Francona, unfailingly loyal to his players, took an uncharacteristic jab by labeling the team “challenging” and disclosed that he called a meeting Sept. 7 in Toronto, after a 14-0 victory one night earlier, to express some concerns about what he perceived to be a lack of accountability by some within the clubhouse. A source told colleague John Tomase that more than one pitcher had been drinking beer in the clubhouse during games and there was grousing from players that team buses were departing for the ballpark too early each day on the road.

Brockton (MA) Enterprise:

And Red Sox manager Terry Francona and GM Theo Epstein revealed that there was even more going on behind the scenes that contributed to the unprecedented malaise.

“Normally ... there are events that make you care about each other,” Francona said, often looking stunned before a large group of media. “This club, it didn’t always happen as much as I wanted it to. And I was frustrated by that.”

“Ultimately, you don’t need a team that wants to go out to dinner together,” Francona said. “But you need to have a team that wants to protect each other on the field and be fiercely loyal to each other on the field. That’s what, ultimately, is really important.”

We recommend that Joe Girardi takes the advice of the Orlando Sentinel:

Having clinched the division title, the Yankees can send most of their regulars to Bern's Steak House for a fine Châteaubriand, or if the mood strikes, meet up at one of the area's fine adult establishments.

Yes, sir, I'll get these shoes mighty clean for you, skipper.

Adding fuel to baseball's bitterest rivalry, New York Yankees catcher Russell Martin said he hates the Boston Red Sox and would relish adding to their misery by helping to eliminate them from the playoffs during this weekend's series between the two teams.

"Anything to get the Red Sox out would be awesome for me," said Martin, who has been involved in the rivalry for one season.

When asked why, Martin sounded like the truest Bleacher Creature.

"Because I hate the Red Sox," Martin said.

And we love you, Russell (no homo - not that there's anything wrong with that).

And now, with their postseason hopes being held together with duct tape, Boston's diseased fan base MUST root for the Yankees to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays in a midweek series. How about that? After anointing their team in January as the best the world has ever seen, Sox fans must now kneel down and say "Please, Yankees. Help us get to the playoffs!"


"Sir, if there is anything else I can do, please let me know."

Jarrod Saltalamacchia's analysis of what went on at home plate after Francisco Cervelli's fourth-inning home run raised some eyebrows among reporters in the Red Sox clubhouse.

"It's just the Latin players," Saltalamacchia said about Cervelli's passionate clap as he touched home. "That's the way they play the game. It's OK to an extent. If you go a little further than that, that's when you need to step back."

Tom Yawkey would be proud.


He doesn't like them, but Saltalamacchia has no problems using them for household projects.