Billionaires Don't Like To Be Wrong

The Bobby Valentine era in Boston has been a complete disaster. The Red Sox are 4 games below .500 and trail the division leading New York Yankees by 13 1/2 games. There is dissension in the locker room, disgruntled players (most notably Josh Beckett), and disappointed fans. After an epic collapse to end the 2011 season Valentine was brought in to instill discipline and accountability. Instead the Red Sox are on track to have a losing record and miss the playoff for the 2nd consecutive season. Who's to blame for this fiasco?

They will never admit it, but ownership made a mistake with the hiring of Bobby Valentine. Although he's a life long baseball guy and his knowledge of the sport is unquestioned Valentine has communication issues. His brash and arrogant personality rubs people the wrong way and they respond in a negative fashion. Things got so bad with infielder Kevin Youkilis the team eventually had to trade him to the Chicago White Sox. It is only a matter of time before Valentine has a run-in with another player that ends badly.

With the 2nd highest payroll in baseball the Red Sox are feeling the pressure to perform. The stakes are high and billionaire John Henry is not accustomed to losing. Even though their record clearly reflects there's a failed experiment in process the Red Sox front office is emphatic there will be no changes this season. As the losses continue to pile up the stubborn approach taken by management is hard to justify. The only reason they support Valentine is because billionaires don't like to be wrong. Just say it didn't work and move on already! Everyone makes mistakes, even the super wealthy know it alls.