Game of Thrones

Just a quick observation*, but I find it interesting that Terry Francona's name is actively being bandied about as a potential successor to Tony La Russa, but few big names are being mentioned for the Red Sox spot.

This could simply be a case of everybody liking Terry Francona and wanting to see him get a nice job, but I think it reflects something deeper: Red Sox manager is one of the worst jobs in baseball.

(I would argue that Yankees manager is the worst job, but a strong case could be made that it's worse here. New York loves their Yankees, but I think New England's Sox obsession is still greater.)

In other words, managing the Cardinals is inherently desirable. Managing the Red Sox is a mixed blessing. On one hand, everyone thinks they can do it. On the other hand, everyone thinks they can do it.

The new manager will be expected to be a disciplinarian, at least for a while, but does not face the burden of history that Tito and all other Red Sox managers from 1919 to 2003 had to face.

Come to think of it, without that burden ... Nah. It's still a rotten job.





*OK, you got me, really I just wanted to call a post "Game of Thrones."