Dan, you hit it right on Bill James. Let's not sign Matt Holliday, let's go the UZR route and sign Lackey and Cameron instead and move Ellsbury to left. And Adrian Gonzalez has the perfect swing for the Monster, he'll be worth trading the top prospects in the organization for.

(yawning) Come on Dan, without these celebrations your buddy Dr. Charles doesn't have a gig. Oh that's right Dr. Charles isn't feeding you "info" anymore. You're out of the loop since you burned your Lucchino bridge. Hell hath no fury like a mediot scorned. ha ha ha ha ha

This season is not Bobby Valentine's fault. Firing the manager does not make any sense to me at all.

Bobby Valentine is a good baseball man, and deserves better than this.

And no, I am not Bobby! And yes, I think a lot of Red Sox fans feel like I do. I think a lot more of the blame goes to Theo and company.  Upper management has made some bad decisions, including trading away some very good people. It is time to rebuild this team. Finishing as low as possible is a good thing, because we will move higher up in the draft order. I just hope we pick wisely, and don't trade away that pick a few years later for some flash in the pan choice of some older but soon to be over the hill player.

There are way too many ex-Boston prospects in the major leagues who are doing way better than any Boston players.

Last but not least:  even though I love Big Papi and love his attitude.... it's time to let him be taken by a contending team, and get the resulting draft picks. It's not really fair to keep him here during the rebuilding period, and his body is getting older and more fragile.

I would love to see Boston go with youth.  I would love to see ticket prices reduced during the rebuild.

Something has to change, but it's not the manager.

Now tell me what you really think.

I did not read your entire column, and I confess that I generally do not. But reading the lead, I get the feeling that you don't get the whole 100 years of Fenway Park celebration. This would have happened, regardless of the kind of season the Sox had. True, it doesn't strike the same chord as it would have if the current team and season had not been a disaster. But should they have cancelled it so that it would not have looked contrived? For old timers like me (and you are in my age group, so I don't get your cynicism, except that it may be your "contrived" personna), these were wonderful moments. ( Of course, to be a little cynical myself, I'm hoping that my Roger Clemens' baseball card collection becomes valuable again, given his newest status as Red Sox legend!!)

One question: where is the proof that John F. will be such an amazing manager??? Based on his time in Toronto, I'm not so impressed. Is it just because he looks the part and is a guys guy?? I think that if they fire Bobby V., they should look long and hard for a proven winner.

Rollnging back the progress from "The Impossible Dream" of 1967, the yr. I was born. Quite a feat.

A bit of historical perspective is in order regarding that 1966 team. They were 72-90, but were also incorporating a lot of kids into the mix, and they actually improved 10 games from their 100-loss season of 1965. That's when they hit bottom. The Red Sox were actually over .500 after the all-star break, when kids like Scott, Foy, Petrocelli, Lonborg, et al, started to settle down and play baseball. Yeah, they lost 90 games, but that's about the only comparison between 1966 and 2012. 

The inverse relationship between the Sox downfall and the ascent of entertainment value in these articles coninues to thrive. Still Jonesing for another Cooler reference or two. The crowd wants more!

I miss the old days when Dan Shaughnessy was an honest and real writer. I used to love reading his articles. He has been worse of a train wreck than this horrible 2012 team. Don't get me wrong, he is entertaining. The sadness comes in the fact that he has become more like Joan Rivers and less like Jim Lehrer.

Telling his readers about a "shameless attempt to direct your eyes away from the playing field" and that in this "contrived" event "the Sox promoted this finale as a celebration of the “All-Fenway Team’’ is just pathetic. I heard about this event back in April before anyone knew about anything that would happen this year. Before the trade, before the drama, before the letdown.

So is Dan just grasping at nothing here? Sure looks like it. Maybe he ran out of things to write.

Yes sir Dan, its so horrible for this wretched establishment to continue on with their 100th year anniversary plan that they made years ago.... all should have been nixed.... all should have been forgotten.....  tell every player, child of player, grandchild of player and great grandchild of player to stay home because this team didn't do well this one year. Great journalism.

That is how you stay classy ladies and gentlemen! Have zero regard for facts and feelings and write in the Globe as if you are on the Jerry Springer show. Just let it fly.

 If our city's most recognizable and respected newspaper's writers didn't know about this 100th year plan then we have all been fooled for many years by considering him reputable. I have no other answer and I actually want one. I'd love to hear all about it if anyone does.

I actually enjoyed his jokes too. The "Carl Everett night" joke and "nutty professor" line. That is good comedy right there and I laughed out loud. However, it was soured by the fact that it was either based on a fabricated lie or a lazy un-sourced writer (I don't know what is worse). This is the Boston Globe not TMZ. If you decide to be funny you might as well know your facts first. If I can figure it out then I am pretty sure our "news reporters" should have it in their wheelhouse too.

Can't wait for the next conspiracy theory.  

BRAVO - well done Dan

Can not agree more with Wilbo 68 -- Dan you are in the wrong profession.  You should not be writing for what used to be the best sports page in the country -- and the only reason it's reputation is flagging is because of your continual negative comments that are not based in fact but based on the fact that a minority of readers like to read your sarcastic rants which have nothing at all to do about gthe sport itself.  Your knowledge about sports is so lame - rarely have your rants ever have a basis in facts -- its as if you feel that the sports teams were created so we can all complain and whine every time a player fails or a team fails to live up to some idealistic vision of yours.  Last time I checked most people are fans cause they truly appreciate the sport -- the competition the atmosphere a great night of entertainment and it provides a nice escape from everyday challenges of life to root for a team and have something to believe in no matter how remote the chances of your team winning are.  Sure I suffered for 50+ years before the Sox won the Series but I loved every minute of it from the time I attended my fist Sox or Bruins games as a kid -- and I still love to follow these teams thru thier ups and downs but I am forced to ignore and close my ears to all the negativity you spew every time you publish something.  

Boston Globe -- wake up cause with the departure of Ryan who more than made up for your garbage you are in danger of being no better than most of the other rags like the NY dailies that are only concerned with the TMZ type sports reporting.  Put this guy out to pasture please!

Dan, you have become the Globe's Howie Carr. Relentless negativity and cynicism about everyone's motives.

Perhaps it's time for you [or the Globe] to rotate your column to somewhere more appropriate to your talents, like the obituaries.

Becoming a one trick pony has lost you many readers at a time when the Globe could use them.

wilbo68, domino 19 an jeffman are my new heroes.! Said everything I wanted to say and more. I think the Boston Globe should hire you and rid itself of this obnoxious, poisonous Shaugnessey and usher in some much needed fresh air on the sports page.

90 losses wouldn't prove a thing. Look who they're playing. Pedroia and Ross are the only two guys from Opening Day still in the lineup. Ortiz is out. Ellsbury is out. They're testing Inglesias and Lavernway and neither of them are hitting. They traded Yuke so Middlebrooks could play and then he got hurt. I'm not even sure who's in right field. Obviously they aren't going to be the same team next spring as they are today. Be reasonable for once for Pete's sake.

Excellent column Dan.   This season would be valuable if the ownership starts over and rebuilds with lower ticket prices and maybe even some concession deals!   Make coming to Fenway more affordable and fun and maybe the sellout streak will continue.

Wouldn't it be interesting if John Lackey turns out to be next year's ace?   Great Everett line too!

Good article. Couldn't agree more. Now on to rebuilding for 2013, and it begins with the manager and coaches. Lower ticket prices as well. And pitching, pitching, pitching...and a few powerful bats...

Wasn't this event planned back in April?? Dan your outrage in contrived.

With all that partying going on, we're lucky that Sam Shaughnessy didn't get himself arrested for being drunk and disorderly again, with urine stained pants.  Brighton's police blog is a treasure trove of information.  Good parenting CHB.  Good effort.

With all that partying going on, we're lucky that Sam Shaughnessy didn't get himself arrested for being drunk and disorderly again, with urine stained pants.  Brighton's police blog is a treasure trove of information.  Good parenting CHB.  Good effort.

Great story and writing Dan.