100 replies to this topic

[Foulkey Reese]

Ian Browne ‏ @IanMBrowne

Alcohol banned in Sox clubhouse for this season. No word on fried chicken.

https://twitter.com/#!/IanMBrowne

Bobby V means business.

[Williams Head Case]

More for me.

[Corsi]

Also not allowed to the last leg of team flights, according to TC.

[glennhoffmania]

Great, we have another Girardi running the team.

[TheYellowDart5]

Great, we have another Girardi running the team.

Yes, because banning candy and ice cream there has destroyed Girardi's ability to manage effectively and torn the clubhouse asunder.

At the very least, doing this shuts off a potential source of distraction throughout ST and the first part of the season.

[Corsi]

ortiz on beer ban: 'We're not here to drink. We're here to play baseball. It's not a bar.

'https://twitter.com/...488245542354944

Edited by Corsi, 25 February 2012 - 02:25 PM.

[Andrew]

Great, we have another Girardi running the team.

Most workplaces don't let you drink on the job. Most workplaces do let you snack on a snickers.

[El Tiante]

I don't see the problem. They are at work. Not a frat house. They can drink at home or at the hotel if it is so important.

[Mourning Woodward Jr]

Will there be an exemption for Jack Daniels shots?

[BannedbyNYYFans.com]

Last year the Globe said the Sox were one of only twelve teams to still allow alcohol in the clubhouse anyway.

Edit - Whoops - "clubhouse", not "dugout"...thanks E5 Yaz

Edited by BannedbyNYYFans.com, 25 February 2012 - 04:33 PM.

[OttoC]

Also not allowed to the last leg of team flights, according to TC.

Do team flights have more than one leg?

[reggiecleveland]

I don't see the problem. They are at work. Not a frat house. They can drink at home or at the hotel if it is so important.

Seriously you can go out to your car, at a smoke break, in your water bottle, etc.

[FenwayFrenzy]

Do team flights have more than one leg?

I took that to mean on the last leg of a road trip, on the way home.

EDIT - Yes, it's in the ESPN story as such...

Beer consumption also will be cut off on the last leg of road trips, he said.

http://espn.go.com/b...d-sox-clubhouse

Edited by FenwayFrenzy, 25 February 2012 - 03:22 PM.

[jkempa]

I don't see the problem. They are at work. Not a frat house. They can drink at home or at the hotel if it is so important.

Might that be worse though? Out all night drinking instead of having a few pops after a game?

[Buzzkill Pauley]

Might that be worse though? Out all night drinking instead of having a few pops after a game?

Why on Earth would you assume it's an either-or proposition?

This can only be a good thing.

[E5 Yaz]

Last year the Globe said the Sox were one of only twelve teams to still allow alcohol in the dugout anyway.

One step at a time. Let's ban it in the clubhouse first.

[Al Zarilla]

https://twitter.com/#!/IanMBrowne

Bobby V means business.

Is that the Simpson's idea of this guy?

[Al Zarilla]

I can see Beckett saying to Bobby V: 'not even the 3.2 stuff?'

No no no, new leaf, Beckett's going to be more like 2007 Beckett, best pitcher since whenever from April through October. Would be nice. When you think about him against the Angels, Indians and Rockies that October, good God. 30 IP, 35 K, 2 BB.

[BucketOBalls]

Of course, now if they have problems, they are "playing tight" and need to relax.

[Remagellan]

As someone who rarely drinks, I'd be fine with this except for the fact that it feeds this ridiculous media-created narrative that last season's finish was due to some moral failure on the part of the team instead of injuries and a few weeks of subpar baseball.

[OttoC]

I took that to mean on the last leg of a road trip, on the way home.

EDIT - Yes, it's in the ESPN story as such...

That is how the Globe is now reporting it, adding that it is a safety issue for players driving home after the flight.

[The Gray Eagle]

Has beer been banned in the press box as well? Seriously, I don't know if it has or not. I know there used to be a keg flowing in the Fenway press box for every game, but it might have ended while ago. Or it might still be there.

I wonder why the media hasn't reported on that, but have great detail on the status of alcohol in the clubhouse?

[Montana Fan]

As someone who rarely drinks, I'd be fine with this except for the fact that it feeds this ridiculous media-created narrative that last season's finish was due to some moral failure on the part of the team instead of injuries and a few weeks of subpar baseball.

I hear ya' but this puts the story to bed.

[staz]

Good. This will help keep that chip firmly planted on their shoulders. (Assume there will be lenience if they win a postseason series?)

[SumnerH]

Has beer been banned in the press box as well? Seriously, I don't know if it has or not. I know there used to be a keg flowing in the Fenway press box for every game, but it might have ended while ago. Or it might still be there.

I wonder why the media hasn't reported on that, but have great detail on the status of alcohol in the clubhouse?

Because they're tasked with covering the team? Not only does clubhouse drinking potentially impact the team's performance (be it through team members being drunk during games, or through the manager losing the team by being seen as overly draconian, or whatever), but it's also a policy implemented by the team that affects members of the team. The people in the press box aren't Sox team members, and it's not really the media's job to cover what goes on there aside from extreme circumstances.

[Adrian's Dome]

A simple perspective: none of us can drink at work, so why should these guys be able to?

Do you really need to put any more thought into it than that? If the dudes making anywhere between 350k and 20 million a year can't handle a day at work without access to beer, then that says a lot more about them than it does the employer. If there's any sort of an uprising over the ban, then whoever's causing it is where you start when it comes to weeding out the problems that caused last year's issues.

[kenneycb]

A simple perspective: none of us can drink at work, so why should these guys be able to?

Do you really need to put any more thought into it than that? If the dudes making anywhere between 350k and 20 million a year can't handle a day at work without access to beer, then that says a lot more about them than it does the employer. If there's any sort of an uprising over the ban, then whoever's causing it is where you start when it comes to weeding out the problems that caused last year's issues.

Because you can't compare an average office job to that of an athlete?

I could care less but, hell, I also found it stupid that the Cards banned alcohol in their clubhouse because one of their relievers decided to drive home from a certain bar when his BAC was just a tad high. They are adults. They have some modicum of common sense and, if not, they are veeeery self-aware, especially after this offseason. Sure, they may not be as learned as many of us, but this is a PR stunt to avoid a few questions in the preseason. Ultimately this is not going to have any affect on anything but if the Sox don't suck next year I can't wait to hear about all these stories of change.

Edit; Judging from the post, I suppose you have a problem when, after the workday is done, someone has an alcoholic drink. No, they should not drink during the game but this is a PR ploy and nothing else. God forbid an athlete have a beer. I don't care if he's pulling a Chris Herron and getting crack in between at bats. Do your job, don't let it affect others and don't let your extracurricular activities affect your performance.

Edited by kenneycb, 26 February 2012 - 02:43 AM.

[Hyde Park Factor]

Because you can't compare an average office job to that of an athlete?

I could care less but, hell, I also found it stupid that the Cards banned alcohol in their clubhouse because one of their relievers decided to drive home from a certain bar when his BAC was just a tad high. They are adults. They have some modicum of common sense and, if not, they are veeeery self-aware, especially after this offseason. Sure, they may not be as learned as many of us, but this is a PR stunt to avoid a few questions in the preseason. Ultimately this is not going to have any affect on anything but if the Sox don't suck next year I can't wait to hear about all these stories of change.

Edit; Judging from the post, I suppose you have a problem when, after the workday is done, someone has an alcoholic drink. No, they should not drink during the game but this is a PR ploy and nothing else. God forbid an athlete have a beer. I don't care if he's pulling a Chris Herron and getting crack in between at bats. Do your job, don't let it affect others and don't let your extracurricular activities affect your performance.

Isn't this exactly what happened? As much as we can say that these guys should be treated like adults and who cares if they want to have a beer at the end of the day, etc....the reality is that they squandered this opportunity themselves.

I think it's a good move on Bobby V's part and I hope that if one of the guys misses his post game beer that much, he'll take it up with Beckett.

[DLew On Roids]

Has beer been banned in the press box as well? Seriously, I don't know if it has or not. I know there used to be a keg flowing in the Fenway press box for every game, but it might have ended while ago. Or it might still be there.

I wonder why the media hasn't reported on that, but have great detail on the status of alcohol in the clubhouse?

I recall one of our sportswriter members (who I'll leave anonymous in case I'm mistaken) saying that the keg is gone.

[geoduck no quahog]

A simple perspective: none of us can drink at work, so why should these guys be able to?

Do you really need to put any more thought into it than that? If the dudes making anywhere between 350k and 20 million a year can't handle a day at work without access to beer, then that says a lot more about them than it does the employer. If there's any sort of an uprising over the ban, then whoever's causing it is where you start when it comes to weeding out the problems that caused last year's issues.

You're in the wrong job man. We have about 20 cases of the best German beer sitting in our office and a refrigerator filled with it at all times.

We do have one rule, though: No suds before 10:00 AM.

[Scott Cooper]

I'm sure a lot of these drinking rules has to do with the times and not providing alcohol to players and reporters who after the game will get into their car and go home and possibly kill someone on their way home. Providing it for free is just a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[lexrageorge]

Given that the Red Sox adopted the same policy as the majority of MLB clubs, this ain't quite the big tragedy some are making it out to be. David Ortiz is right. New manager, new GM, new season, new rules. Deal with it.

[Judge Mental13]

Isn't this exactly what happened?

No.

What happened was, the Red Sox had no depth in the starting rotation. When Buchholz got hurt and Lester and Beckett had some naggers starting in July there was a point where the rotation was - Lackey - Wake - Miller - Aceves - Weiland

People who were paying attention to the team were worried that this sort of patchwork rotation was not going to be able to sustain a high level of play for very long and everyone else said "wake me up in october" and then were surprised when they lost and decided to blame it on chicken and beer because they're lazy and that's a better selling headline than "Sox Collapse Caused By Lack Of Depth In The Rotation", which is what actually happened.

So, in other words, no.

[Hyde Park Factor]

I didn't blame the collapse on the beer (nor on the fried chicken for that matter). But as individuals, their choice to drink beer in the clubhouse certainly did affect their performance, whether it be on the field or as teammates.

Absolutely agree, there was way more to the collapse than chicken and beer.

[joyofsox]

When will the equally important ban on poultry be announced? Let's not have any half-assed measures.

[Lose Remerswaal]

What about HGH?

[Average Reds]

I didn't blame the collapse on the beer (nor on the fried chicken for that matter). But as individuals, their choice to drink beer in the clubhouse certainly did affect their performance, whether it be on the field or as teammates.

Absolutely agree, there was way more to the collapse than chicken and beer.

Hesitant to wade into this, but you are presenting the bolded part as a fact when you have no evidence of this. There mere fact of B following A does not establish causality.

It's a symbolic move on Valentine's part - and it's entirely possible that he's doing it at the request of the owners - and it makes no difference to me one way or another. To that point, the season cannot start soon enough.

[Judge Mental13]

I didn't blame the collapse on the beer (nor on the fried chicken for that matter). But as individuals, their choice to drink beer in the clubhouse certainly did affect their performance, whether it be on the field or as teammates.

How is that not blaming the collapse on beer? What you're saying is silly.

The reason they shouldn't drink beer in the clubhouse is because it's unprofessional. Teams that behave unprofessionally have gone on to win big trophies before. But they didn't win or lose BECAUSE they were being unprofessional. As individuals Lackey, Lester, and Beckett choosing to drink beer on their off-days during a game did not effect the on-field performance one smidgen. The fact that they were skipping workouts and acting like dicks to everyone effected their on-field performance/clubhouse chemistry**. And that had nothing to do with beer and chicken.

Oh and the fact that if those two weren't pitching the lights out (or god forbid, got hurt) they had literally no pitchers worth a shit waiting in the wings for a shot in the rotation. Beer had nothing to do with it.

** - another myth that I don't think is particularly necessary to run a successful ballclub

Edited by Judge Mental13, 26 February 2012 - 10:34 AM.

[Hyde Park Factor]

Hesitant to wade into this, but you are presenting the bolded part as a fact when you have no evidence of this. There mere fact of B following A does not establish causality.

It's a symbolic move on Valentine's part - and it's entirely possible that he's doing it at the request of the owners - and it makes no difference to me one way or another. To that point, the season cannot start soon enough.

Fair enough. That's the conclusion I've drawn and I only meant to state it as my opinion.

[jose melendez]

I would like to see a ban on sucky pitching also....

Okay, one liner aside... did the Sox to a press announcement that they'd done this? This is the right thing to do, but the right way to do it is just to do it and not make an announcement.

[Doctor G]

This is a good policy. To remove alcohol from the clubhouse is a positive step for the organization. Like any workplace, I am sure there are a certain percentage of players who are in recovery from alcohol problems or otherwise uncomfortable with beer in the clubhouse.

[PrometheusWakefield]

Our long national nightmare is over.

[Adrian's Dome]

Edit; Judging from the post, I suppose you have a problem when, after the workday is done, someone has an alcoholic drink. No, they should not drink during the game but this is a PR ploy and nothing else. God forbid an athlete have a beer. I don't care if he's pulling a Chris Herron and getting crack in between at bats. Do your job, don't let it affect others and don't let your extracurricular activities affect your performance.

I drink more days than I don't, so...no. But thanks for the judgement and the tone of the post, it was all really necessary.

The point is that if, god forbid, an athlete wants to crack a beer after a day at work, he should head to a bar or stop to pick up a twelver on his way home just like the rest of us (geoduck excepted...you bastard.) Is having alcohol around a terrible thing? No, because most of the players probably aren't assholes about it...but is it necessary? Absolutely not.

[sachilles]

There are couple of ways to look at the "evils" of beer in the club house. Some see it as alcohol and that it might impare judgement one way or another. Others see if for it's caloric value.

In my opinion, they don't NEED it there any more than they might need a box of jelly donuts.

Making a public statement about it is a PR move, and perhaps a management move to send a passive aggressive message to the players. The truth is the players didn't show up at the club house with a cooler full of beer like it was some rec league softball game. The beer was stocked in the fridge by the team. The team simply needed to stop buying the stuff.

I suppose if they really wanted to send a message, they should have implemented a rule in limiting beer fridge access to those with a body fat % lower than x.

[Fred not Lynn]

I think way too little play is given in this thread that 1/2 the teams in MLB already have this ban in place. My guess is that the other 1/2 will soon follow for reasons that are league wide, not the Boston specific "beer and chicken" issues of last year. This isn't Bobby Valentine and the Boston Red Sox organization implementing some draconian temperance measure - it's a MLB team following a league wide trend.

And like it or not, it's a PR issue, as is pretty much everything with a pro sports team with an irrationally fanatic fan base. If they just implement the change in policy without announcing it as Jose M. suggests, it still leaks out as rumour - so they might as well just announce it and save everyone weeks of rabid internet speculation.

Edited by Fred not Lynn, 26 February 2012 - 02:32 PM.

[maufman]

Am I the only person more bothered by the video games than the chicken and beer?

There is, I assume, some reason why teams generally require starting pitchers to show up for work on days they aren't scheduled to pitch. If you're going to play video games in the clubhouse during the game, you might as well not show up. Would the story here be different if they were eating kale and drinking mineral water while playing "Call of Duty?"

On the other hand, if you're in the dugout cheering on your teammates, and you want to (to borrow Homer Simpson's memorable phrase) "have a beer while you're caring," I couldn't possibly care less.

[Sleepy108]

Maybe they are just getting their house in order for the arrival of Josh Hamilton.
http://www.rotoworld...3/josh-hamilton

[NHbeau]

Maybe they are just getting their house in order for the arrival of Josh Hamilton.
http://www.rotoworld...3/josh-hamilton

Great, another lefty bat. I kid, I kid.

[SoxFanInPdx]

Fried chicken banned too?

[Comfortably Lomb]

Am I the only person more bothered by the video games than the chicken and beer?

This issue isn't beer or video games. It's that being forced to attend and sit through a season's worth of baseball games that they have no chance of playing in is tremendously boring. If these guys were smarter people we'd just be talking about how disrespectful and distracting it is for the starting pitchers to be doing crosswords or reading Dostoevsky in the dugout on their rest days.