I don't believe that I've ever seen a Red Sox GM, or any GM for that matter, admit fault.

But Theo Epstein is not just any GM. He stepped up to the plate yesterday and completed a sacrifice to right. Portland Press Herald: Sox GM: Maybe I goofed

Was it Theo's fault?

I was all set to defend the phenom. I was ready to place blame on a number of different factors that contributed to the downfall. But after reading that the Red Sox GM didn't see the Sox weaknesses until the second half, I changed my mind.

Theo must have known that the pitching was weak from the start of the season. He must have had a hint when he lost Matt Clement and David Wells. He must have seen a little vision when Keith Foulke was sub-par at best and ended up on the DL. Or maybe when Rudy Seanez couldn't find the plate nearly every appearance. He must have at least noticed that every fifth day he was starting a pitcher that Kansas City and Cleveland had given up on.

I guess Theo had blinders on, wanting to believe that defense would pull them to the playoffs.

Where is Larry Lucchino now?

But the blame doesn't stop at Theo.

The other gentleman that sat at the press conference must answer some questions also.

Tito's lineup in the second half had no consistency. What worked in the first half, wasn't in place in the second.

I know people were injured, but he didn't place power hitters in power positions. He moved Youkilis all over the place, trying to fill gaps that Youk couldn't fill. And showed little faith in Wily Mo Pena.

Don't get me started on the whole Arroyo-for-Pena trade. That'll work itself out. Arroyo had the benefit of going to a new league, pitched against pitchers and saub-.500 teams. He was not the difference maker the Reds had hoped for. He was successful for half a season. Last I checked, the Reds will be playing golf with their 80-81 record.

So now, heads are beginning to roll. The organization fired Dave Wallace and Ron Jackson.

Al Nipper is the front runner for the full-time position pitching position.

When Dave Wallace was out for most of the season, the coaching responsibilties fell to Nipper. From the time Nipper was hired, the pitching staff seemed to falter. No one seemed to be on the same page with the coach. He did little to fix obvious mechanical problems and veterans appeared unwilling to listen.

I will admit that the pitching staff had better numbers overall while he was in the position, but I don't want him to return.

Papa Jack is gone too. What a difference a season makes. Jackson is the scapegoat for a lackluster offense. But again, this is surprising. Is it Jackson's fault that Coco Crisp was injured all season and failed to contribute as expected? Is it Jackson's fault that the lineup featured Youkilis at the cleanup spot or batting fifth when Manny took some time off? Was it Jackson's fault that Jason Varitek was absent for most of the season?

The answer to all these questions is no.
The lineup was not set correctly, for the majority of games in the second-half.
Blame injuries here too if you want, but Tito messed up. He had pieces to utilize. He failed to play the numbers game and was a poor field general.

This year some gaping holes were revealed and more will appear.

Perhaps the organization should get rid of the beer goggles, because this team isn't pretty.

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