184 replies to this topic

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Article in yesterday's Herald about the 100th Anniversary Ceremonies has Lucky saying they have sent an invitation to Tito, but don't yet know if he's going to participate.

Ball's in your court now, Tito.

[mr_smith02]

Article in yesterday's Herald about the 100th Anniversary Ceremonies has Lucky saying they have sent an invitation to Tito, but don't yet know if he's going to participate.

Ball's in your court now, Tito.

For the fans and his players (not for the douches that bashed him), I truly hope he makes the trip. That stated, I will understand if it is too soon.

[Al Zarilla]

Kiss and make up, at least for one day, Tito. Like Tiant said before or after kissing home plate "86 years. You know how many people were born and died in 86 years?"

Edited by Al Zarilla, 10 April 2012 - 12:59 PM.

[E5 Yaz]

Article in yesterday's Herald about the 100th Anniversary Ceremonies has Lucky saying they have sent an invitation to Tito, but don't yet know if he's going to participate.

Ball's in your court now, Tito.

"Sent an invitation." When does he get a chance to check his mail? If only there were a way to deliver an invitation by talking to the man ...

[barbed wire Bob]

"Sent an invitation" could mean paper, email, telephone, telegram, smoke signal, etc. Regardless, I'm sure Tito knows he is invited.

[litigator02]

"Sent an invitation." When does he get a chance to check his mail? If only there were a way to deliver an invitation by talking to the man ...

C'mon. You could just as easily say, "'Called him.' What - they were afraid that there would be proof of the invitation? If only there were a way to send him something tangible and permanent...."

Sox ownership might have been less than graceful in whatever delay there was to get him the invite, but let's know when it's time to stop bitching.

[E5 Yaz]

Let's put it this way, had they called him, they would have looked even better by saying "We talked to Tito the other day and made sure he knew he was invited."

If they indeed said "sent an invitation," it's clear they didn't bother to extend the olive branch all that far

[soxfan121]

Let's put it this way, had they called him, they would have looked even better by saying "We talked to Tito the other day and made sure he knew he was invited."

If they indeed said "sent an invitation," it's clear they didn't bother to extend the olive branch all that far

Oh please. Had they done that, you or someone like you would be complaining that the team representative did not cup his balls lovingly enough.

[TheoShmeo]

http://www.bostonglo...QcdL/story.html

Warning: That's a link to an article penned by the CHB.

Well they did call him, they did encourage him to come, he's not coming to give hugs and handpounds and he is still pissed about the Hohler article.

I found this line to be a bit of a surprise:

“When I spoke to John he made me think they were going to make an effort. John and Larry made it clear to me they weren’t responsible for what was said [in the Globe article]. I thought they owed it to me to get to the bottom of it a little bit.’’

Taken at face value, Tito seems to believe JH and LL that they were not the authors of SmearGate and thinks that they owe it to him to play detective "a little bit."

I'm more than a little surprised that the CHB resisted the urge to write that Henry has no time for being Columbo given his many Liverpool responsibilities. Either way, I'm sure the "blame the FO" crowd will employ some healthy cognitive dissonance to avoid the first part of Tito's comment.

[TallerThanPedroia]

I'm going to think of it as: if he'd got another managing job, he wouldn't be able to come anyway.

[Sparky Lyle]

Kiss and make up, at least for one day, Tito.

Bullshit!!!! When was the last time you got your balls knocked off the way Francona's were!! If that had ever happened to me the way it did there is no way I'd set one foot in that dump again, and I'd seriously have to resist the urge to knock out the front teeth of those two fucking pricks. Kiss and make up, my ass.

[Rudy Pemberton]

This situation has the potential to be an absolute disaster for the organization. It isn't hard to imagine a scenario where the Sox are really scuffling at this "celebration" and the attention is on the two-time winning WS winning manager, who isn't there, and the series of questionable moves the team has made recently. How did all this get so fucked up?

[Rudy Pemberton]

Look at it this way, if the team continues to play like shit, doesn't it make Tito look better?

At least Grady and Bobby will be there.

[JimBoSox9]

Bullshit!!!! When was the last time you got your balls knocked off the way Francona's were!! If that had ever happened to me the way it did there is no way I'd set one foot in that dump again, and I'd seriously have to resist the urge to knock out the front teeth of those two fucking pricks. Kiss and make up, my ass.

I 100% agree with this and don't blame Tito at all for telling the Sox to shove it. It's not on him to make this right.

That said, I want Tito to show up just so he can see that the majority of the fanbase doesn't give a damn about the smear job and are incredibly appreciative (now, especially) of his time here. I think getting the loudest ovation at the ceremony would do him a world of good.

[Rooster Crows]

I 100% agree with this and don't blame Tito at all for telling the Sox to shove it. It's not on him to make this right.

Not to pile on the with gratuitous "dittos", but I couldn't agree with this more strongly. That said, he always took the high road when he was here - like to see him suck it up and do so once more, because he was a class act and that would underscore it.

[mr_smith02]

I 100% agree with this and don't blame Tito at all for telling the Sox to shove it. It's not on him to make this right.

That said, I want Tito to show up just so he can see that the majority of the fanbase doesn't give a damn about the smear job and are incredibly appreciative (now, especially) of his time here. I think getting the loudest ovation at the ceremony would do him a world of good.

Yes, show up and make it 100% clear to Henry, Lucchino et. al to stay the fuck away from him.

It would be great if the crowd chanted "We want Tito!"

[BoSoxLady]

That said, I want Tito to show up just so he can see that the majority of the fanbase doesn't give a damn about the smear job and are incredibly appreciative (now, especially) of his time here. I think getting the loudest ovation at the ceremony would do him a world of good.

All I care about at this point is having the chance to thank Tito for all of the joy he brought to the fan base. Tito needs to suck it up for one day IMO.

[yecul]

He should attend for the fans, not for ownership. Just say "I am here for the fans" which will imply that, but avoids the mud throwing by directly saying f-you to ownership. There, problem solved.

Or they could have just let the dude go, hire someone else, and not drop napalm. Doing a little spitballing here for next time.

[smastroyin]

I have to agree with the idea that he should show for the fans. I think it is a tough decision though, because you have to balance being there for yourself versus being put on spectacle by the guys that you basically have no respect for at this point.

I do wish he would change his mind, though. I don't blame him for not, but it won't be quite the same.

[yecul]

That ship has sailed. The muckraking happened and can't be undone. Francona has landed on his feet and is largely the sympathetic figure here. In my eyes he "won" the war.

[Carl Everetts Therapist]

The wounds are still too fresh and too deep for Tito to come in here right now.... Maybe if this happened in 5 years he could feel comfortable, but not now only a couple months removed from the clusterfuck.

Its a shame that everything went so bad, I compltely blame the Boston media's continual quest for gossip and dirt. They like melo-drama and smear worse than the Ntional enquirer.

The front office does hold resposibility as well, if they didn't do it they should prove it at least to Tito...

[Seven Costanza]

Show for the fans? Since when does he owe us anything? He certainly doesn't owe ME anything.

[Toe Nash]

He should be there for the fans. He's going to come to the park eventually, either when he finally gets over it (maybe that would take new ownership) or when he is an opposing manager. At that point they're going to give him a day like they did with Nomar, or he's going to get an ovation as the opposing manager.

I understand him being pissed off but he doesn't have to hug Lucchino or anything. He could take part in the festivities on his terms and he should.

[Nuf Ced]

I can think of better ways to thank Terry Francona than putting him in an extremely awkward position by having him show up for another "celebrate Fenway" extravaganza this year. I truly believe that Red Sox fans will have the opportunity to do so someday down the road when the wounds aren't still fresh.

JMO, but I'd rather the Red Sox management be more concerned about fixing the bullpen than another elaborate ceremony.

[Reverend]

I 100% agree with this and don't blame Tito at all for telling the Sox to shove it. It's not on him to make this right.

That said, I want Tito to show up just so he can see that the majority of the fanbase doesn't give a damn about the smear job and are incredibly appreciative (now, especially) of his time here. I think getting the loudest ovation at the ceremony would do him a world of good.

If only there were some sort of... organization--something with a network of fans or something--that could hold an alternate celebration rally for Tito just to let him know how much of the fanbase still appreciates what he did.

[smastroyin]

Show for the fans? Since when does he owe us anything? He certainly doesn't owe ME anything.

I don't think it's a matter of owing anybody. It's a matter of giving people a chance to thank him, which he owes himself. After that shitty end to the season and the way everything went down, it might be nice for him to get actual appreciation from the Fenway crowd. I mean it's obviously his choice and clearly if he is still arguing with Lucchino 6 months later then the blood is pretty bad and it's too soon and in the end it's the Red Sox ceremony and he doesn't seem to harbor much good will to the Red Sox right now. I still wish there was a way he could make a stealth appearance and get a huge standing O.

[Seven Costanza]

I can buy that. IMO, it's ultimately his call and I personally won't fault him either way.

[luckysox]

He was there for the fans in '04 and '07. He sure as hell is not obligated to show up as part of some dog and pony show for this ownership group just so we can all feel happy warm fuzzies about this team and this franchise. That article probably cost him a job in St. Louis. If I'm Tito, I'm pretty damn pissed off still and I might be forever. And just because he HAS a a job with ESPN doesn't mean he would not rather be managing. He's a freaking baseball guy, not a broadcaster. Good for him for telling them to screw.

[Phil Plantier]

If only there were some sort of... organization--something with a network of fans or something--that could hold an alternate celebration rally for Tito just to let him know how much of the fanbase still appreciates what he did.

I am on board (pun intended) with this. We could even have a "celebration of the maligned" and invite Foulke too.

[smastroyin]

If we can invite Bellhorn I'll make the mac and cheese.

Also:

[tims4wins]

Timlin has to be invited too

[TallerThanPedroia]

He was there for the fans in '04 and '07.

Not to mention Opening Days '05 and '08. Tito's felt the love.

[tims4wins]

He won't be there

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Just a shame. Such a goddamn shame it's come to this.

[rembrat]

Good for Tito.

[Hendu's Gait]

Should have had Pedroia invite him and not Unlucky and Henry, IMHO

[Lose Remerswaal]

Look at it this way, if the team continues to play like shit, doesn't it make Tito look better?

At least Grady and Bobby will be there.

Seems to me they are playing about as well as they did for Tito's last month here.


We'll get our chance to thank him in due time.

[Foulkey Reese]

Good for Tito.

Somebody in the FO leaked that he was a drug addict. I wouldn't blame him for never setting foot in Fenway again. Good for Tito indeed.

[wutang112878]

He doesnt owe the fans anything considering what happened. He is taking a stance because he was smeared by team sources, he stated that he asked Henry and Larry to figure out who did it to him, and it seems they didnt follow up on that which if they didnt leak it I do believe he deserves. I would make the argument that if ownership really wants him there, they are the ones that owe the fans something by sorting out why the most successful manager we ever had was smeared and who did that. Based on that, I think its foolish to criticize Tito for not going.

Having said that, Tito needs to fight fire with fire at this point. The quotes about how badly management handled this situation arent helping his cause, they are making him look like a complainer and not helping his chances of getting another job. Instead he needs to leak a story about Henry or Larry detailing their screw-ups and I am sure he has some.

[JohntheBaptist]

Sorry if someone mentioned this part too, hadn't noticed it:

However, according to Francona earlier this week Lucchino called him and “got a little perturbed at me, telling me I was being unfair to them” and “we ended up getting into an argument.”

link here

"Stop being a baby and show up!" That's the hard sell there.

[doc]

All I care about at this point is having the chance to thank Tito for all of the joy he brought to the fan base. Tito needs to suck it up for one day IMO.

Fine then lets organize a "Thank You Tito Day" ourselves

[Worst Trade Evah]

I don't see how he owes the fans anything, especially if it means he has to do something he would really not prefer to do. I would not want Francona to make himself uncomfortable just so I could cheer for him -- that just makes no sense to me. If some ceremony wouldn't actually make things better for him, why should he be a part of it and pretend like things are better now? The tendency of the Red Sox to shit on everyone on the way out of town has gotten out of hand, and good for Tito for not papering it over. Little ceremonies after the fact do not excuse crappy behavior. If more people pushed back against them, maybe they'd stop tolerating it. I'm also totally fine with him talking openly about it. His legacy is secure, and if he has something to say about the organization or the way he was treated on the way out, that's fine with me.

Edited by Worst Trade Evah, 11 April 2012 - 11:26 AM.

[JBill]

Just a shame. Such a goddamn shame it's come to this.

"Until I'm more comfortable with some answers on what happened at the end of the year, I don't want to have much to do with the organization and that's a shame."

Doesn't want anything to do with the organization. The best Red Sox manager of all time. That feels awful.

I don't blame Tito a bit, he doesn't owe anybody anything, but I wish he would come to hear the fans. I guess that won't happen for another several years.

Edited by JBill, 11 April 2012 - 11:26 AM.

[rembrat]

It's going to be awesome when this day comes around and We Want Tito chants break out. Hopefully it comes when LL is at the podium.

[Laser Show]

Fine then lets organize a "Thank You Tito Day" ourselves

Can we do this? Please let's do this.

I will be there on the 20th and will be doing everything in my power to get a "We Want Tito" chant going.

[Carl Everetts Therapist]

Fine then lets organize a "Thank You Tito Day" ourselves

The problem there is we don't have this guy to organize our celebrations like he does at Fenway....




It wouldn't hold a candle to the skill of the master did you forget Gary cashman in 2004??

[someoneanywhere]

Ah, well. He can't show up "for the fans" and "take the high road" at the same time. It's not that simple. He will get cheered and huzzahed and worshiped as Caesar -- which necessarily, and although he wouldn't mean to do it, cast the organization as the evil empire. And obviously is Lucky is playing Mr. Contest Life over the phone in motherfucking phone stores, saying this or that is unfair, just wait until he has to judge the fairness of 40,000 Sox lunatics and a meat-smelling press following up Titopalooza.

Edited by someoneanywhere, 11 April 2012 - 11:33 AM.

[TheoShmeo]

It's going to be awesome when this day comes around and We Want Tito chants break out. Hopefully it comes when LL is at the podium.

Yes, let's blame Larry Lucchino for all things that are wrong with the Red Sox. It's not as if he hired Theo, was the CEO when Tito was hired and was the CEO when the Sox won two World Championships.

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Tito needs to fight fire with fire at this point. The quotes about how badly management handled this situation arent helping his cause, they are making him look like a complainer and not helping his chances of getting another job. Instead he needs to leak a story about Henry or Larry detailing their screw-ups and I am sure he has some.

Well, he did sign a book deal with Shaughnessy. Methinks the "leak" will be 200-300+ pages and it'll have his name right on the cover.

[gammoseditor]

100 year anniversary of the ballpark seems kind of trivial to me. When it comes time to celebrate the 2004 and 2007 teams I would be upset if Tito isn't there and by then I hope time has heeled the wounds.