Felger: Fire John Farrell, Because He Doesn't Know What He's Doing
BOSTON (CBS) -- Managing under National League rules is different than the norm for John Farrell, and doing so requires a few minor changes in strategy. It's fairly simple, really.
Yet Farrell has always struggled to adapt in interleague or World Series games, and that weakness popped up yet again on Wednesday night.
The Red Sox led 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth. With a runner on second and two outs, No. 8 hitter Pedro Ciriaco strode to the plate. With the pitcher waiting in the on-deck circle and first base open, the strategy for Joe Kelly should have been clear: Pitch around Ciriaco or outright walk him. Instead, Kelly threw a pitch that could be hit, and Ciriaco made him pay, singling into right field. Dustin Pedroia couldn't knock the ball down in shallow right and ended up kicking it away, thereby allowing the tying run to come around and score.
Again, Farrell's struggled multiple times in this area, most notably when he sent Brandon Workman to bat in the ninth inning of a tied game in the World Series, only to remove Workman from the game after two batters in the bottom of the inning.
Wednesday night's mistake was the last straw for Felger and Massarotti.
"Baseball 101. Baseball one-oh-one," Felger exclaimed on Thursday's show. "Eight hitter up, nine spot -- which is the pitcher -- up next, first base open. It was so obvious as I was watching it that I said, 'What am I missing here?' ... And not only is he pitching to Ciriaco, but he's throwing strikes. Two pitches, right down the peter. Two strikes. Right down the plate.
"It was only one run of the five that they gave up on the night, it was only one loss of the 40 or whatever they've had so far this year, but that one right then and there, I said, 'Why is this guy still on the job? Does John Farrell know? Does he get it?' He has to. If I know to pitch around the eight spot in the National League park to get to the pitcher, he does. So he knows it. Is he just asleep? Is he just out to lunch? Is he making booty calls from his phone like his third baseman is? What's going on there? And we wonder why the team isn't paying attention, why the team looks like it has no focus? Is the manager focused? How do you pitch to Ciriaco right there?
"And it leads me to believe, he just really didn't focus on the fact that it was in a National League park."
Pitching to Ciriaco wasn't the only NL-inspired mistake of the night for Farrell. In the top of the second, with two on and nobody out, No. 7 hitter Mookie Betts moved the runners along with a sacrifice bunt. Blake Swihart then struck out, and pitcher Kelly grounded out to end the inning.
"Moron. You morons. You don't bunt at the bottom of the order in the National League to bring up the eight hitter, who they will pitch around to get to the pitcher," Felger said. "One-oh-one. National League baseball 101. You don't sacrifice the seven or eight hitter to bring up the pitcher. He has to know that. But he's out to lunch. He's out to lunch! He's not paying attention, he's not focusing."
Felger continued: "They did not realize they were in a National League park, I don't think."
Farrell's explanation was also lacking, as the manager said he and the team did cover scenarios prior to the game.
"I think he's lying," Felger said. "Or maybe they sort of kind of did, but then he fell asleep when it was actually happening."
Mazz noted that Pedro Ciriaco has just 18 walks in his entire career, making the at-bat even worse for Kelly and the Red Sox.
Felger said he went back and re-watched the at-bat to see if the Red Sox tried to pitch around Ciriaco but simply failed. Catcher Blake Swihart set up for fastballs middle-in for both pitches.
"After the first pitch, if you're paying attention, if you're engaged, doesn't the pitching coach or Farrell from the dugout give a little whistle, either to Swihart or Kelly, because you don't throw a strike right down the middle in that situation to the eight hitter. Baseball 101. So after the first pitch, OK, maybe Kelly just lost his place, or Swihart lost his place. So the manager or the pitching coach needs to get his attention ... nope! No one says anything, does anything, fastball right down the middle.
"I find that egregious," Felger continued. "I find it egregiously bad. ... I find that so bad -- so outrageously bad."
For Felger, Farrell's mistakes provide enough reason for the manager to be fired.
"Right then and there, if [Ben] Cherington's watching, if [Mike] Hazen's watching, that one situation, I fire him when the game's over. That's it. You're not paying attention," Felger said. "If the GM and the assistant GM is there to sort of monitor this and see where the team's head is at, what more do you need than that? Oh, that was so bad. Fire him! He doesn't know what he's doing."
"That thing in the fourth inning is a fireable offense. Fireable offense! Baseball 101 when you're in a National League park. Farrell is out to lunch. He is not focused, he's not engaged -- or he is a complete idiot. Is he that bad of a game manager? He just might be. If he were in the National League, can you imagine the train wreck of this guy? We remember those World Series games."
"How bad is that? You're fighting for your life, you're fighting to see if you're going to have a baseball season, and the GM is there, everyone's watching, the pressure's on, and you totally, totally blow a bunny of an easy National League situation. You can't even get that right.
"Fire him. I don't even care if the season's lost or not. You bring in a new manager, what's it going to change? Maybe nothing. But what do you stand for? Are you paying attention, Ben? Are you paying attention, John Henry? Did you watch that inning? Did you see what they did there?
"Fire him now. Why are they not firing him? Now. Last night. This morning. Fire this guy already."
Listen to the full segment below:
