I like Francona a lot and don't place much blame at all on what happened at his feet. I think this collapse was the players' fault through & through.
It's a shame that there's a real possibility that the greatest manaager in Red Sox history is gonna be gone and the undoing really wasn't his fault.
I agree that it's a shame, but if he's worn out and unenthusiastic about returning after what's happened, perhaps it's for the best that he goes. Whether much of the blame for the collapse can be placed on Francona or not, the collapse happened. If the result is that both Francona and the team feel the need to move on and have something of a fresh start, then so be it.
I think perhaps both the team and Francona suffered this year from the "curse of more" even though they haven't won a title since '07. Many of the players on the team have already won a title and have enjoyed success and the expectation of success since they've been here. It might be refreshing to get a new voice in the dugout, somebody who hasn't won a title before and is hungry, fiery, and energetic -- somebody who can transfer that kind of passion to the players.
I've always appreciated Tito's even keeled demeanor; it reminds me a lot of Doc Rivers, actually, and to a lesser extent Bill Bellichick. But what separates both Rivers and Tito from Bellichick, in my mind, is that they are not as relentlessly critical and hungry for improvement and greater success in the same way that Bellichick is. Bill is always looking for things to improve. He's always pushing his players to be better. He is the kind of coach that molds a team to fit his personality. His players respect, even revere him, but he is not one of them.
I think at times both Tito and Rivers seem to be too much "one of the guys" -- in other words, "player coaches" -- and I think that can hurt them when it comes to holding guys accountable and motivating them even when things are boring or the going gets tough.
