(Image Source: Boston Herald)
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BY AUSTIN FAX
ANCHOR JONAH JAVAD
You're watching multisource sports video news analysis from Newsy.
First, Francona bolted from Boston. Now, the ‘Boy Wonder’ has packed his bags and hit the road too. As ESPN’s Buster Olney reports, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein agreed to a five-year contract to take the same position with the Chicago Cubs.
Former Red Sox and Cub Nomar Garciaparra tells ESPN-- Epstein will be a breath of fresh air in the Windy City due to the Cubs’s struggles in recent years.
“Right now the Chicago Cubs are kind of in an identity crisis. What is Cubs baseball all about? What are we? What is our style? And that starts from the bottom up. Starts with your player development, continues on with the manager and the mentality there up at the top to get guys to fulfill that identity. I think he has done that in Boston, he’s kept that identity going, he’s built up player development and I think he can do that in Chicago.”
Epstein led the Red Sox to World Series titles in ‘04 and ‘07-- but a writer for SB Nation says Theo will forever be defined by whether he can break the curse of the Cubs.
“You ended an 86-year curse, Theo? That's great. Now try ending a 103 year one. If Epstein fails in his new endeavor, he will still be looked upon as a very good general manager, but will still have a smudge on his record for the way his Red Sox career came to a close. But if he can find success with the Cubs...he will be revered as one of the best all time, maybe even the best.”
The Cubs are set with Theo-- but where does that leave Boston? WBZ’s Dan Roche tells us home-cooking might be the answer as the Red Sox will look in-house for their newest hiring.
“They may interview candidates but all indications are it will be the assistant GM Ben Cherington, who's been here even before Theo got here from 1999. He's been a part of the organization and held every single position up to General Manager. He would be the likely seamless transition with the new era here.”
With Boston looking to rebuild their franchise-- WHDH’s Nicole Oliveria says a certain contingent of fans are ecstatic. Just don’t speak that name to Red Sox fans.
OLIVERIA: “Even Yankee fans can appreciate Epstein's talent and say the Sox ownership's latest moves will only help the boys in pinstripes.”
FAN: “I'm thrilled because I think he's a tremendous GM. With Francona leaving and Theo leaving, I think it's a great thing for the Yankees.”
Finally, the Wall Street Journal’s David Roth thinks reporters have their priorities all wrong. Isn’t their something more important to talk about?
“Even with their season now well in the rear view mirror, the Red Sox are still somehow dominating the baseball discourse. Yes, Game 4 of the ALCS is on Wednesday afternoon, and will feature plenty of drama on its own, but Boston’s story... is the epic tale of a franchise trying to remake itself. Well, that or it’s just a distractible sports media going daffy over the Red Sox again.”
Transcript by Newsy.
