Theo’s back????!!!!

[LogansDad]

Why would the owners want the role to be changed?

Agreed. Manfred is exactly what the owners want.

For the record, I think most of the on field changes have been good. The only one I am kind of ambivalent on is the Manfred Man, but I think the sport is much more fun to watch today than it was 3-5 years ago. I also realize that Theo had a lot to do with that.

On the personnel and financial side, though, Manfred has been in the owners' back pocket from the start and does everything they want without them having to be the face of it.

 

[chrisfont9]

They also have an unbelievable direct impact on the game and there has been like 9 of them in the history of baseball.

It’s enormous

That used to be true, but I am questioning if it's still the case. He already pushed the necessary changes to the game in his last job.

 

[nvalvo]

Why would the owners want the role to be changed?

Well, Manfred is what the owners think they want. But Theo is what they actually need.

 

[Dewey'sCannon]

I can't see Theo being interested in the job without a change in the position description, as basically a lackey for the owners, especially in negotiations with the MLBPA (remember that Manfred was the owner's chief negotiator before he became Commissioner).

The Players should insist in their next CBA negotiations that the Commissioner be hired and paid jointly by the players and the owners, so that the Commissioner can be a true neutral steward of the game.

 

[allmanbro]

It's a nice thought, and maybe Theo is the rare example of someone with the fan support and gravitas to pull it off, but realistically, I just don't see it. Take the current sh*tshow with John Fisher and the A's - would the other 29 owners just stand aside and do nothing if Theo told Fisher that it's in the best interests of the game for him to stop being a dick and to negotiate the best deal he can get with the city of Oakland? There is zero chance IMO, because they would all be afraid that they might be next if the Commissioner is allowed to wield such power again.

Maybe not that, but he might ne able to, for example, convince the owners that there is a different system for pre-arb/arb players that is actually in everyone's interest in an upcoming CBA, instead of having them dig in their heels on any change that would not obviously count as a win for them over the players. Or maybe push through more rule changes to improve the game on the field. Overhaul revenue sharing. Things like that. He doesn't need to be omnipotent to make a difference.

There are changes that would be good for everyone. I don't necessarily know what they are, but I trust Theo over anyone else to identify them and convince the relevant parties. Give him his 10 years and find the next Manfred.

 

[Dewey'sCannon]

Maybe not that, but he might ne able to, for example, convince the owners that there is a different system for pre-arb/arb players that is actually in everyone's interest in an upcoming CBA, instead of having them dig in their heels on any change that would not obviously count as a win for them over the players. Or maybe push through more rule changes to improve the game on the field. Overhaul revenue sharing. Things like that. He doesn't need to be omnipotent to make a difference.

There are changes that would be good for everyone. I don't necessarily know what they are, but I trust Theo over anyone else to identify them and convince the relevant parties. Give him his 10 years and find the next Manfred.

If Theo could get the owners and the players to engage in win-win, interest-based bargaining, that would be remarkable. His next job would be Secretary of State so he can negotiate peace in the Middle East.

 

[joe dokes]

There are changes that would be good for everyone. I don't necessarily know what they are, but I trust Theo over anyone else to identify them and convince the relevant parties. Give him his 10 years and find the next Manfred.

Identify? Absolutely. Convince? Not holding my breath.

 

[nvalvo]

I can't see Theo being interested in the job without a change in the position description, as basically a lackey for the owners, especially in negotiations with the MLBPA (remember that Manfred was the owner's chief negotiator before he became Commissioner).

The Players should insist in their next CBA negotiations that the Commissioner be hired and paid jointly by the players and the owners, so that the Commissioner can be a true neutral steward of the game.

Codetermination in baseball!

 

[EyeBob]

This may be more than a little over the top, but for me the feeling is like both John Lennon and George Harrison have come back from the great beyond, looked up Paul and Ringo and now the Beatles are back together.

I so wish that could happen.

 

[soxhop411]

Tis a very newsy off-day for Boston

BOSTON — Theo Epstein’s new role as a senior advisor to Fenway Sports Group and part-owner of the Red Sox won’t require him to be at Fenway Park on a full-time basis. The future Hall of Famer will instead largely consult from his Connecticut home on a part-time basis, which is a far cry from the 24/7 schedule he operated under as Boston’s general manager from 2003 to 2011.


This week, however, Epstein will spend a good amount of time in Boston as the 2004 championship team he constructed reunites for a 20th anniversary celebration. His focus will be on catching up with players and coaches who broke the 86-year-old “Curse of the Bambino” two decades ago. On Monday, while appearing at a roundtable event to benefit his foundation (The Foundation to Be Named Later), Epstein spoke publicly about his return to the organization for the first time since it was announced in early February.

“The new gig is great. It has been fun. Really comfortable, familiar,” Epstein said. “Picking up right where I left off. The close relationships I have with Sam (Kennedy), John (Henry), Tom (Werner) and Mike (Gordon) have allowed me to step in and be part of the dialogue again. It’s a lot bigger company than it was when I left. It was just a baseball team and they had just bought Liverpool. Now, it’s also hockey and racing and golf. I’m involved in a lot of interesting trends and interesting times in sports. Getting to learn a lot from those guys and offer my perspective based on my experiences the last decade or so away from them has been a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed it.”



As MassLive reported at the time of the announcement, Epstein, despite taking on a part-time, behind-the-scenes advisory role that includes involvement in all of FSG’s properties, is in part being tasked with re-instituting processes and lines of communication that made the Red Sox so successful during his tenure as general manager from 2003 to 2011. He’s not involved in the day-to-day minutia of running a baseball team but is in the inner circle of decision-makers and enjoys a close relationship with new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.

“Hopefully, I can provide some insights,” Epstein said. “I’ve had a different experience than those guys have had by leaving, going to Chicago and then getting involved in sports-only private equity and the league office, too. Hopefully, I can provide a little bit of insight based on those experiences. Winning is still pretty important, so hopefully I’ve learned a lot over the years on what not to do and a little bit on what to do. Hopefully, in the relationships I have with Craig Breslow and Kyle Dubas with the Penguins, I can help advise and mentor those guys a little bit. It’s a big company with a lot going on but there’s still a lot of winning left to be done out there.”

https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2024/04/theo-epstein-on-red-sox-return-theres-a-lot-of-winning-left-to-be-done.html

 

[soxhop411]

View: https://twitter.com/bradfo/status/1777478653531550020?s=46

 

[sezwho]

View: https://twitter.com/bradfo/status/1777478653531550020?s=46

It’s funny, to me it really does sound like the baseball part is a distant second. It’s not just the words towards the end about ‘winning also being pretty important’, which are perhaps meant ironically, it’s also the tone.

I do get it: he’s been there and done that as a baseball exec, what mountain is left to climb? I guess I knew, but was still hoping to hear baseball as more than afterthought.

It’s funny, here I thought it wasn’t all about the money (money money)
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qMxX-QOV9tI

 

[Cassvt2023]

Theo greeting the 2004 players coming off the duck boats and heading into the park for todays home opener.