Larry Brown Sports

You didn’t really think the Red Sox players would make a major life change and quit drinking altogether just because they collapsed last September, did you? Before the season, Bobby Valentine announced that alcohol was no longer permitted in the Red Sox clubhouse. Terry Francona said what we were all thinking when he categorized the rule change as nothing but a PR move, and in reality that’s probably accurate. No alcohol allowed in the clubhouse simply means you’re going to be in big trouble if you let the media see you. Apparently the policy only applies to Fenway Park.

According to Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com, John Lackey was spotted carrying a couple beers through the visitor’s clubhouse in Cleveland following Boston’s most recent loss on Thursday.

Lackey was so busted up after the latest defeat that he was strutting around the clubhouse with a can of Bud Light in each hand, or what is known as “double-fisting” on every college campus in the history of mankind.

We all know how Lackey felt about the “retarded overreaction” from the media last season. Haggerty also mentioned that the alcohol ban did indeed only apply to the Fenway clubhouse. Is it possible Lackey had one beer for himself and was bringing the other to a teammate? Yes. Is Lackey pitching this season? No. Were the two Bud Lights the right-hander was carrying the reason the Red Sox are currently 55-58 and 11 games out of first place in the AL East? No.

The point is you would think the players would have learned their lesson. Unless they enjoyed the firestorm of backlash they got from the media throughout the entire offseason, you would think they’d save the drinking until after the reporters have cleared out.

H/T Hardball Talk
Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE

The beer and fried chicken controversy that came to light after Boston’s collapse in September of 2011 is not going to go away until the team starts lighting it up. Even then, the stench will linger. Despite the fact that an entirely fresh season is set to begin in just over a week, John Lackey found himself having to answer questions about the mistakes the Red Sox made last season in an interview with the Boston Globe that was published on Tuesday. Lackey, who will miss all of 2012 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery, could have been a bit more thoughtful with his choice in wording.

“Guys having a beer after their start has been going on for the last 100 years,’’ Lackey told Dan Shaughnessy after making it clear that he wished they didn’t have to talk about it. “This is retarded. It’s not like we were sitting up there doing it every night. It’s not even close to what people think.’’

As we all know, the Sox hurlers were doing a bit more than simply having a beer after a start. We can understand why Lackey is frustrated with having to deal with missing an entire season and still answering questions about what went on last year, but the way he phrased it is regrettable. I am certainly guilty of having used the word “retarded” in an inappropriate context before, but I’m not a professional athlete with a microphone in front of me. Don’t expect an apology anytime soon, but Lackey certainly could have come up with a better term to express his frustration with a situation that just won’t go away.

H/T Big League Stew
Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE

Shortly after the Red Sox completed their historic collapse on the final day of the season, the reports of clubhouse problems emerged. Some Red Sox pitchers were accused of drinking beer during games. Adrian Gonzalez complained about the team’s arduous schedule. David Ortiz said some players probably didn’t care about the team losing. Apparently those were just a taste of the overall problems going on in Boston.

The Boston Globe published a lengthy report early Wednesday morning that detailed many of the team’s issues.

The Globe says pitchers Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and John Lackey drank beer, played video games, and ate fried chicken during games. While the rest of their teammates were working hard to win games, these guys reportedly were bro’ing out like a bunch of frat boys on spring break. It must be noted that the practice reportedly began in 2010. The team experienced some success despite the pitchers’ careless ways, but it appeared to have burned them late in the year. Beckett managed to have a good season this year, but Lackey was awful again, and Lester struggled in September. They trio also reportedly cut down on their exercise routines this year.

These players clearly weren’t working as hard as they could be, and it makes us wonder how good they could be if they trained the way professional athletes should. It also explains owner John Henry’s “nutritional issues” euphemism regarding the team.

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John Lackey is having the worst season of any starting pitcher in baseball, and by far the worst season of his career. In May, the former Angels ace said “everything in my life sucks right now.” Not only was he struggling on the mound, but more importantly, his wife was battling breast cancer.

Several months later, Lackey’s pitching has hardly improved, and his personal problems appear to have worsened. TMZ reports that Lackey filed for divorce from his wife on August 30th.

The two were married in November, 2008, and his wife, Krista, reportedly underwent a double masectomy and has had chemotherapy treatments this year.

Lackey gave up four runs to the Yankees Sunday night over six innings, taking a no decision. It was his second-best start of the month and only the second time the Red Sox have won one of his starts in September.

Given the nature of what’s been reported, Lackey is going to end up looking like an awful human being for leaving his wife while she’s undergoing cancer treatment. We don’t know all the details of their relationship so it would be unfair to make that claim.

The report also seems to explain an issue about which Lackey complained Sunday night. The Red Sox pitcher was upset that he received a text message 30 minutes prior to his start regarding a personal issue.

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To say that John Lackey has been horrible for the sub-.500 Boston Red Sox this season would be a horrific understatement.  As of Thursday, Lackey was toting a 2-5 record to go along with an 8.01 ERA.  The right-hander has managed only 19 strikeouts in 39.1 innings pitched and opponents are hitting .317 against him.  He may not be Greg Maddux, but he’s no Anthony Young either.  Something is obviously wrong.

After his latest shellacking — a nine-hit, nine-run, five-walk meltdown against the Blue Jays Wednesday night — Lackey sat at the podium and fielded questions from the normally ruthless Boston media.  The only problem for the writers is that it was too easy, making the interview almost uncomfortable.

“I’ll keeping working hard,” Lackey told the media Wednesday night via WEEI.com. “It’s got to turn sometime. Everything in my life sucks right now, to be honest with you.”

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John Lackey had a huge role in delivering the greatest moment in Angels history — their only World Series in 2002. Then a 23-year-old rookie, the Big Texan went five innings of one-run ball in Game 7 of the World Series against Barry Bonds and the Giants. His efforts coupled with Garret Anderson’s bases-clearing double in the third helped provide the best fan experience I’ve ever had, one that probably won’t ever be surpassed (at best you can only hope to match the experience of watching your favorite team win a decisive Game 7 in the World Series). As a result of that game, Lackey achieved “Boy for Life” status in my book, meaning no matter what he did the rest of his career, he would always be good by me.

Thing is, after two so-so seasons following the World Series win, Lackey developed into one of the most consistent pitchers in the AL and the true ace of the Angels’ staff. He went five straight years making at least 32 starts per season, peaking in 2007 with a 19-9 record that helped him finish third in Cy Young voting. Lackey was bothered by injuries his last two years with the Angels, but he was still quite effective when healthy. After eight strong years with the team, he filed for free agency and signed with the Boston Red Sox who offered him a nice contract — five years for $82.5 million.

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One of the most controversial moments from Game 5 in Anaheim on Thursday night came when manager Mike Scioscia removed starter John Lackey from the game in the 7th. Considering Darren Oliver came on in relief and gave up a 3-run double to Mark Teixeira on his first pitch and a game-tying RBI single to Hideki Matsui, the move by Scioscia looked awful. Making matters even worse was Kevin Jepsen who gave up a two-run triple to Robinson Cano to make it 6-4 Yankees within four batters of Lackey leaving the game. As if Lackey wasn’t already pissed off enough about being taken out of a game where he had a shutout going, seeing the bullpen blow the lead had to rip his heart out.

Non-Angel fans may have simply seen the move as what it was: John Lackey being pissed he was taken out of a shutout by his manager and the bullpen blew it. Angel fans will tell you that that move had much deeper repercussions; John Lackey is going to be a free agent after the year and being removed from his shutout could very well be his lasting moment with the team. Do you think he’ll be eager about going back to the Angels and a manager that didn’t trust him enough to get the final out of the 7th in the ALCS? I know a lot of people will say that Lackey was losing it and that going to Oliver was the right move, but once I saw that fire in Lackey’s eyes I would have given him another batter. The guy is a bonafide competitor and when you see that look coming from him you have to let him settle his score. Or maybe that’s just me speaking from the perspective of a former pitcher who’s said to his manager “This is mine, this is mine.”

I really hope that’s not John Lackey’s last moment as an Angel — it would be an utter shame. I rather see him pitch in Game 1 and Game 5 of the World Series and re-sign with the team. They’d have a tough time repeating without an ice like him.