The Manager

Red Sox manager on July 1

  • John Farrell

    Votes: 78 84.8%
  • Tony Lovullo

    Votes: 14 15.2%

  • Total voters
    92
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gryoung

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Farrell's return as manager is one of the high profile stories this season. It's got to be a bit awkward with his replacement standing right next to him in the dugout.

Will this cause him to manage any differently? Which could be a good thing.

He also might be on a short leash. A poor start out of the gate could be the trigger event.

Who will be managing this team on July 1?
 

opes

Doctor Tongue
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Considering Farrell was signed as the head coach through 2017, I assume he would. Of course as long as he feels he is healthly enough to do so.
I highly doubt he is on a short leash, unless its a complete shit show.
 

Trlicek's Whip

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Feb 8, 2009
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Is Tony Lovullo the less successful brother? I don't think Tony has a shot at the job. But Tory might...
Torry, even. [Though his middle name is Anthony, so technically the poll question is accurate.]

I think nothing changes save a historic, tire-fire, cratering display of suck for a sustained stretch in 2016. Like a chicken-and-beer season on HGH type season.

I don't see in-season moves otherwise. I mean, even if it's "just" a lackluster mediocre season and playoff washout, it'd likely mean a change after the 2016 season. And even then maybe it's couched in diplomatic "mutual agreement" language, with both sides publicly amicable, especially if Farrell's moving to another part of the organization (front office, consultant, special something to the something).

Torry demonstrated that he managed well in his SSS, but that was dripping with the lowest of lowered expectations. Still, coaching guys up and playing well with the youth movement counts for something. And I think it probably counts as Farrell's replacement when Farrell himself segues out of the manager's position. But that it won't be something disruptive unless the Sox somehow dig deeper than the rock bottom of last year.
 

pokey_reese

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Jun 25, 2008
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I can't imagine that they would have Farrell come back from cancer to the dugout, only to get fired right away. They had a chance to try to move him into a FO position, and didn't take it, which makes me think that they are sticking with him barring a real disaster on the field. Given that I don't see an improved Sox team stumbling that hard by July1st, especially with the extra wild card spot, I would put the chances of Farrell still being in charge by then at 80-90%.
 

nattysez

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Sep 30, 2010
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Considering Farrell was signed as the head coach through 2017, I assume he would. Of course as long as he feels he is healthly enough to do so.
I highly doubt he is on a short leash, unless its a complete shit show.
"Head coach?" Don't let Tito see this.

I am hopeful that with Lovullo, Amaro and Willis in place, Farrell has enough guys to lean on that he'll be a better manager this year. I suspect he'll be given a long leash, especially if the things that go wrong are things that are impossible for him to fix (Panda and Hanley scuffle, Ortiz and Pedroia are hurt/ineffective, the starting pitching looks like it did at the start of last season, etc.).

The two best ways for Farrell to get fired quickly will be:
(1) Hanley at first causes X to get hung with a few additional errors and Panda continues to scuffle on both offense and defense, causing Farrell to try X at third again; and
(2) having surplus OF makes Farrell move Mookie around the OF rather than letting him settle in at CF.

I'd also like to see Farrell not jerk Rusney around, but I'm not convinced that that's avoidable.
 

Dewey'sCannon

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Jul 18, 2005
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"Head coach?" Don't let Tito see this.

I am hopeful that with Lovullo, Amaro and Willis in place, Farrell has enough guys to lean on that he'll be a better manager this year. I suspect he'll be given a long leash, especially if the things that go wrong are things that are impossible for him to fix (Panda and Hanley scuffle, Ortiz and Pedroia are hurt/ineffective, the starting pitching looks like it did at the start of last season, etc.).

The two best ways for Farrell to get fired quickly will be:
(1) Hanley at first causes X to get hung with a few additional errors and Panda continues to scuffle on both offense and defense, causing Farrell to try X at third again; and
(2) having surplus OF makes Farrell move Mookie around the OF rather than letting him settle in at CF.

I'd also like to see Farrell not jerk Rusney around, but I'm not convinced that that's avoidable.
I generally concur with the first paragraph. But as to the other points, I think his biggest problems will be if he sticks with players who are clearly not producing when there are other options available. While Hanley could be one of these, I suspect that he will get a longer leash just because his bat has a significant upside, if he's not hurt. I see Panda/3b as a more likely issue - how badly, or for how long, would he have to struggle before he should be turning to Holt or Shaw as an alternative? The back end of the rotation could provide a similar dilemma - how long to stick with Kelly if he struggles, given the depth options that are available? I assume there will be regular discussion of these issues both within the field staff and with the FO, but if Farrell and DD do not see eye-to-eye on this, I think we probably know how that plays out.
 

Moviegoer

broken record
Feb 6, 2016
4,889
I've never been high on Farrell, but if the FO had any doubt or lacked confidence in him, the time to replace him would have been well before July 1st. Like several weeks ago. Before Christmas. The only way he's not the manager at the end of June is if the Sox are so bad they're all but eliminated from the playoffs, and he starts talking to the press in a way that would make the ghost of Billy Martin ashamed.
 

Rasputin

Will outlive SeanBerry
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The last time this team changed managers mid-season for reasons that weren't cancer was before this ownership team was in place.

Also, I feel like ten years from now we're going to look back at the 2016 World Series DVDs and say, "Oh, that's right, Ruben Amaro Junior was the frickin' first base coach."

I think him as first base coach may be the single oddest move of the entire offseason.
 

derekson

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Jun 26, 2010
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I don't see Farrell being canned mid-season even if it turns ugly. I do think he's out after the year if the team misses the playoffs again. Dombrowski has few qualms with canning managers, unlike Cherington.
 

lexrageorge

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Jul 31, 2007
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I don't see Farrell being canned mid-season even if it turns ugly. I do think he's out after the year if the team misses the playoffs again. Dombrowski has few qualms with canning managers, unlike Cherington.
Cherington did fire Valentine after one season when it was obvious a mistake had been made.

Not sure when Cherington would have even had the chance to fire a Red Sox manager since then. Farrell did have some success his first year here.

But I do agree that the Sox have to make the playoffs for Farrell to be back in 2017. Dombrowski did after all invest a lot of resources into improving the roster, and expectations will be high given the fruit that the farm system has started to yield. I don't see a mid-season firing happening, but if the Sox are stuck deep in last place again in mid-July, that could change.
 

geoduck no quahog

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In the days of accepted sabremetrics and financially/ethnically diverse rosters, I'd think the management of a clubhouse and personalities is the most important trait of a Manager. Unfortunately it can't be measured. An example that comes to mind is Bochy who, by the accounts of many journalists, is a great manager of people. Couldn't that be said about Farrell (which doesn't impact any assessment of Lovello)?
 

JimD

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Nov 29, 2001
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Farrell's return as manager is one of the high profile stories this season. It's got to be a bit awkward with his replacement standing right next to him in the dugout.

Will this cause him to manage any differently? Which could be a good thing.

He also might be on a short leash. A poor start out of the gate could be the trigger event.

Who will be managing this team on July 1?
Why would this be awkward? Farrell and Lovullo by all accounts have a great relationship. John is probably thrilled in fact that Torey did so well in his absence, thus improving his future managerial chances in Boston or elsewhere.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Jan 23, 2009
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Why would this be awkward? Farrell and Lovullo by all accounts have a great relationship. John is probably thrilled in fact that Torey did so well in his absence, thus improving his future managerial chances in Boston or elsewhere.
Yeah, I think the notion that Lovullo is the "manager in waiting" lurking just to take Farrell's job is entirely a figment of media and fan imagination. Lovullo had the opportunity to parlay the two months of success he had into a managing job somewhere else, Bruce Arians-style. He elected to stick around to keep working with his close friend, not because he was promised Farrell's job at the first opportunity.

Besides, while the team did improve once Farrell was sick and Lovullo took over, there's no real way to know that it was Lovullo that was the trigger or it was simply the changes in on-field personnel that breathed new life into the roster. I don't think it was a coincidence that the turnaround more or less hinged on inserting JBJ, Castillo, and Shaw into regular roles and that they all caught fire to varying degrees.
 

Yelling At Clouds

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Jul 19, 2005
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I think the only way Lovullo will ever get the gig at this point is if Farrell steps down of his own volition for whatever reason. This is my own speculation, obviously, but my thought would be that another disappointing season from Farrell and company would make DD want to bring in his own guy rather than someone he inherited from the previous administration.
 

NDame616

will bailey
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Jul 31, 2006
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I can't imagine that they would have Farrell come back from cancer to the dugout, only to get fired right away. They had a chance to try to move him into a FO position, and didn't take it, which makes me think that they are sticking with him barring a real disaster on the field. Given that I don't see an improved Sox team stumbling that hard by July1st, especially with the extra wild card spot, I would put the chances of Farrell still being in charge by then at 80-90%.
The optics are much different.

Devils advocate: This off season we would've been "firing the poor guy who just got cancer" now if the Sox start bad for 2 months, it's performance based.
 

mauidano

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Aug 21, 2006
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Why would this be awkward? Farrell and Lovullo by all accounts have a great relationship. John is probably thrilled in fact that Torey did so well in his absence, thus improving his future managerial chances in Boston or elsewhere.
Isn't Lovullo being very well compensated too? I gotta believe everyone is pretty damn happy.
 
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