When It Comes to Red Sox, Shank Knows No 'Off' Season

Call this the bad taste column. The premise is: John Farrell's cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment last season might have saved his job.

For anyone else, it's a moot question. Farrell is the manager, and the team management has never even hinted that they were thinking of firing him.

Given the circumstances, The CHB is uncharacteristically restrained. The snideness is there, mind you, but it's subtle. Interim manager Torey Lovullo went 28-20, we are reminded, meaning perhaps he -- and not the three-time last place finisher Farrell -- should be managing this season. Of course, The CHB would never think of writing that those wins constituted a "garbage time surge." (Oh wait: he did.)

The CHB has been picking this nit for months. Like here. And here. Sadly for all of us, he's just not going to stop.

Nor will he stop playing fast and loose with the facts. Here's a couple samples from today's mail-in job:

Statement: "A lot of Red Sox players were sent packing."

Fact: Every player who appeared in the final game of the 2015 season remains on the 40 man roster as of today, with the exception of third string catcher Sansdy Leon (whom they want to re-sign) and relief pitcher Alexi Ogando. The only other major leaguers who were with the team at the end of 2015 and whom will wear a different uniform this season are starting pitcher Wade Miley and a pair of journeymen pitchers (Craig Breslow and Rich Hill) who combined for 109 innings pitched last year.

Statement: "(Farrell's)bosses spent millions and dealt futures in the pursuit of winning now."

Fact: Those "futures" were blocked, completely. Two middle infielders -- Javier Guerra and 2B Carlos Asuaje -- would be sitting forever behind Red Sox icon Dustin Pedrioa and 22-year old Silver Bat winner Xander Bogaerts. OF Manuel Margot has about a million young outfielders ahead of him and top prospect Andrew Benintendi right behind him. Pitcher Jason Allen is just that -- a minor league pitcher seen as a possible number 3 starter, in other words, Wade Miley.

Spring training can't get here fast enough.

He Came To Bury Them

As the Red Sox wrap up their 2015 season, Shank expands on his douchebag tweet from yesterday (which one? - ed.) and gives his negativity a full column.

CLEVELAND — In an effort to “close that loop’’ and “make sure we protect ourselves,” Red Sox baseball boss Dave Dombrowski announced Sunday that John Farrell will manage the team next season and that Torey Lovullo has signed a two-year extension to remain as bench coach while forfeiting his right to interview for managerial positions for one year.

Swell. The Sox do not intend to replace the skipper who stepped aside in mid-August to undergo treatment for Stage 1 lymphoma. Meanwhile, the Sox have secured the services of Lovullo, the popular interim manager who was at the helm when the team played better (28-20) over the last six weeks of yet another last-place season. If Farrell at any point is not healthy enough to manage, Lovullo will be present and prepared to take over.

All good.

But what if Farrell is healthy and the Sox get off to another bad start? What if things go sour for a prolonged stretch next season? A number of fans and some voices in the media already have made it clear they believe Lovullo deserves the job. Won’t Lovullo’s presence create a massive distraction?

Looking at the time line of his two tweets on the subject (the first being the announcement of the signings, then the douchebag follow-up tweet posted below), it took him a whopping six minutes to think of the best negative angle available to him. What Shank 'accomplishes' with this column is interject his perpetual negativity into these recent signings and keep people talking about the Red Sox and himself. Mission accomplished.

Fantastic Timing, Shank!

Here's Shank with his most recent column, written yesterday around 12:00 PM:

CLEVELAND — Red Sox manager-on-leave John Farrell is still battling cancer, and interim manager Torey Lovullo is likely to be a hot commodity in a few days.

It is a big bowl of awkward.

The Sox finish their season Sunday at Progressive Field against the Indians. That’s when the managerial firings will start around baseball. That’s when Sox boss Dave Dombrowski might start getting calls from folks who want to interview Lovullo.

Lovullo has been the manager since Farrell went on medical leave to be treated for Stage 1 lymphoma Aug. 14. The Sox were a whopping 13 games under .500 when Lovullo took over and have been one of the top teams in baseball since. ASaturday night’s loss, the Sox were 28-19 under Lovullo.

A mere twenty-four hours later:

CLEVELAND — John Farrell will be back as manager of the Red Sox in 2016, the team announced on Sunday.

Bench coach Torey Lovullo, who has managed the team since Farrell took leave to receive treatment for cancer, agreed to a two-year contract and waived the right to pursue any managerial positions for 2016.

My my, that was... awkward!

The moral to this story - if Shank hadn't nuked his bridges with the Red Sox, he would have known this was coming and could have avoided embarrassing himself once again and providing more fodder for us.