Theo is coming back...as GM or what?

[RBi]

I just heard breaking news that Theo Epstein will be returning..

The details will not be made public until sometime next week..

I heard this on MLB Home Plate on my handy XM-Radio...

[RBi]

I just heard on MLB Home Plate (XM-Radio) that Theo Epstein will be returning to the Red Sox organization.

Will he go back into the GM spot?

WHA? ? ?:eek:

[VTSoxFan]

There's been talk about it, just speculation, and the rumors were flying when he was at the Hot Stove-Cool Music thing last weekend... Hmmmm The plot thickens!

What a soap opera! "As the Front Office Turns"!

[RBi]

this is an official press release that was read.

[CuriousBoston]

Channel 5, WCVB-TV: Theo is back. Now, Larry must be fired. I am celebrating with dark chocolate.AND....the sun is gonna shine tommorrow...zip ed ee do dah, zippedy yay!!!!!!!!:D :D :D :dance :dance :waving :dance :waving :clapping :clapping

[CuriousBoston]

Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CuriousBoston]

WEEI 850 AM: Joint release, Werner, Larry, and THEO quote: ON THE SAME PAGE!!!!!! unquote. Wheeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!

[CuriousBoston]

"A shared vision that was not present before. Theo won, Theo's vision will rule. YEAH!!!!!!!

[VTSoxFan]

Link! Link! I need a link! Where's the story?

EDIT--Got one -- Official Red Sox Press release:
Theo Epstein Returns To Red Sox (http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060119&content_id=1298268&vkey=pr_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos)


BOSTON, MA -- The Boston Red Sox today announced that Theo Epstein will rejoin the organization.

Principal Owner John Henry, Chairman Tom Werner, President/CEO Larry Lucchino and Epstein issued the following joint statement:

"As you know, we have spoken frequently during the last 10 weeks. We have engaged in healthy, spirited debates about what it will take over the long-term for the Red Sox to remain a great organization and, in fact, become a more effective organization in philosophy, approaches and ideals. Ironically, Theo's departure has brought us closer together in many respects, and, thanks to these conversations, we now enjoy the bonds of a shared vision for the organization's future that did not exist on October 31. With this vision in place, Theo will return to the Red Sox in a full-time baseball operations capacity, details of which will be announced next week."

The Red Sox and Theo Epstein will have no further comment until next week.

[Boston Boxer]

YES!!!!!! now Theo can get us a CF and SS. Right before Spring Training. All is good in REDSOX NATION (or better anyway)

[RBi]

Sound byte: www.cubshub.com/Theo.mp3

Congrats fans.... your team just got better...

Without adding one player...
:)

[Mattingly]

Well, the nasty Grinch has returned, so to Beantown this thread shall now be sent, from CE.

[Evangelion]

Why are do we all assume Theo coming back to the general manager? At this point, I'm glad Theo coming back, but most likely as a special advisor. Though, his word should hold a lot of weight around Red Sox management. Still, it would be a major flip flop on both sides if Red Sox management put Theo back as the GM and demote Hoyer and Cherington back to their original positions.

[Boston Boxer]

Theo will be named "The Puppet Master" and will pull the strings of the two headed GM Hoyer and Cherrington.

Every time Theo walks into Fenway park, the sound system will scream "Master of Puppets" by Metalica...and it will be awesome

Master...Master, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahaha!

[Evangelion]

Theo will be name as the third Co-GM? :rolleyes:

Seriously, he'll probably become a special advisor to the Red Sox management.

[VTSoxFan]

I just merged the two threads and will attempt to clear out some of the redundant posts.

[Mattingly]

I just merged the two threads and will attempt to clear out some of the redundant posts.
Sorry for the mess. When I punted it here, I hadn't realized that there was an existing one here already.

Usually for team-specific posts, I encourage them to be posted under the team forum. I'm not a big fan of CE being for every single issue about baseball.

As to Theo, I'm wondering if he'll be some talent scout, similar to what Gene "Stick" Michael did for the Yanks when he drafted most of the post 1996 players.

[FlashGordon]

Theo will be named "The Puppet Master" and will pull the strings of the two headed GM Hoyer and Cherrington.

Every time Theo walks into Fenway park, the sound system will scream "Master of Puppets" by Metalica...and it will be awesome

Master...Master, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahaha!That would be AWESOME!!! If for no other reason than at least it won't be played for Leisuresuit Larry.

[Mattingly]

That would be AWESOME!!! If for no other reason than at least it won't be played for Leisuresuit Larry.
Leisuresuit Larry. :D :laugh :p

Seriously, are there any players, such as Arroyo, Shoppach, Marte, etc, that Theo would have different ideas of what to do with than the current co-GMs would?

[Evangelion]

I heard he'll be the Director of Baseball Operations of the Red Sox. Which I think would have more say in how the team is put together than his previous spot as the Team GM.

[VTSoxFan]

Theo will resume his role as Executive VP/GM, according to this Press Release (http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060124&content_id=1300064&vkey=pr_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos) from the Red Sox:

(I've only copied the 1st little bit; it's a bit long to copy completely here.)

BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox today announced that Theo Epstein has returned to the club with the title and responsibilities of Executive Vice President/General Manager. President/CEO Larry Lucchino made the announcement. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington, who shared the role of General Manager during much of the time Epstein was away from the club, will stay on in key leadership positions within the Baseball Operations Department. Hoyer has been named Assistant General Manager, and Cherington has been named Vice President/Player Personnel.

Bill Lajoie and Craig Shipley, who also played an integral role in directing the Baseball Operations Department during much of the offseason, will remain with the Red Sox, Lajoie as Special Advisor/Baseball Operations and Shipley as Vice President/International Scouting and Special Assistant to the General Manager.

[Evangelion]

Well, that was nice drama episode of ''The Days of the Red Sox''. :coffee

[SwissRedSoxFan]

Here we go. Ebstein is GM. Very good.

I think he didn't accept the Offer in October, because he wanted a younger team and a younger philosophy.

The Red Sox could have gone with nearly no trade in the offseason and I would be fine with it...

No Beckett-Trade. We would have trust in Papelbon, Lester and Sanchez. Other low-market-teams do that every year and win.

choose yourself. What is better?

C Varitek, 1B Snow/Youkilis, 2B Loretta, 3B Marte, SS H.Ramirez, RF Nixon, CF Damon or an other Free Agent, LF M.Ramirez, DH Ortiz.

Or...

C Varitek, 1B Snow, 2B Loretta, 3B Lowell, SS Gonzalez, RF Nixon, CF Crisp, LF M.Ramirez, DH Ortiz.

The Bullpen would be the same...We will loose Mota anyway.
I am clearly for the first lineup. Give the younger players a chance!

[VTSoxFan]

Welcome aboard, SwissRedSoxFan! The Nation truly has no borders.

How did you become a fan, way up in the Alps?

[SwissRedSoxFan]

Welcome aboard, SwissRedSoxFan! The Nation truly has no borders.

How did you become a fan, way up in the Alps?

You really wanna know?

That's a long thing...

I wrote something when boston.com had this thing "tell the nation your redsox story"
wait I probably have it on my computer...

Here it is if you have 2 min to read it...

Well I was 14 years old, it was my first visit to the United States in 1998. I was there with my elder brother and my mother. We were on visit in Boston, because my mother has friends there. So during the four weeks there, my brother and I had the idea to visit a sports game in Boston. In Europe, Baseball, American Football and also Basketball are considered as typical U.S Sports. Here we haven't a big League of Baseball, Basketball or American Football where people go to. In Europe the most important teamsports are Football/Soccer and Icehockey. We don't have American Sports on TV, we just hear from it and know that it is a big thing.
So we went without our mother to Fenway Park, we bought a Red Sox cap and took a seat. In fact we didn't know what to expect and had very little idea about rules of this game. But we looked forward to it. It was a Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays game. For us the whole mentality was new. The guys who were going up and down the stands, selling food and beverages, the music animations like we will rock you, the asymetric Playground the whole game and culture was completely new to us. So we just noticed that Mo Vaughn was a Star, because the few bluejays fans, who were on our right, booed him out at every at bat and were always alarmed when he was batting...The other names which I remember are Garciaparra and I think Derek Lowe was pitching. The game first was disapointing, because the BlueJays led 6-1. But then when nobody expected a late turnaround, the Red Sox stroke back and finally won 7-6. I remember that late in the game, a ball was hit to the green wall and fell just over it. I think it was Mo Vaughn who hitted this Home run. After this it was an extraordinary atmosphere, at the end nobody was sitting anymore and we were just euphoric. The crowd was going crazy. Thats the way I became a Red Sox fan. After the game we were waiting till the crowd left the Ballpark and we took a few pictures. As we wanted to develop the pictures, we noticed that our camera was broken. So I had to keep the pictures of this 7-6 victory, of the Fenway park and this great event in my mind and I did. It was really worth it that we saw this game despite that our mother was really upset as we came home just at 1:30 in the morning...Today I am a student in Basle, Switzerland. Baseball and the Red Sox moved a little bit into the background of my mind, because of the distance to the USA and because we don't have any pictures of Baseball on TV here in Europe. But since I moved into a student apartment with a Yankee fan in April 2005, I discovered mlbTV. You can imagine the rest...I can calm you down, we are still good friends, because we have the love for the Soccerclub FC Basle in common. But when the Red Sox face the Yankees, our neighbours should sleep elswhere, if they value sleeping deeply.
So today I watch nearly every ballgame of the Red Sox, despite of the fact that on swiss time the ballgames start at 1:05 AM.
So after those experiences I can truly say: Boston Red Sox and FC Basle rule!

[MudvilleMike]

Thanks for sharing that story. It's really great hearing from fans around the world.