BOSTON — As the Boston Red Sox disintegrated in what would become the worst September collapse in baseball history, members of the organization grew concerned that the pain medication Terry Francona was taking after a half-dozen procedures on his knee was affecting his ability to manage, according to The Boston Globe.
The newspaper spread the blame on all sides: apathetic players eating fried chicken, drinking beer and playing video games in the clubhouse during games; a general manager who squandered a $161 million budget on underperformers; ownership that thought players could be bought off with $300 headphones and a party on John Henry’s 164-foot yacht “Iroquois.”
But the most salacious revelations involved Francona, who left the team after the season.
According to The Globe, team sources “expressed concern Francona’s performance may have been affected by the use of pain medication.”
The article also said Francona was worried about his son and son-in-law, who are Marine officers serving in Iraq. At the same time, Francona was living in a hotel, separated from his wife of more than 30 years.
Responding to the allegations that he was “distracted,” Francona noted he was dealing with the same problems during the four-month period when the team was going 80-41. Francona’s ill health was no secret — he was taken to a hospital from Yankee Stadium with chest pains in 2005 — and he said he was taking the medication after multiple knee operations. The Associated Press
