Against both bar and tower the black sea runs.

Nobody wintering now behind the planked-up windows where Theo set …

Susan:
I'm so glad to hear about this "general manager-by-committee" thingy.

 

---

Mike:
Absolutely. It's going to be like bullpen-by-committee except even bettah.

 

---

Susan:
People say, "eliminate the middle man" but I say, no, what we really need are more middle men. Less is not moah. Moah is moah.

 

---

Mike:
And it's going to be business as usual, fercrissakes. This GM-by-committee will have carte blanche to make any decision necessary provided, of course, it's exactly the same decision Lucky desires.

 

---

Susan:
It's a textbook example of how to run a successful baseball club. Is it any wondah why GM candidates are beating a path down Yawkey Way eagahly seeking the job?

 

---

Mike:
Have we reached the nadir in which by wanting to be the Red Sox GM one proves one is not qualified for the position?

 

---

Susan:
Grey waves the stub-necked eiders ride. A labor of love, and that labor lost.

 

---

Author's Notes
The title of today's strip and Susan's final speech are from Sylvia Plath's poem "Point Shirley" from the collection The Colossus and Other Poems. Oh, and the intro text is a variation from another line in the same poem.

Comments

[louclinton]

What is this rock that presses against my shoulder blades?

Sometimes you wake up in the morning, and you know that the day is going to end with a meeting in a garage with a snaggle-toothed hillbilly with a chainsaw pressed against your femur.

Sometimes, you don't.

What today brings, one cannot know. LusciousLarry will not save you,however; he is in Palm Springs.

[Bob]

Jeez, that was FREAKY. When I first came on the site, every other panel of the strip was blank, except for the words. I thought it was a very cool, arch way of protesting the "elimination of the middle man." Then when I refreshed to see new comments, what's-her-name appeared. I kinda liked it better with the blank panels, H.B. Sort of like when Doonesbury used the talking asterisk to portray President Bush in his first term.

[COD]

The blank panels were a browser cache issue. I get that occasionally here - the refresh button usually solves it - and if it doesn't - clear your cache will for sure.

[buckner was framed]

my favorite part of the "GM by committee" story was where one of the fab four said they would be in 'nightly email contact' with LL... gee, what a f*ing shock....

[George Lake]

The son sinks under Boston, bloody red.

[Kaz]

Theo is gone now
Left now is the committee
Somehow that's not Right

[louclinton]

Angst-ridden Dirt Dogs
Throw all kinda shyte at wall
Do not fuck with me.

[NV in SD]

The only things that work out well with the words "...by committee" on the end of it are "carnal knowledge" and "cake and ice cream party". Anything else is destined to go terribly wrong.

I can't express how happy I am with the fact that prospective GMs are running away from us like we've got bird flu. Looks like our best option is going to come from within the organization, any you know what that means- Kelly the Ballgirl.

[Jason O.]

AN aside: After a quick glance at BDD, shouldn't Epstein be able to get a better looking date than a blonde Shelley Duvall?

[COD]

I'm willing to bet that "Hi, I'm GM of the Boston Red Sox" doesn't play nearly as well with the ladies as us baseball geeks would like to think.

[Theo's Brother]

I'm for Kelly the Ballgirl. It would give her a lot more face time. I could handle any bad news if it comes from her mouth.

[pawsoxpop]

Let's just hope we don't have Kelly the Ballgirl playing center field next year. Very disturbing article in Herald business section that says the Sox actually LOST money in 2004 and John Henry and Larry are looking to slash payroll.

"If the Sox management could carefully ease payroll from $127 million to, say, $80 million, over the coming years that would turn a $11 million loss into a $36 million profit."

Their view is that it wasn't so much a power struggle between Larry and Theo as it was a money struggle. Theo wants the budget to win more championships, Larry wants to cut spending way back. If that's true, things could get very ugly very soon. Welcome back to the Haywood Sullivan era. Let's hope not...

[NYSoxfan]

All due respect to Kelly the Ballgirl, I have to go with Hazel Mae for GM. Her nonstop chipper outlook and outstanding physical assets can only reap rich rewards for Sox Nation...

[h.b.]

Frappr

Totally off topic...

I know we've got readers from all over the place, so I set up one of those Frappr maps for The Soxaholix.

Check it out if you want to "pin" your own location.

http://www.frappr.com/thesoxaholix

[pawsoxpop]

Of course, if it is true that the Red Sox lost $11 million in the year that they won the World Series, then maybe baseball is just a money-losing proposition anyway, at least if you're in the same division as the MFY. In the AL Central perhaps it's possible to win AND make money, although how much money did the White Sox make this year -- even with their lower payroll -- drawing 26,000 per home game at ticket prices that are substantially lower than Fenway's? Since we can't actually see the books it's impossible to actually know whether they lost money, but it's hard for me to believe -- especially with all the t-shirts and other junk that everybody bought...

[Babe Silverstein]

Ah, Sylvia Plath, the tragic poet who speaks the suicidal heart of RSN.

Here's another pertinent line of Plath's for you Soxaholix to enjoy as you put your head in the oven, and breathe in the fumes a la Sylvia.

It's the closing line from "Daddy" and it could have been written by Theo and titled "Larry."

"Daddy, daddy, you bastard, I'm through."

On a more upbeat note, check out the lyrics to the latest single by Sir Paul McCartney from his 2005 solo masterpiece "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard."

It's called "A Fine Line." Call your local classic rock station (or adult contemporary?) and make a long-distance dedication to an out of work young baseball executive named Theo.

"A Fine Line"
words and music by Paul McCartney

There is a fine line
Between recklessness and courage
It's about time
You understood which road to take
It's a fine line
And your decision makes a difference
Get it wrong you'll be making a big mistake

Come home brother all is forgiven
We all cried when you were driven away
Come home brother everything is better
Everything is better when you come home and stay

Whatever's more important to you
You've gotta choose what you want to do
Whatever's more important to be
Well that's the view that you got to see

There is a long way
Between chaos and creation
If you don't say
Which one of these you're going to choose
It's a long way
And if every contradiction seems the same
It's a game that you're bound to lose

Come home brother all is forgiven
We all cried when you were driven away
Come home brother everything is better
Everything is better when you come home and stay

Come on back
Come on back
Come on back to me

(It's a fine line
It's a fine line)

Whatever's more important to you (It's a fine line)
You've gotta choose what you want to do (It's a fine line)
Whatever's more important to be (It's a fine line)
Well that's the view that you got to see

(It's a fine line
It's a fine line
It's a fine line
It's a fine line, ooh
It's a fine line
It's a fine line)

[the gorry kid]

Ah Babe! I'm beginning to recognize your input from the first sentence. KUTGW

[Bob]

Okay, did the Frappr thing. But when I hit the zoom on the map of my profile, it says I live about 100 yards off Rowe's Wharf. In the water.

[just curious]

h.b.- did you pull back a post, or is my computer fup duck?

[buckner was framed]

that's nothing Bob. I'm north of New Brunswick in the water- twice.
Sure hope they get NESN up there.

[h.b.]

"...it says I live about 100 yards off Rowe's Wharf. In the water"

Effin' global warming!!!

[GaryGeiger]

Stupid work web blocker!! Haven't been able to get through here during "productive" time for quite a while now. Is Babe S the reincarnation of Lil'Bri?
As a Sicilian, I'd suggest penning Lucchino as a 'pezzo novante', (big shot of dubious character).
What I though was coffee dripping down my monitor was in fact, the sarcasm of today's strip...brilliant, h.b.

[Kaz]

Centers of zipcodes are in wierd places.

Either that or post offices are.

I'm Frappr'd.

[scott12xu]

Somewhat off topic...

I think Larry could hire cheerleaders with bisexual/lesbian tendencies for the Sox games, let them get shitfaced at a bar in the opposing team city during away games, let them get their freak on in the women's bathroom stall and let the hilarities ensue, as they say in the entertainment biz...

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=20844

[scott12xu]

Is Babe S the reincarnation of Lil'Bri?

Doubt it. Bri has recently posted his inane ramblings at Surving Grady and his style of diatribes remain the same. Babe S is a hell of a lot more literate and actually adds something to the blog. Can't say that about the pride of Chillicothe, MO.

BTW, found out my wife's late grandfather (on her dad's side) was from Chillicothe. It's a big center for the Reformed Latter Day Saints (Reformed Mormons or RLDS) - the "John Smith" Mormons as opposed to their wealthier "Brigham Young" Mormons from Salt Lake City. Small world, eh?

[scott12xu]

Is Babe S the reincarnation of Lil'Bri?

Doubt it. Bri has recently posted his inane ramblings at Surving Grady and his style of diatribes remain the same. Babe S is a hell of a lot more literate and actually adds something to the blog. Can't say that about the pride of Chillicothe, MO.

BTW, found out my wife's late grandfather (on her dad's side) was from Chillicothe. It's a big center for the Reformed Latter Day Saints (Reformed Mormons or RLDS) - the "John Smith" Mormons as opposed to their wealthier "Brigham Young" Mormons from Salt Lake City. Small world, eh?

[NV in SD]

"Ah Babe! I'm beginning to recognize your input from the first sentence. "

I recognize babe's posts from the unberable length of them. Seriously- just reference the song- no need for the whole. fucking. thing.

That story about the Panther's cheerleaders is awesome. I've been trying to access the team's website to get a look at these young ladies, but it seems that they are experiencing an overflow of traffic from, I assume, like-minded individuals.

[scott12xu]

NV in SD: Cut and paste that website, it gives you the ladies' mug shots and their official TopCats photos. BTW, keep in mind, "Renee Thomas" is actually another cheerleader. The blonde that was arrested gave that name instead of her real name (the real Ms. Thomas was in South Carolina at a wedding; she wasn't too happy when she found out what had happened and that the other woman used her name).

[Babe Silverstein]

No, Mr. Pezzo Dispenser, I'm not the character formerly known as "Lil Bri."

I'm Babe Silverstein, Susan Wentworth's 2004 ALCS miracle baby. Marty Silverstein (featured guest caller from NY and fan favorite here on the Soxaholix) adopted me and is raising me as a mofo Yankees fan. Crazy, right?
We'll all be on Springer later this month. Mom loves the flashin' and fightin' on Springer.

Sorry for my "unbearable length," NV. I get that a lot. Does the girth of my posts also make you uncomfortable?
Seriously, dude, who the fack are we to edit Sir McCartney? But I'll keep your suggestion in mind.

[NV in SD]

Good call on the link, scott- I defy anyone to give me one good reason to not love anything involving hot lesbian cheerleader action.

Babe- that's more the kind of post I like to see. Good humor is always appreciated here. Long posts involving complete song lyrics (even by the Immortal Sir Paul), not so much.