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MLB: Who Is Responsible for the Remarkable 2011 Boston Red Sox Failure?

One of the finest teams in the MLB this season was expected to be the 2011 Boston Red Sox. On September 2, they were even ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays by nine games. But the Red Sox ended the month with a 7–20 record after falling to the Baltimore Orioles in the season’s penultimate game.

With a lead of nine games or more in September, this Red Sox squad is the first in MLB history to miss the playoffs. Until spring training starts in the spring of 2012, every media outlet in the world—especially in the Boston area—will be examining this historic catastrophe.

And so, who is at fault for this September breakdown?

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, is the reason for the players’ lack of conditioning prior to the season the trainers and conditioners?

Is it Theo Epstein, who at the trade deadline failed to close any significant pitching transactions aside from Erik Bedard?

Is it manager Terry Francona, who did nothing but watch helplessly as the pitchers and players he sent out there struggled in the closing stages?

Since the participants should bear all the responsibility, none of these responses are appropriate. Yes, they gave it their all on the field, but there were a few players in particular who fell short of what was expected of them going into the season.

Carl Crawford, a left fielder who only hits.255 and has 18 stolen bases, is a prime example. Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury were expected to run wild on the base paths, but Ellsbury appeared to be the only player who could field his position and run the bases.

In Game 162, Crawford blew a catch that he ordinarily might have made, giving the Orioles a 4-3 victory. That is not an acceptable reason.

Base runners also made a habit of trying to take on too much.

In the last game, Marco Scutaro attempted to score from first base on a double, which was not appropriate given that he had paused at second base to ensure that the ball would fall for a hit. At other occasions, they would pass up the extra base out of laziness.

September is referred to as the “stretch” by baseball players, fans, and experts, and the Red Sox appeared unable to sustain any leads during this month.

The pitching of the Sox must also be held accountable. Boston’s pitching was awful for the entire month. Josh Beckett, their reputed ace, was unable to hold a lead against the Orioles on Monday.

With an ERA of 6.41, John Lackey is the only starter on this club who requires action. 2012: Lackey will either be dealt or his pitching needs to improve.