Red Sox flop linked to beer, chicken, video games

Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and John Lackey settled into a habit of drinking beer, eating fried chicken and playing video games, according to the Boston Globe.

/ CBS

The epic collapse of the 2011 Boston Red Sox has been well chronicled (and today, as a result, their once-beloved general manager appears on his way out of town).

While the team had many scapegoats (namely high-priced free agent Carl Crawford and exiled manager Terry Francona), the Boston pitching staff was a collective Achilles heel - especially during the club's historic September swoon. Starter John Lackey summed up his performance early in the season thusly: "Everything in my life sucks right now."

But, according to a new Boston Globe report, the team's dysfunction and lack of effort was far more egregious than the casual fan would have guessed. The newspaper says that during the team's September slide, the team's top three starters - Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and John Lackey -settled into a routine of swilling brew, eating fast-food fried chicken, and playing video games in the clubhouse rather than support their struggling teammates in the dugout.

"The guys that weren't down on the bench, I wanted them down on the bench,'' Francona told WEEI last week. "I wanted them to support their teammates.''

A few other notable nuggets from the Globe article:

• Francona completely lost his ability to motivate his increasingly lackluster team and was often distracted by marital problems (he lived in a hotel during the season) and health issues (concern that his managerial performance was affected by his use of pain medication, which he denies).
• Some players were irate at management for being forced to play a doubleheader in late August (due to Hurricane Irene). According to the Globe, the team swept the doubleheader but the resentment lingered and the team "spent the rest of the season playing uninspired, subpar baseball, losing 21 of their final 29 games."
• Team veterans David Ortiz, Kevin Youkilis, Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield were largely detached and failed to show any leadership in the clubhouse.
• Even though Jacoby Ellsbury enjoyed a MVP-caliber season, he did not get along with most of his teammates - most notable Kevin Youkilis, who publicly criticized the outfielder for missing so many games to injury in 2010.
• Newly acquired star Adrian Gonzales, like Ellsbury, had a fantastic year on the field but lacked any leadership off it, even complaining about playing so many nationally televised games on Sunday nights.

"We play too many night games on getaway days and get into places at 4 in the morning,'' Gonzalez complained. "This has been my toughest season physically because of that.''

Tough, indeed. Enough to make someone want to unwind with beer, chicken and video games.

[GreedyOldPartee]

Wow, who cares about greedy, drunk, overpaid bums. Thought I was writing about our politicians there.

[petesis]

I read somewhere that Francona has a son who is a Captain in the USMC currently in AFghanistan. I could easily see why he would not want to have alot of time for these pampered idiots who think so little of their responsibilities, for which they are grossly overpaid. They need a housecleaning and Francona is a manager, not a babysitter. As a Yankee fan myself, I was very surprised to hear this about the Sox. I would be interested to hear Variteks take on this situation and I was surprised to read he was disinterested.

[PourpaixPourpaix]

It is all the fault of the starters who, on their day off, were in the clubhouse instead of the dugout supporting the team? That management forced us to play a doubleheader in late August? That veteran players failed to pump up the rookies? Or they made us stay up all night? Are these really atheletes trying to justify their multi-million dollar salaries or not? When did they start hiring ladies to be MLB ballplayers?

[AlFranken]

Sounds more like a sewing circle than a story. From what I saw, the whole team looked devastated and did their best to fight the slump.

I think the author of this story didn't talk about slumps because he knows nothing about the subject.

If he did, it would have been a factor in the story because that is what it was and what baseball always has and will continue to have.

If the author wants to insinuate that the team lacked a team leader for a role model --- than that is probably more accurate.

But calling these professionals unmotivated, lacklusters... based on unsubstantiated claims. yeaaaa whatever.

These guys didn't get where they are and being contenders and then turn into lack lusters --- naaaa doesn't work that way in the real world.

[tvwatcher5345]

the problem with the red sox is all the "green" red sox paraphernalia, they are the boston red sox, not the boston "green" sox, their colors are red white and blue, American, all this un-american "green" has angered the baseball gods and the red sox are doomed until this un-american activity is stopped

[busterdawggy]

I have become a fan of the AAA Durham Bulls. The baseball is almost major league quality, and the players play their hearts out. It is great to see the guts and hustle, and watching a game in a 10,000 ballpark with great $12 seats is fantastic.

[ffrecster]

Send 'em back to the minors where they can ride buses between venues - without AC.

[credibility2]

This is what happens to immature overpaid talentless egomaniac sports players. Why would they care anyway? They were still pulling in their egregious salaries, whether they performed or not.

[stupa5]

I remember the day's when my grandfather said in the 60's he enjoyed watching amateurs play...before they became spoiled overpaid professionals

[Well_You_Aint_Me]

Doesn't surprise me. I have a few acquaintances who are RS fans, sounds pretty much like them also.