So John Farrell is gone. Less than two days after a heart-wrenching, rain-soaked Game 4 loss to the Houston Astros, the Red Sox begin their search for a new manager.
Here are the main points from Dave Dombrowski’s presser today:
- Farrell was fired early this morning, and was apparently very professional though “disappointed.” Glad he remained professional during this ejection.
- The move was apparently “not a snap decision,” meaning as I speculated, this has been an ongoing discussion throughout the season
- Dombrowski said he did not consult with or contact the players regarding the potential firing. He spoke with the front office staff on Tuesday prior to calling team owner John Henry.
- He says “no amount of wins” could’ve saved Farrell’s job
- When considering new candidates, DD listed qualities of “job knowledge, running the game, running the pitching staff… dealing with the media” as key to a hire, noting that the media angle is more important here than in Detroit, when Dombrowski last hired a manager
- Speaking of Detroit, Brad Ausmus’ name was thrown out by reporters, but Dombrowski said he is not revealing the names current candidates, though he admitted to having a list
- Previous managerial experience will not be a deciding factor, but ability to connect to this very young team will be key, Dombrowski said
- The club plans to hire from outside, meaning current hitting coach Chili Davis and bench coach Gary DiSarcina might be out of the running. All coaches are currently hired for 2018, but Dombrowski says the club will allow them to interview elsewhere, and it will ultimately be up to the new manager to make his staff.
- Dombrowski’s current special assistant and former Red Sox captain Jason Varitek is also speculated to be in the mix. He’s a popular fan favorite for the job on Twitter too.