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McCarthy: Red Sox fully awaken ‘Fellowship of the Miserable’

By Matt McCarthy

Despite 20 years of unprecedented success, the Fellowship of the Miserable is alive and well in the great city of Boston and across New England.

It just took the Red Sox to fully awaken the beast.

Fans descended on Springfield last Friday night for the Hometown Nine’s Winter Weekend, a collection of autograph sessions, photo ops, and activities with your favorite Red Sox players. It is, by design, a family-friendly event where you can express your love for all things Red Sox.

And as John Henry, Sam Kennedy, and poor Chaim Bloom found out, nobody expresses their love quite like Red Sox fans.

  • BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 15: Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom addresses the departure of Alex Cora as manager of the Boston Red Sox during a press conference at Fenway Park on January 15, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. A MLB investigation concluded that Cora was involved in the Houston Astros sign stealing operation in 2017 while he was the bench coach. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

    BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 15: Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom addresses the departure of Alex Cora as manager of the Boston Red Sox during a press conference at Fenway Park on January 15, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. A MLB investigation concluded that Cora was involved in the Houston Astros sign stealing operation in 2017 while he was the bench coach. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

  • You traveled west on the Pike with no intention of showing mercy, and no mercy was shown.

    Friday’s Town Hall Meeting at the MassMutual Center was a mutiny against Henry and his underlings as bloodthirsty Red Sox fans rained vitriol upon the stewards of our once proud baseball team. The angry mob jeered Henry and Bloom from the moment they took the stage and lustfully booed the Red Sox brass all night long, making their disgust known with each verbal misstep from the owner, the team President, and the Chief Baseball Officer.

  • BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 15: Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom looks on during a press conference addressing the departure of Alex Cora as manager of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on January 15, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. A MLB investigation concluded that Cora was involved in the Houston Astros sign stealing operation in 2017 while he was the bench coach. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

    BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 15: Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom looks on during a press conference addressing the departure of Alex Cora as manager of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on January 15, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. A MLB investigation concluded that Cora was involved in the Houston Astros sign stealing operation in 2017 while he was the bench coach. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

  • The scene was nothing short of an embarrassment for the Red Sox. Henry was loudly condemned when he told the fans that “baseball players are expensive.” Kennedy was booed when defending the Red Sox astronomical ticket prices, futilely trying to use the team’s Student $9 ticket deal as an example that Fenway Park is actually affordable.

    Bloom, meanwhile, could not still the rising tumult as he desperately tried to defend his record in baseball operations. One fan loudly shouted the name of Bloom’s far more successful predecessor, Cooperstown-bound Dave Dombrowski, while Bloom was trying to explain away his shortcomings.

    It was a bloodbath. A public bludgeoning of a franchise that hasn’t been seen around these parts in a long, long time.

  • BOSTON, MA - JULY 03: Chief Baseball Officer for the Boston Red Sox Chaim Bloom looks on during Summer Workouts at Fenway Park on July 3, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

    BOSTON, MA – JULY 03: Chief Baseball Officer for the Boston Red Sox Chaim Bloom looks on during Summer Workouts at Fenway Park on July 3, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

  • The uncomfortable session undeniably had the Red Sox on the defensive. It’s hard to defend the indefensible, but Henry, Kennedy, and Bloom continue to try.

    If I had one piece of advice to my friends on Jersey Street, it’s this: stop trying to explain this all away.

    The results speak for themselves. The Red Sox have finished in last place two out of the last three years, and appear to be no better than a fourth place team entering 2023. Trying to sell the fans on a perpetual five-year plan isn’t going to work. Red Sox fans are tired of last place teams, but they’re even more tired of a team who tries to sell them the load of bricks they tried selling Friday night.

  • CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 21: Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox walks back to the dugout after striking out in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 21, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

    CINCINNATI, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 21: Rafael Devers #11 of the Boston Red Sox walks back to the dugout after striking out in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 21, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

  • The Red Sox would be better served by owning up to their mistakes and publicly admitting their failure, if they can bring themselves to realize that they have indeed failed. That may be the biggest challenge this franchise faces: the inability to look themselves in the mirror and evaluate their own missteps.

    Bloom is entering his fourth year on the job and is no closer to building a contender than he was entering 2020, but if the thought of changing course has crossed his mind, he didn’t seem to indicate it Friday night. He remains as committed as ever to his approach.

    In Bloom’s world view, he believes everything he’s done and is doing is the surefire way to build a competitive baseball team year in and year out. He comes from Tampa, after all, and is hellbent on operating as the Rays would, just with $230 million to spend each year. He is a new-age baseball ideologue. A zealot. A disciple of the Ray Way. He’ll continue to try and force his philosophy on you, no matter how much you tell him you don’t want to hear it.

  • BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 15: Red Sox Owner John Henry addresses the departure of Alex Cora as manager of the Boston Red Sox during a press conference at Fenway Park on January 15, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. A MLB investigation concluded that Cora was involved in the Houston Astros sign stealing operation in 2017 while he was the bench coach. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

    BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 15: Red Sox Owner John Henry addresses the departure of Alex Cora as manager of the Boston Red Sox during a press conference at Fenway Park on January 15, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. A MLB investigation concluded that Cora was involved in the Houston Astros sign stealing operation in 2017 while he was the bench coach. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

  • Henry, for his part, appears as out of touch as ever. NESN wisely cut out his “baseball players are expensive” remark from their broadcast of the Town Hall. Henry has not spoken to the media in ages, and it’s easy to understand why the team wants to keep him from commenting publicly on the state of the franchise with gaffes like that.

    Just focus on buying an NBA team, John. We know your interests lie elsewhere.

    Talk is cheap. The only thing that will get Red Sox fans back in line will be a winning season and a better outlook for the future. But if Friday is any indication, Red Sox fans have little faith in the people in charge of turning this franchise around.

    The Fellowship of the Miserable held their warm up in Springfield this weekend, and they’re ready to take their act 90 miles to the east come the spring.

  • Click here for complete Boston Red Sox coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

    Matt McCarthy is an on-air host at 98.5 The Sports Hub and regular contributor at 985TheSportsHub.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMcCarthy985 and read all of his content here.

McCarthy: Chaim Bloom Continues Purge Of Red Sox’ Championship Core

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