Good morning!
A few random thoughts as I contemplate what was going on behind the scenes with the 2017 Red Sox...
- In case you missed it: Bruins prospect/Harvard star/Scituate native Ryan Donato carried Team USA's offense with both goals in a 2-1 victory over Slovakia at the Olympics.
Ryan Donato with a LASER! He gets @usahockey on the board against Slovakia. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/zLZMW4yf7g pic.twitter.com/WtDYlAta0A
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 16, 2018
#NHLBruins prospect Ryan Donato with his second goal of the game, on the PP, gives #TeamUSA a 2-1 lead in the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/7b7ojPCXrN
— Boston Pucks (@BostonPucks) February 16, 2018
.@DonatoRyan: We gotta stay focused every shift. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/oMTVbei6td
— Olympic Hockey on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) February 16, 2018
- The big news from Thursday was that Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts admitted that the two-time division AL East champions were a dysfunctional team behind the scenes (mostly last season).
- Wow.
- They also said there wasn't much fun being had on the 2017 Red Sox, and that would explain a lot, especially the likability of the club. And those of us who questioned that — no, we weren't making it up, despite all the dancing.
- Here's the big thing ... it's the same team this season. So, does that mean all the dysfunction falls on "Manager John" Farrell?
- That's exactly what John Henry and Tom Werner are trying to tell us. Well, if things were so miserable, why wasn't Farrell fired before the team was an obvious dog in the postseason (again)?
- I'm sorry, I have a hard time believing this was all on Farrell, who was no great manager — we all know that. And that makes me fear for the team this year. No one has been jettisoned. No one has been exiled. So now we're supposed to believe that now that Farrell is gone, the Red Sox are suddenly going to transform into this full-of-joy-and-desire baseball team with the same players still around?
- Color me very skeptical. Usually, if there are locker room problems, you boot the manager and a few problem (man-)children. Sox didn't do that here.
9 p.m.
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