And Now For More Boston Globe Bashing - XLIII

You know the ship is sinking when you need nonprofits to help pay your salaries.

If newspapers are going to survive and thrive, then various types of nonprofit/for-profit partnerships will almost certainly be part of the mix.

At the extreme end is the Philadelphia Inquirer, which, along with its sister paper, the Daily News, and their joint website, Philly.com, were donated earlier this year to the nonprofit Philadelphia Foundation. The media properties still need to find a way to break even, but it does save them from the pressure of cutting their way to profits in order to satisfy a corporate owner.

You could say most newspapers are already 'nonprofit', if ya know what I mean!

A more modest step was announced in today’s Boston Globe. Zoë Madonna, a young prize-winning critic, will be paid through a nonprofit grant to write about classical music for the next 10 months while Globe critic Jeremy Eichler is on leave at Harvard. The money will come from the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.

According to a press release from the Rubin Institute, which awarded her its 2014 prize in music criticism, the benefactors “will consider an ongoing strategy to support this endeavor on a national scale” once Madonna’s stint at the Globe has been completed. Globe editor Brian McGrory is quoted as saying:

I'm sure the need for a classical music critic is right at the top of the needs for modern newspapers - and the Globe wonders why they're shitting the bed...

The Obligatory John Lackey Column

With so many former Red Sox players in the World Series this year, Shank could have treated it like he treats spring training - run a different column each day and focus on a single player. Since that's probably too much work for the World Series, we see only a brief example of this when Shank writes about John Lackey.

John Lackey. Did anybody ever have a goofier Red Sox career than him?

Lackey seemed like a perfectly happy guy in the eight years he pitched for the Angels. He was an innings-eater and early in his career demonstrated that he was not afraid of the big stage. When he was a 24-year-old rookie, Lackey pitched and won the seventh game of the World Series against Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants. Joe Maddon was the Angels bench coach. LA’s manager-for-life Mike Scioscia gave Lackey the ball for 12 postseason starts in eight years.

And then the trouble started. Instead of staying in California or going home to Texas (his warm-up music Saturday was Garth Brooks’s “Friends in Low Places), Lackey played out his contract with the Angels, hit the free agent market, and was seduced by Red Sox millions, signing a five-year, $82.5 million deal.

At Fenway he made fast friends with Josh Beckett, Lester, and Clay Buchholz, but Fenway was never a good fit for the tall Texan.

The first thing that didn’t fit was Lackey’s habit of showing up his teammates when they didn’t make a play behind him. To a man, the teammates said it did not bother them, but it looked bad and Boston fans and media were unforgiving. Lackey went 14-11 in his first season playing for Francona.

Any member of the media in particular, Shank?

Lackey has simply got to go. He’s coming off the worst season by a starting pitcher in more than a century of Red Sox baseball, and he’s regularly shown up his teammates and his manager. Bookend all that with his TMZ personal issues and his place in the biscuit brigade and you’ve got a local pariah on a par with none other. The Red Sox are on the hook for three more years to the tune of $45.5 million, but they simply cannot bring him back. Even if they had to eat most of the money. Or all the money.

Finally Telling The Truth

I'm sure this is an inadvertent disclosure...

CHICAGO — The white-hot Cleveland Indians thrashed the Cubs again Saturday night, this time by a score of 7-2. The Tribe holds a three-games-to-one lead and has a chance to win its first World Series in 68 years Sunday night at Wrigley Field.

So I ask you, Baseball America . . . while acknowledging that this is not yet over . . . if the low-payroll, underdog, no-name Tribe wins the 112th World Series, is the lasting narrative one of the Indians winning or the Cubs losing?

I am a flip-flopper on this one. I feel strongly both ways. Stay with me and play along if you like:

I have better ways to waste my time...

Cubs Tweets, By Dan Shaughnessy

Killing time until that next riveting World Series column:

The Cubs have been shut out in four of their last eight games.

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) October 29, 2016

Joe West at second base tonight. Inching closer to where he can do real damage. On tap for Homeplate if there's a Game 6

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) October 30, 2016

Woodstock Watch

Let the clichés commence!

Wrigley Field turns into Woodstock

CHICAGO — The Cleveland Indians clearly did not get the memo about their role in this Cub-centric World Series. The Sons of Terry Francona are supposed to be mere props in the nationwide coronation of the Chicago Cubs.

They are not. Tito’s Tribe got an RBI single from Coco Crisp and stuffed the Cubs, 1-0, Friday, giving Cleveland a 2-1 lead in the 112th World Series.

“That’s a heck of a win,’’ said Francona, who made multiple moves and emptied his bench. “That was agonizing. We needed to win that game in nine because we used so many guys . . . We don’t worry too much about outside expectations. What’s important is how we feel about ourselves. We want to be one run better and that’s about as true-to-form as you can get.’’

It was the first World Series game played at Wrigley Field in 71 years and there was a Woodstock-like feel around the ballpark all day and night. We even had (Kyle) Hendricks facing (Carlos) Santana to start the game. Wrigleyville could have been Max Yasgur’s farm.

Shank sure loves reliving past events, doesn't he?

More clichés and the paint-by-numbers Shank walk down memory lane ensue from there.

Captain Obvious Has A Twitter Account

You don't say?

Wrigley will be busier in four hours pic.twitter.com/7BiQP0oNYn

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) October 28, 2016

Swing And A Miss

That would be this blogger not noticing Shank's latest column until ten minutes ago:

CLEVELAND — Ever-agitated Red Sox manager John McNamara said it best for longtime losers when he walked into a press conference after his team’s hideous Game 6 collapse against the Mets (The Bill Buckner Game) and announced, “I don’t know nothing about history and I don’t want to hear about choking or any of that crap.’’

That was 30 years ago and Mac has been hearing about it ever since.

This is the weight the Chicago Cubs carried into Progressive Field Wednesday night. The Cubbies were smothered by the surprising Cleveland Indians in Game 1, and given their history, the Cubbies could ill afford to fall behind two games to none.

Familiar Complaint

Harkening back to those Red sox / Yankees games...

Baseball is killing itself with this pace. 297 pitches through seven innnings. We are almost three and a half hours old. Awful

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) October 27, 2016

Trying To Have It Both Ways

It doesn't take long for Shank to jump from one bandwagon to another:

CLEVELAND — Cubs, Cubs, Cubs. This World Series is about the Billy Goat Curse, Steve Bartman, Wrigley Field, Theo Epstein, Jon Lester, Back To The Future II, 108 years, and dozens of essays by high-minded intellectuals explaining what a life-changing moment it will be when the lovable losers from the North Side finally win the World Series.

Swell.

But all of this leaves the needy folks of Cleveland asking, “What about us?’’

This crap, from the same guy who was telling Red Sox fans two short weeks ago they have to root for the Cubs.

Listen up folks; there is actually a second team in this 112th World Series and the Cleveland Indians won’t be mere props in the Cubs’ inexorable march to the crown. The Tribe made this abundantly clear Tuesday night, thrashing the Cubs, 6-0, to take the first game of the World Series. Cleveland’s No. 9 batter, Roberto Perez, who hit three homers all season, hit two in his first Series game and Terry Francona improved his Fall Classic record to a preposterous 9-0. Cleveland has now won eight of nine in this postseason (four shutouts), shredding your Red Sox, the Blue Jays and now the Cubs — big payroll, star-laden teams, all favored to beat Cleveland easily.

So when does the national narrative become about the Indians? Fact is, if not for the presence of the Cubs, the Indians would be the ones posing as sentimental favorites in the Fall Classic.

Remember - this is the same city Shank took a major league shit on a year and a half ago, and now pretends to like the city. He's utterly shameless.

Taken To The Woodshed

Instead of a tweet or two about the upcoming World Series between the Cleveland Native Americans and the Chicago Cubs, Shank has to a) look backwards instead of forwards and b) keep shitting on the Red Sox instead:

I can't be the first to note that today is the 30th annniversary of Red Sox-Mets Game 6 and Bill "Behind the Bag!!!" Buckner.

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) October 25, 2016

Reader reaction follows, leading off is former WFNX lead leftist Henry Santoro:

@Dan_Shaughnessy - I talked about it on WGBH today.

— HenrySantoro(@HenrySantoro) October 25, 2016

Where I'm sure all of ten people heard it...

Other weigh-ins:

@Dan_Shaughnessy maybe you can be the first in your class to note that the real goats of that game were ScharldiGedmanand Stanley

— James Kellogg (@jkeggs1121) October 25, 2016

@Dan_Shaughnessy why the fuck would you want to do that Dan? Why?

— Michael J Mousseau(@mooseman137) October 25, 2016

Because he's a world class asshole, that's why.

Classic response, encapsulating Shank perfectly:

@Dan_Shaughnessy pic.twitter.com/wNK6GEYAwr

— Zachary Lang (@therealZachLang) October 25, 2016

Can't top that one - thread is over!

Rewriting History, Part II

My co-blogger notes in the post below the many times Shank has trashed a Red Sox player, manager or general manager as they were ending their tenure in Boston, only to have their careers resuscitated in Chicago or Cleveland. Shank's world class hypocrisy tour continues today as we await Game 1 of the 2016 World Series.

CLEVELAND — Theo and Tito.

Theirs are names from “Sesame Street,’’ or perhaps a couple of characters for a children’s book series: “Theo and Tito Go to the Zoo.’’ “Theo and Tito Say, ‘Goodnight, Moon.’ ’’

When I read a Shank column, I often think I'm reading a children's book.

But they are neither muppets nor fiction. Theo Epstein and Terry “Tito” Francona are the men who in 2004 brought Boston its first baseball championship in 86 years. Then they did it again in 2007.

Theo and Tito were together on Yawkey Way for eight years, winning an average of 93 games per season, making the playoffs five times, and filling Fenway for every game of every season. When they left after the chicken-and-beer collapse of 2011 — Theo voluntarily, Tito being pushed — it was like the breakup of Boston’s baseball Beatles.

Shank should have written them a thank you letter for the chicken & beer fiasco - he got about ten columns out of it.

Theo and Tito were together on Yawkey Way for eight years, winning an average of 93 games per season, making the playoffs five times, and filling Fenway for every game of every season. When they left after the chicken-and-beer collapse of 2011 — Theo voluntarily, Tito being pushed — it was like the breakup of Boston’s baseball Beatles.

Now they are on opposite sides of two “other” long-suffering franchises in the 112th World Series, which starts Tuesday night at Progressive Field. The Chicago Cubs, led by general manager Theo Epstein, have not won a World Series since 1908 and have not even participated in the Fall Classic since 1945. The Cleveland Indians, managed by Terry Francona, have not won a World Series since 1948. We have two plagued ball clubs led by a pair of curse-busting bosses.

Something has to give.

Dan Shaughnessy - Master of the Obvious.

Out Nitwitted

First he takes credit for running them out of town. Then he criticizes their deportations.

So which is it, Shank?

The pending World Series matchup, writes The CHB, is an "emotional duel of guys who were dumped by the Red Sox, or quit the Red Sox."

As you might have guessed, it's a really stupid column.

But first, a shot at the 2016 Red Sox, which despite their 93 wins, were overrated, he argues, because they lost "the majority of their close games."

It's true that the Red Sox were 20-24 in one-run games in 2016. But guess who else was under .500 in one-run games? The Cubs (22-23). And guess who had the best record in the AL East in one-run games? The Yankees (24-12), who finished 9 games back of the Sox. And guess who had the majors' best record in one-run games? The Rangers (36-11), who are sitting home right now too.

It's a specious argument. But then again, The CHB is a specious guy.

The CHB's breakdown of the players who the Sox traded away is equal parts laughable and fallacy. Mike Napoli? Coco Crisp? No one wanted these guys.

Not even Shank, who on Jul. 8, 2015, said: "I would cut Napoli, just let him go." That was a few years after he blasted the Sox for keeping Crisp and letting Johnny Damon walk.

Andrew Miller was a stud, but the Sox picked up a stud lefty starter in return. Don't take my word for it: Shank said so here: "Eduardo Rodriguez has a chance to become Dan Duquette’s Jeff Bagwell."

And just one month ago he said he thought Rodriguez should be the third starter in the playoffs for the Red Sox.

Then there's Theo Epstein, of whom Shaughnessy said his "slow rebuilding style would not have worked in Boston the way it has in Chicago. ... Theo on a six-year plan with a $19 million contract, that's pretty easy to do that. I'm going to sat Boston wouldn't tolerate what Chicago went through to get here."

And in another column, this one for SI, from Dec. 14, 2009: "Epstein is touting organization prospects named Jose Iglesias, Ryan Kalish, Ryan Westmorland, Casey Kelly and Lars Anderson, but they are a couple of years away. In Boston the message needs to be 'win now.'"

In fact, he wrote in August 2012 that Theo deserved more blame for the state of the Red Sox than he's getting. "Epstein made a ton of bad moves in the later years of his tenure, then went to Chicago for a $19 million contract and watched from afar as the Sox decomposed. ...  Mistakes were made. Money was spent badly. The Sox lost their way and tried to throw money at their problems."

As for the others:

• Adrian Gonzalez is "the Kryptonite of winning baseball teams. He’s the Cooler." 
• "(John) Lackey has simply got to go. He’s coming off the worst season by a starting pitcher in more than a century of Red Sox baseball, and he’s regularly shown up his teammates and his manager." 
• Jon Lester was a disloyal ingrate who threw manager Terry Francona under the bus and was a key part on "the most loathed Boston team in history."
• And as for that David Price signing: "The Sox have wisely junked their phony, “We don’t need an ace” philosophy and signed the best free agent pitcher. Not afraid to admit they were wrong, the Sox on Tuesday agreed to a deal with 30-year-old lefthanded starter David Price on a seven-year, $217 million contact. Nitwits and analytic overthinkers will immediately fret about how the Sox will not be getting commensurate value three, four, or five years from now."

Who's the nitwit now? Shank, to thine own self be true.

On This Day In Baseball History

Good thing Shank's around to remind us of all the positive things that have happened with the Red Sox.

Oh, wait!

Forty one years ago tonight . . . Game 7 . . . Reds, Red Sox. Bill Lee and the eephus pitch. Jim Burton . . . Ouch

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) October 22, 2016

Shank Tries His Hand In Politics

Disagree with a liberal? You must be unhinged!

Always disappointing when performers u like turn out to be politically . . . Unhinged? #Jameswoods

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) October 20, 2016

You Should Talk About Arrogance

Looks like something set off 'Ol Danny Boy today:

Patriot fans have amazing arrogance given that they have won one of the last 11 Super Bowls and that was given to them by Pete Carroll

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) October 20, 2016

And the Red Sox winning the World Series in 2013 was a fluke. Some people are just born miserable, negative assholes.

Twitter users cut loose:

@Dan_Shaughnessy I'm a Denver fan & can't believe the bullshit you are tweeting. Pats are one of the best NFL organizations in my lifetime

— Damon Pettit (@DamonPettit) October 20, 2016

@Dan_Shaughnessy Shaughnessy has amazing arrogance that he thinks we still read him

— Matt (@maddcapp45) October 20, 2016

It's a thankless task, but someone's gotta do it!

@Dan_Shaughnessy NFL success should never be defined exclusively by winning SBs. Always being in SB contention for 15 yrs. is unprecedented

— Eugene Frenette(@GeneFrenette) October 20, 2016

Don't confuse Shank with the facts - he's got an organization to denigrate!

@Dan_Shaughnessy didn't you put the Patriots in the Super Bowl after week 3 or 4?

— BederowLaw (@Bederowlaw) October 20, 2016

"See you in Houston" from four days ago - confirmed!

@Dan_Shaughnessy wow Dan if you go back just 1 more year it's 2 in 12, then 3 in 13 then 4 in 15.

— C Feeney (@cfeeney12) October 20, 2016

Right - he has this convenient / bad habit of arranging the numbers to suit his agenda.

Go read the rest of the thread if you want more Shank bashing.

Piss Off, Shank - DHL Dan - LIX

If I were Tom Brady, that's what I'd tell Shank, who called Brady a cheater just three months ago. That's how he leads off this latest installment of the Picked Up Pieces column.

Picked-up pieces while waiting for the next David Ortiz celebration at Fenway Park . . .

■ I miss Channel 7’s Dan Hausle in Foxborough. There were no Donald Trump questions for Tom Brady on Wednesday. It was all about football. Swell. But Brady did himself no favors last week by walking out of a press conference after he was asked to comment on “locker room talk.’’

Hundreds of athletes have answered the question in the last two weeks. The locker room is a professional athlete’s workplace, and it’s no political statement for an athlete to define his understanding of “locker room talk.’’

It’s OK to say that talking about sexual assault talk is not part of your locker-room culture. LeBron James wasn’t afraid to say it. Even Troy Brown said he’d like to have heard something from Brady on the topic.

At this point in his career, I'm surprised Tom talks to the media at all. I sure as hell wouldn't.

Number Four, Bobby Orr

Shank, as he tends to do with every fifth column or so, takes a look back in time and notes Bobby Orr's first game with the Boston Bruins:

There’s a Gretzky Camp and a Gordie Howe Camp, but around these parts, there has never been any doubt that Bobby Orr is the greatest hockey player who ever lived.

There’s no way to prove it, of course. It’s a subjective sports argument, which is part of what makes it fun. But for those of us who grew up around Boston and saw Orr play, there can never be any doubt. The rest of you can check the videotape, talk to folks who played with or against him, and maybe take a gander at that statue of a flying Bobby after the Mother’s Day goal in 1970.

I raise this topic today not because the young Bruins of 2016 are playing their home opener at the New Garden Thursday night, but because this week marks the 50th anniversary of Orr’s first game with the Bruins at the Old Garden in 1966.

Fifty years. The golden anniversary for the Golden Child. How can it be that a half-century has passed since the night we first saw the crew-cut teen-ager from Parry Sound, Ontario?

To be fair to Shank, this column did look like it took some level of effort; it's not the usual piece of crap he churns out on a routine basis.

Trolling 301

I'm getting the impression Scott Zolak doesn't like Shank:

Roethlisberger has surgery today. So once again, we are assured Pats have no tests before playoffs. #TomatoCans

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) October 17, 2016

Stay home tomorrow https://t.co/nWuWQtNmPn

— Scott Zolak (@scottzolak) October 17, 2016

He Says This Every Year

Sound familiar?

Tomato Can Update: Go ahead, name the 2nd-best team in the AFC.
Pats facing easiest path to SB ever. Competition a joke.
See U in Houston

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) October 16, 2016

Reader reaction is as you'd expect:

@Dan_Shaughnessy I honestly don't get your motivation for tweets like this? To jab Pats fans? To discredit the Patriots wins? To be witty?

— Joe Costa (@joepcosta) October 16, 2016

Pretty sure it's not the latter reason...

@Dan_Shaughnessy
Original take as usual, Shank.

Yawn.

— FBombah(@FBombah) October 16, 2016

Precisely.

@Dan_Shaughnessy I hate this Dan-It's tired & old storyline. Also easy & intellectually dishonest to sum up Pats success with this argument.

— Jay (@jayjonsnow) October 16, 2016

@Dan_Shaughnessy "tomatocan" still isntfunny or clever

— THE Jonny Con Carne (@MrJonnyConCarne) October 16, 2016

@Dan_Shaughnessy eat.sleep.troll.repeat.

— Robbie (@RobbieGourmet) October 16, 2016

@Dan_Shaughnessy @Gary_Tanguay same thing every year Dan........does any reporter actually make an effort anymore?

— sjazz23 (@SteveJasinski) October 16, 2016

@Dan_Shaughnessy what do you get out of this lame weekly take?

— harry legend (@harrylegend33) October 16, 2016

@Dan_Shaughnessy they seem to have a tomato can schedule every year according to yourself. You're a loser.

— DevaughnPape(@popegnarlofdeec) October 16, 2016

At Least He Has A New Thing

Compare and contrast with Captain Coin Toss, Double Score, Tomato Cans...

Brady's new thing is to come out of the tunnel with no helmet. Did it last week in Cleveland.

— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) October 16, 2016