

[TheGoldenGreek33]

The fact that he chose CHB as his co-writer pretty much guarantees a full-on takedown of the front office.

Exactly, which is why it's going to be awesome.

[BannedbyNYYFans.com]

If you're gonna take the low road, you might as well have a guy who knows terrain.

[shoebox91]

There's a cavalcade of great beat writers covering the team, many of whom are reputable guys who've already co-written books with Sox players.

Yet Tito hitches his wagon to the likes of Shank. I don't get it.

I think it'll be quite easy to determine which parts of the book are Tito and which are CHB.

[TomRicardo]

WIth Lucchino as president of baseball op there isn't a chance any beat writer would touch this else watch their access to the team dwindle.

[someoneanywhere]

If you were a publisher, and you were already familiar with Tito's deflections and roundabouts and evasions -- all of which I admire by the way, even the eminently Tito construction "I probably think" -- who would you want? Whatever else we may think about the Shank, he is going to force Tito to address hard questions. The spin he gives those questions is a another matter, of course. But the publisher's dog in this fight is honesty.

[The Gray Eagle]

I will certainly never buy a book with CHB's name on it. Too bad that he's going to ruin Francona's book with his slimyness. Maybe I'll download it illegally just as a middle finger to CHB.

Rather than ownership, I'm sure most of the controversial stuff will be about players. With CHB involved, you know loads of dirt will come out on Manny Ramirez. Hopefully Francona will have approval, and it won't just be CHB interviewing him and then writing whatever he wants, or else it will be a mudslinging tell-all that throws out dirt on every single player Sox fans have liked for the past decade or so.

If Francona has control of it, it shouldn't be that bad, but dirt will come out and I expect most of it to be on the players, with some significant inside scoop about the way that management handled Francona's leaving.

Edited by The Gray Eagle, 08 December 2011 - 08:39 AM.

[Judge Mental13]

Great move for Shank-man. Not a great move for Francona, however, as his willingness to dish to the likes of mudslingers like CHB will probably raise eyebrows in front offices of potential MLB employers. If Tito is thinking about broadcasting full time then this is a great move but if he wants to get back to managing after this year Bobby Valentine's 10 year leave of absence could look like a long weekend.

[Lose Remerswaal]

Any idea when it'll be released?

Should be out in time for the holidays, next year.

Great move for Shank-man. Not a great move for Francona, however, as his willingness to dish to the likes of mudslingers like CHB will probably raise eyebrows in front offices of potential MLB employers. If Tito is thinking about broadcasting full time then this is a great move but if he wants to get back to managing after this year Bobby Valentine's 10 year leave of absence could look like a long weekend.

Bingo. So either it will be mostly pablum, or they do their best to make it leakproof until he's got a new job. No reason he doesn't take over a team that fires it's manager mid-season next year.

[JimD]

Exactly, which is why it's going to be awesome.

So you enjoyed the circus atmosphere of the last two months?

[loshjott]

There's about 1000 people on this board and elsewhere who hate the CHB with the heat of one thousand suns, and hundreds of thousands around the country who hear Shank's name and think of him as "respected Boston baseball writer." Tito wants to sell books and owes nothing to the team. Why not team up with the guy who'll move his product?

[Judge Mental13]

If you seriously think this book won't be a regional best-seller you're crazy.

[Foulkey Reese]

If you seriously think this book won't be a regional best-seller you're crazy.

I can't even conceive of not buying it the day it comes out. I hate CHB, but I'm dying to hear what Tito has to say about everything.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

I can't even conceive of not buying it the day it comes out. I hate CHB, but I'm dying to hear what Tito has to say about everything.

I won't buy it because I won't give a penny towards CHB's bank account and because I am 100% confident that CHB will spin whatever Tito tells him into a nasty hack job on the players, Theo and ownership in order to foster the "we'll always be miserable here" attitude he loves so much.

Fuck him. And I'm extremely disappointed Tito has chosen to team up with this miserable dickless asshole to air dirty laundry. Wish he had chosen Edes or Silverman instead.

[Average Reds]

WIth Lucchino as president of baseball op there isn't a chance any beat writer would touch this else watch their access to the team dwindle.

This is about right.

For all of his considerable faults, CHB is not a horrible writer. He also isn't going to shy away from controversial subjects, which is important. The question we should have is whether this is Tito's book written by CHB or Shaughnessy's book using Tito as cover. If the former, it will be a great window into the last 8 years. If the latter, it will be a one-sided screed.

[Soxfan in Fla]

I hate the fact I would be putting a single dime in CHB's pocket. That said, I admire the hell out of Tito and am very curious as to what he will say. My admiration for Tito outweighs my hatred for Shank. I will be buying.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

This is about right.

For all of his considerable faults, CHB is not a horrible writer. He also isn't going to shy away from controversial subjects, which is important. The question we should have is whether this is Tito's book written by CHB or Shaughnessy's book using Tito as cover. If the former, it will be a great window into the last 8 years. If the latter, it will be a one-sided screed.

Reversing the Curse was absolute unreadable garbage. His skills as a wordsmith have been badly oversold.

[Pumpsie]

I won't buy it because I won't give a penny towards CHB's bank account and because I am 100% confident that CHB will spin whatever Tito tells him into a nasty hack job on the players, Theo and ownership in order to foster the "we'll always be miserable here" attitude he loves so much.

Fuck him. And I'm extremely disappointed Tito has chosen to team up with this miserable dickless asshole to air dirty laundry. Wish he had chosen Edes or Silverman instead.

Exactly my feelings about this. Bad move on Tito's part. You lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. He's already whining ("they cut out the legs from under me," "more like framed," etc.) The fact is that the team (one heavily invested in by ownership) has lacked the right edge and drive for a couple of seasons and totally collapsed this past September. And he allowed that to happen. It seems that he wants to blame someone else instead of looking in the mirror. If that's the case then I'm glad he's gone and happy for a change to Valentine/Farrell or whatever the future holds.

This organization had gotten stuck and ownership unstuck it by getting both Theo and Tito out of there. It was a tough, nasty job but someone HAD to do it. The bottom line is that people hate change but you have to change to progress. Duquette ran into the same problem in spades because HE had to change a LOT of things when he got to the Red Sox he inherited which was a total mess created by long decades of Yawkey control. And the CHB was there to take advantage of that by giving the incompetents, the malcontents, the smarmy, the small-minded, the petty and the losers a bullhorn. Here we go again.

[brs3]

I don't have a problem with Francona teaming up with CHB. I don't have a problem if CHB makes the ownership look like a bunch of fools. Nothing will change my view of Francona. You can't un-do 2004, regardless of how much crap comes out.

It's all about being entertained, and there's little doubt that this will be entertaining for one reason or another.

[JBill]

Exactly my feelings about this. Bad move on Tito's part. You lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. He's already whining ("they cut out the legs from under me," "more like framed," etc.) The fact is that the team (one heavily invested in by ownership) has lacked the right edge and drive for a couple of seasons and totally collapsed this past September. And he allowed that to happen. It seems that he wants to blame someone else instead of looking in the mirror. If that's the case then I'm glad he's gone and happy for a change to Valentine/Farrell or whatever the future holds.

Speaking of lying down with the dogs, once those allegations about pill use were in the Boston Globe, he can blast this ownership and management group to smithereens for all I care.

My guess is he won't, as much as he may want to. There will be some juicy stuff, but like other posters noted, he's not going to torpedo his chances with another team.

[Doug Beerabelli]

I may borrow it from my local library to read it. May.

Love Tito, but can't support Shank on this monetarily.

[TomRicardo]

Great move for Shank-man. Not a great move for Francona, however, as his willingness to dish to the likes of mudslingers like CHB will probably raise eyebrows in front offices of potential MLB employers. If Tito is thinking about broadcasting full time then this is a great move but if he wants to get back to managing after this year Bobby Valentine's 10 year leave of absence could look like a long weekend.

The Red Sox used Holher who in one piece became a bigger hatchetman than Shank. CHB needs his title back.

I also doubt Tito will be back in a dugout. He had his medical problems and the travel killed him

[Average Reds]

Reversing the Curse was absolute unreadable garbage. His skills as a wordsmith have been badly oversold.

Hmmm...I wrote my comment hastily, so maybe I'm wrong about this.

I haven't read CHB in some time, so if things have changed, or if my memory is betraying me, I'll defer to those who know better.

[Marbleheader]

Even if his intent is to hammer the FO, it would carry more weight coming from just about any other writer. CHB's involvement immediately makes this a tabloid in the eyes of a good percentage of his target audience. After 8 years here, I'd think Tito would know that.

[Pumpsie]

The Red Sox used Holher who in one piece became a bigger hatchetman than Shank. CHB needs his title back.

I also doubt Tito will be back in a dugout. He had his medical problems and the travel killed him

So, then management was right to move on and find another manager if they were concerned that Tito's health issues were interfering with his ability to stay on top of the team and be a fully operational manager. And, if that was a very real concern, then, sooner or later, the truth of that would have gotten out one way or another. It's not like lies were being spread about Tito's health issues. Truth was being spread. And that truth probably was a factor in the decision of the Cardinals not to hire Tito and the Cubs (with Epstein now in charge) to not even look at Tito.

[Blacken]

Even if his intent is to hammer the FO, it would carry more weight coming from just about any other writer. CHB's involvement immediately makes this a tabloid in the eyes of a good percentage of his target audience. After 8 years here, I'd think Tito would know that.

We are probably not his target audience.

[Gene Conleys Plane Ticket]

I won't buy it because I won't give a penny towards CHB's bank account and because I am 100% confident that CHB will spin whatever Tito tells him into a nasty hack job on the players, Theo and ownership in order to foster the "we'll always be miserable here" attitude he loves so much.

Fuck him. And I'm extremely disappointed Tito has chosen to team up with this miserable dickless asshole to air dirty laundry. Wish he had chosen Edes or Silverman instead.

Seconded. A little of the sheen just went off of Francona for me with this choice. I of course would love to read his memoir, but why choose the collaborator that he did? In addition to being a cancer in the press box, Shaughnessy hasn't even been a good writer for years.

For that matter, why choose a Boston beat writer at all? There are many, many excellent or at least pretty solid writers who I imagine would jump at the chance to write Tito's "as told to." How about SoSH's "own" Seth Mnookin, for example?

I'm really mystified and all I can think of is that his agent or publisher made this match thinking (correctly) that the main market for this book is New England and that Shaughnessy has the most marketable "name" of any local New England sportswriter (which sadly, is also probably true). But Francona could just as easily have said no.

[Harry Hooper]

Really surprised Francona is doing this so quickly. The fact that he chose CHB as his co-writer pretty much guarantees a full-on takedown of the front office. I would have liked to see a beat reporter like Edes or McAdam instead.

Maybe. CHB's One Strike Away was far from a hard scrutiny of the 1986 Red Sox.

I won't bother contributing to the CHB's retirement fund, however.

[behindthepen]

1323356864[/url]' post='3883338']
Speaking of lying down with the dogs, once those allegations about pill use were in the Boston Globe, he can blast this ownership and management group to smithereens for all I care.

My guess is he won't, as much as he may want to. There will be some juicy stuff, but like other posters noted, he's not going to torpedo his chances with another team.

Wait, now CHB is going to torch the only person in the Sox organization that likes him, LL?
Franconas not going after the players or Theo, and CHB won't go after LL. this has fluff written all over it.

[Paradigm]

Don't you want the dirt? I want the dirt. I want everything Tito repressed during eight years of press conferences protecting players and shouldering the blame. I want to know what it was like managing Pedro, Schilling, Manny, Papelbon, Damon, Foulke, David Wells, Beckett, and Lester. I want to know what it was like when ownership dropped a $100 million pitcher named Matsuzaka onto the roster and how that affected the clubhouse. I want to know what kinds of orders he received from Epstein and Lucchino and when he had autonomy to make his own decisions. I want to know what happened on the road and what happened in Boston. I want to know how Pedroia carried the team in 2011 while others gave up.

I don't want to read a smear piece, and frankly I don't think there's that much to smear except for some more clarity around Francona's exit and the allegations in the Hohler piece. I just want the honest behind-the-scenes truth. We've read everything there is to read about how smart this team is and how they drafted, signed, and analyzed to rebuild the organization. Now I want to read the rest.

And though I loathe Shaughnessy, nobody but he could write this piece. He's the only one with nothing to lose. No national writer is close enough to the team to ask a probing question about a specific road trip or heartbreaking loss; no Boston writer could afford to take a contrarian stance to ownership. Gordon Edes? Are you kidding me? There's an important role for Gordon Edes in journalism, and he's a great reporter, but he's not writing a tell-all book.

The elephant is whether Tito wants to manage another team. If so, he probably won't go Ball Four on us, but maybe he finds comfort in Bristol and decides to hang up the cleats.

Edited by Paradigm, 08 December 2011 - 11:20 AM.

[Savin Hillbilly]

Don't you want the dirt? I want the dirt.

Sure I want the dirt, but I feel dirty for wanting the dirt.

Shaughnessy is everything I despise about sports journalism: a relentlessly and reflexively negative smart-ass hack who relies on cliches and penny-ante macho psychodrama to take the place of real insight. I don't know if anything about the Sox' 2011 has disappointed me quite as much as the news that Tito is collaborating with him. It's like hearing that your dad is having an affair with a coal industry lobbyist or something.

[reggiecleveland]

i will be happy to download the audiobook (I hope Sara Vowell narrates) frompiratebay.

[Doctor G]

Verducci must have been too expensive or too busy. I t seems like it would have been a natural for him.

I read TomVerducci Dan, and you are no Tom Verducci.

[HomeBrew1901]

Don't you want the dirt? I want the dirt. I want everything Tito repressed during eight years of press conferences protecting players and shouldering the blame. I want to know what it was like managing Pedro, Schilling, Manny, Papelbon, Damon, Foulke, David Wells, Beckett, and Lester. I want to know what it was like when ownership dropped a $100 million pitcher named Matsuzaka onto the roster and how that affected the clubhouse. I want to know what kinds of orders he received from Epstein and Lucchino and when he had autonomy to make his own decisions. I want to know what happened on the road and what happened in Boston. I want to know how Pedroia carried the team in 2011 while others gave up.

I don't want to read a smear piece, and frankly I don't think there's that much to smear except for some more clarity around Francona's exit and the allegations in the Hohler piece. I just want the honest behind-the-scenes truth. We've read everything there is to read about how smart this team is and how they drafted, signed, and analyzed to rebuild the organization. Now I want to read the rest.

And though I loathe Shaughnessy, nobody but he could write this piece. He's the only one with nothing to lose. No national writer is close enough to the team to ask a probing question about a specific road trip or heartbreaking loss; no Boston writer could afford to take a contrarian stance to ownership. Gordon Edes? Are you kidding me? There's an important role for Gordon Edes in journalism, and he's a great reporter, but he's not writing a tell-all book.

The elephant is whether Tito wants to manage another team. If so, he probably won't go Ball Four on us, but maybe he finds comfort in Bristol and decides to hang up the cleats.

Great post, sums up my feelings on this. Assuming Francona doesn't start banging interns, he's set himself up for a long time with ESPN, and as mentioned above, given his health issues, why would he want to go back to managing.

[Judge Mental13]

I like how people are disappointed in Tito for teaming up with a guy who writes bad things about the Red Sox and their front office....

WHO JUST FIRED FRANCONA

Jesus christ, the fact that anyone thinks they have the right to be disappointed at Francona for doing a book with a guy who routinely shits on the team that just canned him publicly not to mention the fact that in doing so they leaked his marital/drug problems to the globe, has a seriously warped sense of entitlement. Tito's a free agent. The Sox fired him. He has no obligation to Red Sox fans whatsoever, and I for one, am looking forward to what he has to say, Shank-spin or not.

"What a disappointment", give me a goddamn break. Shut the fuck up. Tito doesn't owe you shit.

[JimD]

Assuming Francona doesn't start banging interns, he's set himself up for a long time with ESPN, and as mentioned above, given his health issues, why would he want to go back to managing.

He interviewed for the St. Louis job and seemed pretty disappointed that he didn't get it. Doesn't sound like a guy who has no interest in managing again.

[Savin Hillbilly]

"What a disappointment", give me a goddamn break. Shut the fuck up. Tito doesn't owe you shit.

Where the hell do you get this ridiculous notion that being disappointed implies a sense of entitlement or an assertion that somebody owed you something? That's nonsense.

[JimD]

I like how people are disappointed in Tito for teaming up with a guy who writes bad things about the Red Sox and their front office....

WHO JUST FIRED FRANCONA

Jesus christ, the fact that anyone thinks they have the right to be disappointed at Francona for doing a book with a guy who routinely shits on the team that just canned him publicly not to mention the fact that in doing so they leaked his marital/drug problems to the globe, has a seriously warped sense of entitlement. Tito's a free agent. The Sox fired him. He has no obligation to Red Sox fans whatsoever, and I for one, am looking forward to what he has to say, Shank-spin or not.

"What a disappointment", give me a goddamn break. Shut the fuck up. Tito doesn't owe you shit.

Calm down. Nobody thinks Tito owes us anything - it's just that we'd all rather read a book co-written by a respected writer who might actually bring something to the table, not the usual garbage from biggest hack journalist in New England.

[HomeBrew1901]

He interviewed for the St. Louis job and seemed pretty disappointed that he didn't get it. Doesn't sound like a guy who has no interest in managing again.

I think he was just as disappointed that they started asking him about his drug dependency issues as he was for not getting the job, but neither of us will know that until Shank's book comes out. He also decided against interviewing for other jobs or being a bench coach somewhere.

I think there were maybe one or two destinations that he would have considered and I get the feeling that after leaving the Sox and being questioned about a pain killer addiction he decided to settle for the easy life in the booth. No one knows what he is going to feel like doing in a few years but once the book comes out and if it is a hatchet job on the front office and former players, you can pretty much guarantee that he won't be managing a team again.

[scotian1]

In the majority of cases it is the writer who approaches the individual and make their pitch. Perhaps Dan was the first maybe the only one to do this. Francona would have to then decide if he wanted this person to tell his story and apparently he did. Shaughnessy can/has been be a very good writer when he decides not to play in the gutter. That being said I hope Francona realizes what he is in store for as it won't be your average fluff piece.

[nothumb]

Sure I want the dirt, but I feel dirty for wanting the dirt.

Shaughnessy is everything I despise about sports journalism: a relentlessly and reflexively negative smart-ass hack who relies on cliches and penny-ante macho psychodrama to take the place of real insight. I don't know if anything about the Sox' 2011 has disappointed me quite as much as the news that Tito is collaborating with him. It's like hearing that your dad is having an affair with a coal industry lobbyist or something.

This, this, and this. I don't follow Boston media all that closely like some people here do, but everything I have read by CHB makes me want to puke in a sack full of kittens. Seems like every piece has some kind of admonishment for one party or another to man up and confront the truth of their situation, or be doomed to a lifetime of losing and impotence. Every clubhouse rumor is some kind of fundamental existential conflict to this guy. He's also in the habit of gloating about how wretched decisions were... long after the outcome is known. If he's ever had an original thought, it probably rolled down his leg and stained his socks, because it definitely wasn't in one of his columns.

I am really interested to read what Tito has to say, but the fact that it's coming so quickly on the heels of his departure makes me believe it won't have a ton of distance or perspective from recent events, which is probably a mistake. That, combined with pairing up with CHB, will make me wary from page 1.

[kevlog]

Sorry, late to this thread. Yes, we're publishing this book and the pub date is actually Spring 2013.

[Judge Mental13]

Calm down. Nobody thinks Tito owes us anything - it's just that we'd all rather read a book co-written by a respected writer who might actually bring something to the table, not the usual garbage from biggest hack journalist in New England.

What do you people think CHB is going to do? What about this process is so offensive? During the entire 2011 Sox Meltdown CHB was another media face in the crowd. Hohler was the one who rolled around in the dirt, CHB wrote the same sorts of things everybody else was writing, and now he's getting access to Tito's uncensored side of the story, and that's a bad thing?

Who do you think CHB is going to offend? The front office? So what?

I seriously don't see the problem here, and I'm far from a fan of DS.