On The Greg Hill Show on June 11, I imagine that my favourite truth-twister, Sam Kennedy, really handled us to extra reality than lies. I’ll provide the quotes in query, then let’s render a verdict.
“I feel it’s essential right here on the outset, Greg, simply to acknowledge…how embarrassing and unacceptable, maddening, irritating, no matter phrases you need to use, the previous two and a half months have been. There’s no solution to sugarcoat it.”
After all it’s the reality! We all know this deep in our bones. He went on to explain the season up to now as “terrible” and “extremely irritating” and there’s not a lot else so as to add.
“However look, let’s be trustworthy, until issues change dramatically, we could should pivot right here from what our preliminary planning was [regarding plans to buy at the trade deadline].”
The Sox are performing far too poorly to not at the very least introduce this feature as a chance. It could be rephrased as “Positioning the group for the longer term,” “Stating the apparent,” and even “Not throwing good cash after unhealthy.”
Private notice to the entrance workplace: not like previous years, select one lane and keep in it. No extra simultaneous Shopping for and Promoting so we will name it a wash. Go all in.
“[Craig Breslow] is working as laborious as anyone when it comes to getting issues again on observe.”
Nobody ever accused Breslow of not being a tough employee. I’ve little doubt that he’s working extra time to show that his technique of staff constructing works, that his strategy deserved to win out over Cora’s—and to avoid wasting his job.
”Look, I absolutely perceive and recognize questions concerning Craig Breslow and his job safety and all that, however the concern of a change there, simply to be clear, that’s not even on the desk.”
Perhaps Sam Kennedy had his fingers crossed behind his again the place nobody may see them as he mentioned this. Perhaps in his head, he silently added “at present” or “not this week, anyway” on the finish of the sentence.
There’s plenty of chatter currently about Breslow’s job safety, which is why Kennedy has been pressured to make statements like these. Most of what I’m seeing and listening to says that FSG received’t hearth Craig Breslow as a result of the group doesn’t need to be seen as “unstable” after so just lately firing Alex Cora and 6 coaches. The argument goes like this: they hoped that firing the coaches may work, nevertheless it didn’t, so that they need to give Breslow time to do issues on his phrases. Not honoring this gentleman’s settlement would make them appear to be a good larger dumpster hearth, the story goes.
I don’t assume Breslow is protected, and I don’t assume Kennedy thinks he’s protected. That’s not how FSG operates in a disaster. The group likes to lean into knowledge, course of, and funds, quite than particular person loyalty.
I’m not going to look in John Henry’s pockets and focus on funds at present, however so far as the remainder, that’s not what I see after I take a look at FSG by the years. The group has ruthlessly made adjustments at or close to the highest, irrespective of the optics.
- Firing Brendan Rodgers as supervisor of Liverpool F.C. in October 2015, slightly over 12 months after Liverpool completed in second and Rodgers obtained a four-year contract.
- Firing Dave Dombrowski in September 2019, lower than a 12 months after Dombrowski created the staff that introduced dwelling a World Collection trophy and landed within the document books.
- Firing Chaim Bloom in 2023, although it wasn’t precisely surprising after consecutive last-place finishes.
- Firing Alex Cora and 6 of his teaching workers in April 2026. No must rehash that once more proper now, however when it comes to optics it was spectacularly messy. The season was nonetheless younger, the terminations occurred after a blowout victory, and Crimson Sox legend Jason Varitek was a part of the purge.
That doesn’t appear to be an possession that’s notably aware of stability or optics.
Talking of optics, John Henry has earned a status as not caring in regards to the followers. Regardless of not partaking a lot with the media, or having a gradual presence across the staff, as some house owners do, I are inclined to disagree. I feel he does care what followers assume, desperately, even when it’s not in ways in which we will all the time recognize. Only for enjoyable, my pop psychologizing is torn between turning the lens on Henry (regardless that he’s been on the pinnacle of success for years, he nonetheless brings that try-hard power in methods that may be form of cringey) and turning it on ourselves (the chilly father determine will be tremendous distant and has a tough time exhibiting affection, however he typically comes by ultimately when he realizes what a shit he’s been). It’s clear he’s conscious of what followers assume, and I do assume that may affect among the determination making relating to Breslow’s eventual exit.
Keep in mind that broadly shared Instagram story from February 2025, of fine ol’ John Henry smoking a congratulatory cigar all by himself?
It was really his spouse’s story, however don’t inform me that he didn’t okay it. It was proper after the Sox signed Alex Bregman. That is the bizarre form of means he often engages with followers, nevertheless it proves he cares.
Within the interview he gave to Sports Business Journal in Might, he spoke extensively about followers. He recalled a aircraft that flew over a Liverpool match, trailing a banner that known as for FSG to promote the staff. “Followers get annoyed…It doesn’t imply you ignore them, it means you’re employed more durable – you don’t accept mediocrity. It’s important to win.”
Trying again at Bloom’s firing, our previous pal checked too many bins: he provoked very damaging fan reactions (I personally wished him gone, and mentioned so) – however he additionally didn’t win.
The SBJ article notes that Henry was at Fenway on April 6 when the hometown followers began chanting for FSG to promote the staff. (For the document, I don’t need FSG to promote the Sox.) It was clear Henry acquired the message; he was caught on video repeating the phrase, as if to make clear what was being mentioned. I don’t assume it was fully a coincidence that the large purge occurred not lengthy after, on April 25.
Buster Olney at ESPN tweeted that somebody from the possession group—so, not Craig Breslow, who’s not a part of possession—has been personally reaching out to different entrance places of work, to attempt to get a commerce accomplished. If that doesn’t present how a lot Henry cares proper now, I’m unsure what does. If true, it additionally exhibits that Henry doesn’t place confidence in Breslow to do his personal job. That alone makes this association unsustainable.
Verdict: Breslow’s Gone
Fan response and staff efficiency are aligning in opposition to Breslow. For me, the principle questions are:
- When? Will Breslow deal with the upcoming commerce deadline? If he’s a useless man strolling, as I think (notice that I’m not advocating for it, merely studying the writing on the wall) why maintain him in place to run the desk yet another time? Regardless of the occasional rout this season when the bats get up, the Sox efficiency definitely isn’t shopping for Breslow any time.
- Who would the successor be? The Crimson Sox famously had a tough time even gathering a decent slate of interviewees the final time the place was open. Too quickly to speak about this, however FSG had higher be able to pay—and pay nicely—and to have a heart-to-heart about what they need to do in a different way transferring ahead, and why they’re not as “unstable” as issues may seem proper now.
