John Lackey Blamed for Red Sox Loss and Poor Season
The Boston Red Sox were not happy when their season came to a close this week, and some pointed fingers at team pitcher John Lackey.
Theo Epstein, Red Sox executive vice president, said the team would assess what went wrong in the season and make necessary adjustments.
"We have to attack it from a fundamental standpoint. There are obviously things we can do differently with him fundamentally to get his stuff and his command back to where it was,” Epstein said according to ESPN reports.
He added, "And then from a mental standpoint, and those are the three areas we attack with players. We're going to leave no stone unturned, really with all of our players and the organization as a whole from those three standpoints."
Although Epstein mentioned that the entire team would need to make an effort to improve in the off season, Lackey has been the topic of conversation for many who feel the pitcher has yet to give an outstanding season performance, according to ESPN analyst Joe McDonald.
After migrating from Los Angeles two seasons ago, the pitcher has made headlines more for his displays of frustration on the field than solid plays.
The pitcher’s had a 6.41 ERA in 28 starts with a 12-12 record. However, it cost the Red Sox $82.5 million to acquire the pitcher for a five-year deal.
Epstein admitted that Lackey’s personality could be an issue, however he stuck up for the pitcher.
"It was that way when we signed him and we also knew he always apologizes the next day,” the manager said, according to ESPN. “He's always a great teammate, except for those times when he's rolling his eyes, but his teammates forgive him and they understand. He's tried to change, but it's something he can't change. It's an emotional reaction and we'll continue to work with him on it, but that doesn't make him a bad teammate.”
Although the manager stuck up for the player, he admitted that some work needed to be done.
"We'll continue to work with him on that,” Epstein said, according to ESPN. “More importantly, address issues physically, mentally and fundamentally."
