At First I Was Afraid.

I was petrified.

One of the most stupid things about baseball is that the coaches wear uniforms. It's goofy. But when Terry Francona had had enough of these numbskulls that felt that he needed to up and quit, it occurred to me that he might have been the only one left on this team that I still liked. They were dark days. I might not have agreed with some of the moves/non-moves he made (and bunting is still stupid) but how can you possibly hope to replace the greatest manager this team has had?

But Theo? Theo's easily replaceable.

Don't get me wrong. I liked Theo. Mostly. 2004 and 2007 were wonderful years and changed the fabric of a region but Theo's no longer the best GM in baseball. Hell, he wasn't even the best GM in his division last season. Beyond Friedman, you could make a solid argument--as much as it would pain me to do so--for Anthopoulos up in Toronto.

When Epstein got his job, he was new and different. He shook things up and most importantly was successful. But success breeds imitators and now you can practically pick up a Theo Epstein in your corner store. The way that he runs a baseball team is generally a recipe for success but Theo's eleven herbs and spices were revealed to the baseball watching public long ago.

As such, it's probably time for some new blood; time for someone less likely to be suffering from GM-block. (It's like writer's block. Trust me.) So bring on Cherington. May his head be filled with innovative ways to gain a competitive edge.

And best of luck (and a hearty thank you) to Theo in Chicago. I've said that if Boston can't win the World Series, then it would be nice if the Cubs could win and I still believe that (even if you did abandon ship at an inopportune time).