Maybe I missed it after a quick read, and I'll acknowledge up front that I'm a fanboy, but no mention of Bill James being hired in 2003 as Senior Advisor to help the young Epstein? Ascribing all the positive moves to Theo? James was widely reported as being instrumental in their signing of Ortiz. That alone should merit a paragraph.
James' tenure with Boston is its own fascinating story. An odd but successful combination of an outsider admired by the owner working with a front office. He left with four rings.
I'll use the classic paradigm. It's impossible to tell the history of the Red Sox from 2003 to 2019 - good and bad - without talking about Bill James.
On the next iteration, perhaps a few favorable words on the Godfather?
You're right, I didn't mention James -- I probably should have. Although then I would have had to get into the whole "closer by committee, with Byung-Hyun Kim leading the committee" thing from 2003...
Tremendous work. How did I not know Ed Sprague was a Sox guy for a time, however brief. And poor Valentin, at least he gets love here which ain’t nothin’
Maybe I missed it after a quick read, and I'll acknowledge up front that I'm a fanboy, but no mention of Bill James being hired in 2003 as Senior Advisor to help the young Epstein? Ascribing all the positive moves to Theo? James was widely reported as being instrumental in their signing of Ortiz. That alone should merit a paragraph.
James' tenure with Boston is its own fascinating story. An odd but successful combination of an outsider admired by the owner working with a front office. He left with four rings.
I'll use the classic paradigm. It's impossible to tell the history of the Red Sox from 2003 to 2019 - good and bad - without talking about Bill James.
On the next iteration, perhaps a few favorable words on the Godfather?
You're right, I didn't mention James -- I probably should have. Although then I would have had to get into the whole "closer by committee, with Byung-Hyun Kim leading the committee" thing from 2003...
Oh yes...the good and the bad for sure. Thanks for the response here as always.
Tremendous work. How did I not know Ed Sprague was a Sox guy for a time, however brief. And poor Valentin, at least he gets love here which ain’t nothin’