It was his first day on the job and Ben Cherington already has won over the hearts of Red Sox Nation. How, you may ask? It was not by his smooth talking during the press conference. It was not by fielding difficult questions. No, no, Ben Cherington could have come out and been verbally assaulted by the harsh Boston media. Instead, instantly he managed to get one phrase trending in the Boston area on Twitter..."Tommy John Surgery."
Ben Cherington took care of a major concern this off-season for Red Sox fans by telling everyone that the much despised John Lackey will miss all of the 2012 season after opting to have Tommy John surgery. Though it does not get Lackey out of Boston, like most fans want, it does get him out of our minds for a year.
Let's face it, if Lackey were healthy he would have been dealt. If we could not deal him, he would have to have been released and ownership swallow a $45million pill. Now, they will pretty much have to do the latter. There is no way they can rehabilitate this man in Boston. Listening to either sports radio station, there is no buzz about keeping Lackey. There are no articles bein written regarding the perks of trying to rehabilitate the man in this market.
Cherington also seems to have a bead on who he wants to interview for the new managerial position. Knowing that he (Cherington) has over 14 years in Major League Baseball is comforting. He came up the hard way, as a scout, conducting player development and analysis, finally moving into front office. He was a large proponent in the signing of Adrian Beltre, a man who far exceeded expectations while in Boston. I'm still sorry that he is not still here in Boston.
What I see with Cherington is a General Manager with a good head on his shoulders. His obvious passion and knowledge for the game is evident in just listening to him talk. While the Cubs fans are busy ushering in their "savior" in Theo Epstein - I think Red Sox fans will find that we have made out just fine in the deal.
