Quote:
Originally Posted by novakjr
Tragedy? Not a chance...Travesty? Maybe. Disappointing? Definitely. Honestly, there was nothing else Francona could've done. With a 9 game lead in the Wild-Card, Tito made the right decision by sticking with his slumping players. All things considered, if the team were to have any chance of winning the WS, he had to stick with those guys in the hopes that they'd turn it around. That team was built to win it all, and not just simply make the playoffs, and that fact led to the decisions and to what happened. Despite the confidence he showed in those players, and HAD to show, they didn't turn it around. Missing the playoffs under those circumstances was a freak occurrence, that even going into the rain delay, no one could've predicted.
I wouldn't fault Francona at all for what happened, because everything he did, was what he HAD to do in hopes of winning it all..
As an Indians fan, I hope he doesn't end up in Chicago..
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The problem was that they didn't respond to to the confidence he showed in them. Possibly he did everything he could and made no incorrect decisions. It's also probable that during the slump they wouldn't have responded to anyone. Does doing everything correctly mean he's the right man for next year? The players aren't responding to their manager - isn't that important?
Okay, I'm the only one who sees it this way, so I'll bow out. I'm sure Francona will do a great job wherever he ends up next year - he's a very good manager.