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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
This is a very generous three stars, as it's merely an extended recap of the Red Sox under manager Terry Francona over the previous eight years. It's similar to Joe Torre's book The Yankee Years in that it's less about Francona and more about the writer (in this case, Dan Shaugnessy) interspersing years of game stories and sports reporting with Francona's commentary.
As it's Dan Shaugnessy, you know what you're getting coming in. If you're a local Boston reader, Shaugnessy's writing style and themes are pretty obvious throughout, and you're forced to wonder if the otherwise-diplomatic Francona was okay with some of the spin here and there.
Otherwise, though, in a market that's been inundated with Red Sox books since the 2004 World Series win, this is a surprisingly inessential entry. Lacking significant insight and providing little more than a cursory look at the inner workings of the Red Sox, the book is really only worthwhile to the casual Sox watcher or someone who hasn't spent much time with the team on a whole.
As it's Dan Shaugnessy, you know what you're getting coming in. If you're a local Boston reader, Shaugnessy's writing style and themes are pretty obvious throughout, and you're forced to wonder if the otherwise-diplomatic Francona was okay with some of the spin here and there.
Otherwise, though, in a market that's been inundated with Red Sox books since the 2004 World Series win, this is a surprisingly inessential entry. Lacking significant insight and providing little more than a cursory look at the inner workings of the Red Sox, the book is really only worthwhile to the casual Sox watcher or someone who hasn't spent much time with the team on a whole.
I don't know what I actually expected out of this. I'm a Red Sox fan and was a big supporter of Francona, and was disgusted by the way he was unceremoniously ousted after his tenure in Boston. I guess I hoped that this book would add some depth and context to what happened. Instead, the book was, well, pretty boring. It doesn't help that Shaughnessy's simply not a very good writer (and he quite obviously wrote this, though it is interspersed with passages of dialogue from Francona). But for the most part, it's a lot of standard summary of the last few years of Red Sox baseball, the likes of which you've probably read in many other places (or lived through) if you've followed the team. The book does suggest that the seeds of what transpired between Francona, Epstein, and the ownership at the end of 2011 were planted a bit longer ago than some might have believed, but beyond that there's not much in this book to make it worth the time and effort it took to read it. Even when things start to get interesting, there's nothing all that too salacious though one gets the impression Shaughnessy wishes it were. Overall, very underwhelming.
This is not just by Francona. There are many voices in this well researched book. From owners to players you get many sides to the stories which shows that things are often not exactly what they seem. It also shows how egos drive these highly competitive men for better and worse. The ending was particularly telling in how damaged egos can destroy long relationships. As in every aspect of business people protect their own butt at all costs.
Easy read and good pace to the book. I despise Larry Luccino even more than before.
Nothing I like more than understanding the Sox better. What even makes it more exciting is Tito's backstory!! Very good book!!!!
Thought I was reading a Terry Francona book. Turns out I was reading a Dan Shaughnessy book with quotes from Terry Francona along the way. Read like a sequel to 2007's Feeding the Monster - with 2012 being the inevitable result of that Monster. Haven't read the Torre Years, but I bet this book just imitates that (likely) better work. That being said - this was a pretty good read as backdrop to the Sox winning the 2013 World Series. :)
I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought that it was extremely insightful and informative. There was a lot of information in this book that fans would really appreciate.
it was a pretty decent book. not at all a revenge book, but just your basic "this is what goes on in baseball" book.
Thanks to brother Barry for getting me this book! I was skeptical at first as oftentimes books about baseball managers are either too superficial or too one-sided. Hats off to the writers for giving a balanced look at the demise of my favorite baseball team over the last 8 years. A lot of the blame, fairly, goes to the owners, but I was really impressed with Francona's honesty about himself and his strengths and weaknesses as a manager. I also really enjoyed the peek behind the scenes of a baseball team without the drama (though there was some), but about the challenges of "managing" a group of very highly-paid individuals with incredibly large egos.