GM Meetings go retro with no internet

November 15, 2011|By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

MILWAUKEE — Good afternoon from the GM Meetings. Somehow the Internet is out in downtown Milwaukee, so you may not be seeing as much baseball coverage across the web as you might have expected. I guess either Laverne or Shirley tripped on a wire.

So via the mighty iPad, we push on.

The Red Sox appear focused on Dale Sveum as their next manager. But until he sits down with John Henry, nothing is official. While Henry clearly has bountiful confidence in GM Ben Cherington, hiring a manager has to be something the owner has to be comfortable with. Given the state of the team and the perception that Henry had his attention elsewhere while the ship sank, this is a crucial hire.

If there is a second finalist, it's not clear. Certainly the fact that Sveum is headed here is indicative of the interest the Red Sox have in him.

That Sveum was interviewed by the Cubs is proof that he has the credentials. But he'll have to win over a largely skeptical fan base and some segments of the media.

For now, the GMs are in a meeting. Once we get more, we'll let you know.

UPDATE 12:03 p.m.: And the Internet is back in Milwaukee. Brats for everybody.