Carl “Yaz” Yastrsemski leads the Sox to the American League pennant in 1967.
Video Rating: 5 / 5
BOSTON — Following the most stunning and epic September collapse in major league baseball history, Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona and general manager Theo Epstein explained what they thought went wrong. The list was long and – in some cases – complicated. Francona told reporters that he called a meeting with the team on Sept. 7 in Toronto, concerned that the approach in the clubhouse wasn’t where it needed to be. Epstein admitted that the organization ‘failed on many different levels’ during the September collapse and before, in evaluating ‘big-ticket’ free agents and the overall physical conditioning of its players, who broke down in the pennant stretch. Neither Francona nor Epstein would address their long-term future with the Red Sox, only to say that they would continue to meet with ownership led by principal owner John Henry over the next several days. The Red Sox have 10 days to pick up the option on manager Terry Francona or let him walk as a free agent. Francona has a pair of club options in 2012 and 2013. “The feelings are still pretty raw,” Francona said. “I’d like it to settle down some before making any decisions.”
