Sox celebrate 'Christmas at Fenway'

12/10/2005
BOSTON -- Red Sox fan Dottie Duffy had a quick answer when asked on Saturday what her next move would be if she was the team's new general manager.
"I'm the general manager? I'm gonna retire so that Theo can come back," the Cambridge resident who walks the two miles from her home to Fenway Park for, she says, about 35 games a year, said at Saturday's "Christmas At Fenway" event.
Theo, of course, is Theo Epstein, the former general manager who rejected a contract offer from the club in late October. But, since he left, rumors have flown that he'll be coming back -- and a Saturday report in the Boston Globe said the club was working toward having Epstein in an advisory role for young co-GMs Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer. Other reports have Epstein involved in everything that's gone on with the club since he left.
Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino said the Sox are "closer" to settling the GM situation, adding, "We don't have any announcements today, but within the next week, we think we'll have some plans that make sense for us.
"It's better that we make our announcements at one time and not at a holiday party."
The GM situation, as well as numerous other matters concerning the very busy and rather chaotic offseason, were the talk of the day as the Sox held the now-annual event. The day allowed fans to purchase tickets for the 2006 season while mingling with Sox names from Lucchino, to manager Terry Francona, to young players (including Kevin Youkilis), to former Red Sox righty Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd ... to Santa and Mrs. Claus.
There was also a live feed on the club's NESN station -- which started with play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo interviewing Francona. The manager said there's still work to be done and it will take time, but added, "We'll have a team we'll be pretty proud of."
Francona, getting around well after recent knee replacement surgery, then joined a live show on WEEI, the flagship station of the club's radio network, predicting that free agent center fielder Johnny Damon "will be back" and saying, "Whatever works out [with the club] is going to work out."
Saturday worked out for the fans.
Last year, the paying customers waited out in the cold for five to six hours before the doors opened for the sale of "Sox Packs" and individual game tickets. This time around, an e-mail system led to a more organized setup and far fewer problems, leaving fans in a relaxed and happy mood the day after the first snowstorm of the winter season.
"Absolutely," said Steve Waystack of Salem, N.H. "This is much more orderly and organized, definitely -- the numbering systems [wristbands handed out upon arrival], no line-breakers."
Short of resigning from her new position, Duffy said, "I think we need to sign Johnny Damon. We lost Pedro [Martinez] last year because we didn't offer him enough or whatever, but we need to sign Damon. He's a great leadoff hitter, and I don't care what anybody says about his arm, we need a guy on base.
"My second concern is to get Miguel Tejada. I mean, come on, that's what it's all about," she said.
It reportedly took the Sox only a matter of hours to act when Tejada said he wanted out of Baltimore, with Boston apparently offering Manny Ramirez Friday in a swap of high-priced disgruntled players.
"My next move is trade and pick up Tejada," Waystack said. "I hate to say it, but if we unload Manny, I'd love to see us get Tejada."
But the general feeling is that there's no way that Ramirez, a 10-5 player with veto rights, would OK a move to Baltimore.
"No way," Waystack said. "But there's still got to be some way to get Tejada. And I'm leery about Johnny D. -- somehow getting another outfielder [is important if Damon leaves]."
Karen Frawley, who drove to Fenway from Connecticut with her friend, Jacki Berriman, said she thinks Ramirez will stay. If not, and if changes keep taking place, Berriman said, "It's going to be a whole new team next year. As someone said, get a program, because you won't be able to tell the players. It's like, 'Who's On First,' from Abbott and Costello."
Along those lines, Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills, talking to the crowd, said, "We're probably going to show up around the 18th of February (in Spring Training) ... and hand out name cards."
Friends Bruce Fox and Walt Snitko and their wives drove down from Dublin, N.H. and were rewarded with tickets for many games, including visits by the New York Yankees. The pair started going to Spring Training a few years ago -- once attending 13 games in 12 days -- and will do so again, even though they're a bit worried about the faces that could be missing because of the World Baseball Classic that's taking place in March.
Snitko, who is taking the Sox' cruise next month, was thrilled with his ticket package, and said that people were waiting right outside to try to buy them from him, almost as soon as he got them.
Mills and Sox pitching coach Dave Wallace fielded questions from the fans covering a wide variety of topics. At one point, Fox asked if Tejada would be happy playing in Boston and Ramirez would be happy playing in Baltimore. Wallace, who had the microphone, turned and handed it to Mills and said, "Here you go Millsie." Mills said both could be happy in new homes, but both also said that it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for the club to be stuck with Ramirez.
"My gut feeling is he will be back," Mills said, who also said, "I think Johnny would love to come back. He loves Boston, he loves the fans, he loves the team and the other players on the ballclub."
As far as the now-vacant shortstop spot is concerned, Wallace said the Sox would be fine if Alex Cora, currently on the roster, got the job.
"People around here don't realize Alex Cora is a pretty good player. He played shortstop every day for the Dodgers and they went to the playoffs."
Mills, talking about the potential for Damon and newly acquired second baseman Mark Loretta at the top of the Sox order, said, "We could feasibly get through the first inning with opposing pitchers throwing 30-35 pitches in the first inning."

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/