Terry's Take

(The following is the transcript of Red Sox Manager Terry Francona's controversial remarks after the "Iceberg Classic" on November 20th, 2008.)

"Was it "special?" You're asking me if it was "special?" Yeah, it was special. The whole damn season was special.

First, there was the trip to Japan. That was great. Papelbon still doesn't know what day of the week it is. Drew refuses to play now, unless he's facing Japanese pitchers, throwing Japanese baseballs. I can't sleep at night because those Hanshin fans are still chanting and banging in my head 24-7. I stay up all night playing Nintendo Duck Hunt with Timlin and Tavarez. Yep, that's pretty special. But MLB wanted the Red Sox in Japan, so we went to Japan.

Then they send us to play in a football stadium in Los Angeles. 115,000 fans, left field wall 200 feet away. That was special. Manny didn't even play in the game, and he still thinks he's supposed to stand on second base when we're on defense. Crisp and Ellsbury have been running themselves ragged trying to cover the entire outfield all season. Lugo was trying to hit 200 ft. homers, until we finally released him. Theo took the bullet, but I was the one who ordered Lugo's immediate release after he went into the home run trot on that pop-up in Detroit. I was the one who made him exit the field through the Tigers' dugout. We ate about $26 million dollars with that move. We could have signed Darvish for 2009 for that money. Well, after paying the $200 million posting fee. But MLB wanted the Red Sox in L.A., so we went to L.A.

Then we had the World Series. MLB's concerned about "competitive balance." So they tell us we have to use Kevin Cash as our DH. Even though we had released him in May when his OPS+ was a NEGATIVE 102. I still don't understand how you get a negative OPS+ . You'll have to ask James. But, if anyone could have a negative OPS+, it's Cash. So Papi has to move to 1B, and Youk watches the World Series from the bench. Because Youk doesn't have the range to play in a two-man outfield. Cash goes 0 for the series, but we still sweep. I get three free couches out of that deal. A successful end to the season, right?

No, MLB sends us to Antarctica. For the flipping "Iceberg Classic." A game against a team from Korea, in temperatures lower than Cash's OPS+. You ever get frostbite AND sunburn at the same time? Not a pleasant experience. It's the 5th inning, we're playing baseball on a glacier, and I'm wearing 26 layers of clothes. THAT'S when MLB sends a guy to check that I'm wearing the proper uniform. I'll tell you, when I saw that sheet of ice they had us play on, I was about to pull my team off the field. We played that game for the Red Sox Destinations group. NOT for MLB.

Where is MLB going to have us play next, a VOLCANO? Tavarez told me about a game he played in a volcano. Between the molten rock, and the body thetans clustering about, how can you focus on baseball? Yeah, it's been a real special season. That's all I have to say."