Managing it all

The Red Sox do not lose most of the time. They just won two straight against the Orioles, including Saturday night's electric no-hitter by Clay Buchholz, a kid pitching his second game in the majors. Despite getting swept in New York last week, the Sox have the best record in the major leagues and a six-game lead in the American League East. They are likely going to the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons. They even won a World Series three years ago, and yet Francona - the fourth-year manager who delivered Boston's first baseball championship in 86 years in 2004 - has an ever-expanding legion of critics. He enjoys none of the public reverence and worship that washes over Bill Belichick in Foxborough.

Former Governor Michael Dukakis long ago said that managing the Red Sox is the hardest job in New England, and through the years, the position has driven men to drink while pushing others to the brink of despair. The streets around Fenway are stalked by ghosts of those who tried and failed: men named Cronin, McCarthy, Higgins, Herman, Williams, Kasko, Zimmer, Johnson, Hobson, and Little. Walpole's Joe Morgan was uniquely qualified to handle the position when he managed in Boston 20 years ago, but even Tollway Joe would be overwhelmed by the sheer madness that engulfs all things Sox in this first decade of the 21st century.

Often a target

Francona is a target no matter what he does. Friday night he was questioned for his selection of relievers in a loss to the Orioles. Last week he was ripped for letting Josh Beckett start the seventh inning in New York (Alex Rodriguez hit the deciding home run to send Beckett to the showers). Earlier in August, he was roasted for allowing Eric Gagné to blow a couple of games in Baltimore. Some fans want more sacrifice bunts. Others want David Ortiz hitting fourth instead of third. Old-schoolers would like to see Francona get a little tougher when it appears that his millionaire ballplayers are walking all over him. There's no winning, even when he wins.