Sorry Lou... Strike Three

   Lou Gorman has been the General Manager iof the Red Sox for many years. He has been remembered mostly for his many mistakes, including Jack Clark, Matt Young, Danny Darwin, Jeff Bagwell, and others. This off season was no different from others, being unpredictable and leaving the future of the Sox unclear.

One could argue that many times Gorman has been burned by free agents and prospects who just haven't performed. He had faith in Sam Horn, Brady Anderson, and Todd Benzinger, all of whom had superstar potential, but didn't live up to expectations. When he did trade prospect Bagwell for veteran Larry Anderson, quite possibly because he feared another major league failure in Bagwell, he was burned as Bagwell's major league career took off and hasn't stopped. Overpaid free agents (Clark, Darwin, Young, and Tom Brunansky) have also not lived up to expectations.

This year, Gorman has promised that he has a plan. He gave away catching prospect Eric Wedge, traded Phil Plantier because manager Butch Hobson didn't like him, let superstars Ellis Burks, Wade Boggs, and Jody Reed go, and didn't re-sign last year's offensive leader Brunansky. He also blew the Jos" Canseco trade last season and failed to ink Mark McGuire, who wanted to play here. Sounds like a plan, right?

On the positive side (yes, there is one), he acquired veterans Andr" Dawson, Scott Fletcher, and Ivan Calderon, along with Scott Bankhead and Jos" Melendez. Fletcher, a veteran second baseman, will solidify the defense, while Dawson will bring power and a good attitude to the Sox. Calderon can jump-start our dead offense with his Nick Esasky-type power and an average above .280. The pitching additions of Bankhead and Melendez will strengthen a good pitching staff.

Despite all the positives, Lou seems to be throwing away talent. Besides Boggs and Reed, both of whom were ready to move on, all the players they lost were lost for no reason other than the fact that the front office didn't like them. Two years ago they turned their backs on Dwight Evans because of a manager dispute after all the years of dedication Dewey showed towards the Sox. They treated Jim Rice coldly and still haven't had a day in his honor. Mistakes like these, which are due to lack of common sense and courtesy, along with a stubborn front office, will haunt the Sox until there is a change of front office personnel, including a change of general manager. n