Any way you write it, it’s still a success story

Appropriately enough, Epstein’s column was a rip job on legendary Yale coach Carmen Cozza. The Elis were staggering through a 3-7 season and the headline over Epstein’s column was, “Is It Time for Carm to Go?’’

Epstein’s well-crafted piece blasted Cozza’s motivational tactics, claimed the coach “just doesn’t get it,’’ and offered, “his lack of passion has reached a new low.’’

Epstein also wrote, “Cozza isn’t the man to bring the program out of its problems. More and more it is becoming clear; Cozza is responsible for the problems … Class, integrity, and genuine feeling for one’s players doesn’t win championships these days - only respect.’’

Hmmmm, I thought. This boola-boola kid has a nice touch. Might really amount to something someday. Maybe I’ll let him bring me some coffee and fetch a few postgame quotes from the Bulldogs.

Less than 11 years later, Epstein was hoisting the World Series trophy from the front of a duck boat and I was begging him to return my phone calls.

Now he is saying goodbye to Boston and we are saying goodbye to him.

The Midnight Rambler Red Sox made it official late Friday, issuing a joint statement with the Cubs to announce, “Theo Epstein has resigned from the Red Sox in order to become new President of Baseball Operations for the Cubs.’’

The release was issued at 9:52 p.m., a mere three days after the Sox sent out an 11:04 p.m. statement to tell the world that their pitchers were not actually drinking beer in the dugout during games in 2011.

Midnight confessions, indeed.

We all remember that Epstein resigned once before here, in 2005, and it’s hard not to be struck by the difference between then and now.

When Epstein walked away in October 2005 because of a breakdown of trust between him and Sox CEO Larry Lucchino (Epstein’s mentor), there was shock and fury in Red Sox Nation. It was as if we all woke up one day and someone had knocked down the left-field wall.

It’s different this time. Nothing abrupt or surprising about this one. The Cubs rumors started over the summer, and Epstein never killed them. Then came the Sox’ 7-20 finish and the unraveling and the finger-pointing and the cacophonous media riot.