BOSTON (AP)—Sandy Alomar Jr. is interviewing for the Boston Red Sox
manager’s job.

Alomar was scheduled to meet with reporters on Wednesday night after a day
of talking with Red Sox officials. He’s the third to interview for the job,
after Pete Mackanin and Dale Sveum. Mike Maddux withdrew his name from
consideration.

The job opened when the team parted ways with Terry Francona after eight
years and two World Series championships. The new manager will work with new
general manager Ben Cherington to rebuild after this season’s unprecedented
September collapse.

Also scheduled to interview are Torey Lovullo and Gene Lamont.

When Dave Page was told Tuesday that he was fired as the strength and conditioning coach for the Boston Red Sox, he said it felt as if he was being made a scapegoat for the players’ fitness woes.

“The bottom line is we weren’t ready to play physically, fundamentally or mentally the way we should have been, like a championship team should have been,” Page said during a nearly 20-minute interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI on Friday afternoon.

Page said that the perception there were players on this Red Sox team that weren’t focused on maintaining their conditioning, particularly in September, was a correct one. The Red Sox went 7-20 in September to slide out of the playoff race.

Page said there were four players in particular — one position player, one starting pitcher and two relievers — whose fitness was deemed unsatisfactory at the end of the season.

“We got to the end of the year and we had four guys that we thought didn’t make it to that part of the season where we hoped they would be,” said Page, who declined to identify the players. “For the most part, most of all of everybody else stayed within range of where we wanted them to be.”

“

The bottom line is we weren’t ready to play physically, fundamentally or mentally the way we should have been, like a championship team should have been.

”
– Ex-Red Sox strength coach Dave Page

In fact, Page explained, he had approached one player during the final series of the season in Baltimore to discuss why that player had seemingly given up on staying in shape. The player didn’t have an answer, he said.

“I did have a good conversation with one player at the end of the year in Baltimore that kind of opened my eyes,” Page said. “I said, ‘Hey, what’s going on here, bro? It seems like you’ve pulled the plug a little bit, and why?’ He kind of looked down at the ground, looked back at me and said: ‘I don’t know why. I can’t answer that question.’ Which was kind of a shock.”

Page would not identify the player, though he did tell WEEI it was not Josh Beckett, who has taken the most heat in the aftermath of the team’s collapse and reports of lethargy, beer-drinking and fried-chicken eating in the clubhouse. He did reveal, however, that Beckett was concerned with his weight. By the end of the season, even fans had noticed the pitcher had put on pounds.

“He did express some concerns himself,” Page said. “In fact, he brought it up to me and the other members of our training staff, that he felt he was getting a little sideways, so to speak, with his weight. I don’t think it was something that was just noticed by us. I certainly think he felt the same way.”

The veteran right-hander finished the season with a 13-7 record and a 2.89 ERA in 30 starts, but he had a 5.40 ERA in his last five starts and gave up 12 runs in his last two.

Page told the Boston Herald the primary reason Beckett cut back on workouts was because it was producing results. According to Page, during Beckett’s dominant stretch in May and June, the pitcher had reduced his fitness regimen. Because he had pitched great during that span — a 4-2 record and a 1.97 ERA in 10 starts — he decided to stick with that routine hoping that the success would carry throughout the summer and into the fall.

“He did things that were away from his normal program,” Page told the Herald. “A lot of it, Josh is a routine-oriented guy. If he pitches well doing one thing for those four days leading up to that start, he’s probably going to do it again. It’s funny to say, but he’s got some superstitious tendencies that way. That’s not an abnormal thing in baseball.

“But what happened was he had a string of really good starts where he wasn’t doing the things we used to do in ’07, ’08 and ’09, and he was having success with it. And he’s like, ‘I’m feeling good doing these things, so I’m going to stick with it.’ For the short term, it probably worked. For the long term, it probably wasn’t the best plan.”

Page explained that each player’s workout routine is tapered toward the end of the season, but he said he was still surprised by how much certain players cut back.

“There were some guys who peeled it back more than I thought, more than I would have liked them to,” Page said. “For the most part this team worked hard.”

The things Page was noticing about his players’ conditioning were passed along to the front office and manager Terry Francona, he explained. Page said part of his job entailed sending a weekly report on players’ fitness routines.

“If somebody wasn’t represented on that sheet, everybody would know about it every week,” Page said.

He also said he went to Red Sox staff members to express concerns.

“There were a couple of times when someone from the front office or the uniformed coaches would come to me and say something, but for the most part, it was me going to them saying, ‘Hey, I’m having trouble reaching this guy,’ ” Page said. ” ‘Can you give me some backup here? Let’s try to use my words and your voice and see what happens.’ “

Did he feel as if he was being supported by management in trying to get some players in line?

“I would say it’s been a lot better in the past,” Page said.

Page, like many players and executives before him, downplayed the presence of beer and fried chicken in the clubhouse.

“There was a lot of grumblings but I think that whole chicken-and-beer thing has gotten a lot of unnecessary play, to be honest with you,” he said. “I really didn’t see chicken in the clubhouse all that often.

“If they were drinking beer it was probably upstairs and I wasn’t up there. You’ll see the starting pitcher drink a beer when he comes out of the game, that’s pretty common. In my opinion it wasn’t as rampant as it’s gotten to be made out to be.”

Along with Page, who had been the team’s strength and conditioning coach since 2006, the Red Sox fired assistant trainer Greg Barajas, who had been a trainer with the Sox since 2009 after spending 12 seasons as a minor league trainer.

Page said that since his firing, he’s estimated he has heard from about 90 percent of the Red Sox’s current roster expressing support. One of the players, Page said, texted him saying he felt guilty.

“He texted me and said, ‘I feel this is all my fault,’ ” Page said. “I don’t want to say who it was, because that’s between him and me. But he did say that.”

The Red Sox did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Joe McDonald covers the Red Sox and Bruins for ESPNBoston.com.

Follow Joe McDonald on Twitter: @espnJoeyMac

The Ben Cherington era is officially underway. The new GM of the Red Sox made his first official decision Sunday, agreeing to pick up the $6 million option on Marco Scutaro’s 2012 contract.

It’s not like this was an earth-shattering decision, certainly not one that carries the weight of re-signing a Jonathan Papelbon or a David Ortiz, because everything was in place for Cherington, put there by predecessor Theo Epstein. The deal was that Scutaro would get $6 million from the Sox, $3 million if he declared his intention to stay or a $1.5 million buyout.

Cherington viewed this as a no-brainer, however, after Scutaro’s year of redemption. Epstein had originally signed the veteran to a two-year, $12.5 million deal that seemed to make sense at the time. Scutaro was a strong fielder and a solid hitter, but he was getting older and he’d never exactly had a standout year. In 2010, the shortstop was a wreck, committing 18 errors in 132 games. By the end of the season he was playing second base in Dustin Pedroia’s absence.

It turned out that Scutaro was playing through a series of injuries, including an ailing shoulder that was keeping him from making strong throws from the hole. He went home, healed and came back with a solid shoulder, although he was forced to do a DL stint early on with an oblique strain, and missed scattered other assignments with various ailments (he hurt his back stepping off a curb in Seattle). Just when everybody thought that he’d be losing his job to Jed Lowrie, he went on a charge that would earn him his $6 million.

In 2011 he committed 12 errors in 109 games, all at shortstop, but what set him apart was his bat. In an Aug. 7 game at New York he went 4-for-4, hit a ninth-inning leadoff double against Mariano Rivera and scored the game-tying run. On Sept. 6, in the now infamous 14-0 win at Toronto, he went 4-for-5 with three doubles and four RBI. In that four-game series he went 11-for-17 with nine RBI.

Indeed, when the Red Sox were collapsing, going 7-20 in September, Scutaro over the last 28 days batted .398 with a .450 OBP, .602 SLG and 1.052 OPS. He certainly wasn’t perfect. In a game against Tampa Bay he got handcuffed when a broken bat headed his way, missing a ground ball that enabled four runs to score. And in a game at New York he failed to record an out on a routine ground ball. They were rare miscues in what had been a terrific season.

The re-signing of Scutaro makes sense for another reason: he serves as a bridge to the future. Turning 36 in 2012, he’ll plug the shortstop hole for the Sox while young Jose Iglesias continues to be groomed for the job. Iglesias spent some unimpressive days with the Sox during 2011 and needs another season to get his bat working to major league standards. The Sox do believe he’ll be ready for the 2013 season and hope he will be in the position for years to come. Scutaro helps make that happen.

Cherington now can turn his attention in other free agent directions. He’s looking at demands for huge money by Ortiz and Papelbon, he’s got to make decisions on re-signing Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield and also mid-season addition Erik Bedard.

The Sox have 10 other arbitration-eligible players: Jacoby Ellsbury, Alfredo Aceves, Daniel Bard, Andrew Miller, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Mike Aviles, Matt Albers, Jed Lowrie, Franklin Morales and Rich Hill. They likely won’t be in a hurry to offer Ellsbury the big-money contract he deserves after being named A.L. Comeback Player of the Year, but he, Bard, Aceves and Saltalamacchia should be in line for large offers from the club. Aviles and Hill might also be looking at strong paydays.

MLB teams have until Tuesday to sign their own free agents exclusively.

The Boston Red Sox face uncertainty in 2012 and things just got worse. In his introductory press conference, new General Manager Ben Cherington said pitcher John Lackey(notes) needs Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2012 MLB season.

This is not a big surprise as catcher Jason Varitek(notes) said Lackey was pitching through injuries the entire season. That might explain his decline, as he finished with a 6.41 ERA and a 12-12 record for the Red Sox. The news also take a little of the focus off Lackey for the controversies at the end of the season.

Lackey was one of three pitchers, alongside Jon Lester(notes) and Josh Beckett(notes), who reached infamy when it was discovered they drank beer, ate chicken and played poker during the games they weren’t pitching. This caused many fans to question their dedication since they chose not to remain on the bench and cheer the Red Sox on. They also noticeably ballooned in weight through the end of the season, attributed to the beer and chicken.

Doctors examined Lackey’s arm on Oct. 24 and Lackey agreed to have surgery to fix the problem. Tommy John Surgery is a procedure when doctors replace a ligament in the elbow with a tendon from another part of the body. After an individual undergoes Tommy John surgery, recovery time for pitchers is normally 12-15 months depending on the athlete.

Lackey joins Daisuke Matsuzaka(notes) on the DL for 2012. Matsuzaka underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2011 and Boston does not expect him back until the midway point of 2012 at the earliest.

These injuries leave Boston with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz(notes) as the only remaining starters. Relief pitcher Alfredo Aceves(notes) looks ready to move into the starting lineup. That means that the Red Six will look for a fifth starter but Cherington made comments about not looking to bring in high priced starters, a change for the Red Sox organization in recent years.

The Red Sox do get a bonus with the loss. Lackey’s contract stated that if he missed any time from 2010-14 due to his previous elbow injuries, his salary for 2015 drops to the league minimum, which makes his average salary drop almost $2.7 million a year.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

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Ben Cherington was introduced Tuesday as the general manager of the Boston Red Sox after spending three seasons as Theo Epstein’s assistant.

The 37-year-old Cherington appeared at a news conference three hours after one in Chicago at which the Cubs introduced Epstein as their president of baseball operations.

Cherington’s top priorities will be finding a manager to replace Terry Francona, who left two days after the Red Sox completed a September collapse that left them out of the playoffs. Cherington also must decide whether to try to retain designated hitter David Ortiz and closer Jonathan Papelbon, who can become free agents.

And he will be working on obtaining compensation from the Cubs for hiring Epstein with one year left on his Red Sox contract.

In Chicago, Epstein said he knew it was time to move on from Boston, even though it meant leaving the team he loved.

“After 10 years, no matter how passionate you are, you see the same issues, day after day and you are around the same people day after day,” Epstein said. “You are around the same landscape day after day for 10 years and eventually you will benefit from a new landscape and fresh problems.”

The Cubs haven’t won a World Series since 1908 and one of Epstein’s first decisions will be deciding the future of manager Mike Quade, who has a year left on his two-year deal. Chicago was 71-91 last season.

Tommy John surgery ahead for Lackey

John Lackey will undergo reconstructive elbow surgery and miss the 2012 season, the latest setback in his rough year with the Boston Red Sox.

New general manager Ben Cherington made the announcement Tuesday.

Lackey, a right-hander, was 12-12 with a 6.41 ERA in the second year of a five-year, $82.5 million contract. The Boston Globe reported after the season that he and fellow starters Josh Beckett and Jon Lester drank beer and ate fried chicken in the clubhouse during games in which they were not pitching.

Cherington said the Tommy John surgery probably would be performed by noted orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum, but he did not know when. Lackey had elbow soreness during the season and had an MRI exam in May or June, Cherington said. He had another one after the season and was examined recently by Yocum in Los Angeles.

“John Lackey pitched through circumstances this year that I don’t think any of us in this room can fully understand,” Cherington said, “and he got beat up for it a little bit along the way. This guy was dealing with some stuff both on the field and off the field that were really difficult.

“I thought he showed tremendous toughness pitching through that.”

Late in the season, Lackey filed for divorce. His wife has breast cancer.

In May, after a bad outing, Lackey said, “Everything in my life sucks right now, to be honest with you.”

The usual rehabilitation period from Tommy John surgery is at least 12 months.

Briefly

Blue Jays block Red Sox: The Toronto Blue Jays don’t intend to let manager John Farrell leave for the same job with the Boston Red Sox. The Jays issued a statement Tuesday that said employees won’t be permitted to leave for the same job in another organization — essentially blocking a move by Farrell back to the Red Sox.

Farrell spent four seasons as Boston’s pitching coach before being hired to manage the Blue Jays last year. The team finished fourth in the A.L. East with an 81-81 record.

Royals hire pitching coach: Former Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland was added to Royals manager Ned Yost’s staff on Tuesday.

He’ll be charged with developing a young starting rotation that was long on talent but too often short on results this season, when the Royals finished 71-91 and 24 games out of first place in the A.L. Central.

Ticket holders get voice: Los Angeles Dodgers season-ticket holders are getting seats on the creditors committee in the team’s bankruptcy case. The U.S. trustee for Delaware’s bankruptcy court on Tuesday appointed two representatives of the season-ticket holders to the Dodgers’ official committee of unsecured creditors.

Nathan bought out: Right-hander Joe Nathan will get a $2million buyout after the Minnesota Twins declined the club option on the closer for the 2012 season.

Twins general manager Bill Smith said the team is interested in re-signing Nathan. The option for 2012 was $12.5 million.

A’s release right-hander: The Oakland Athletics have released right-handed reliever Michael Wuertz and claimed right-hander Evan Scribner and outfielder Cedric Hunter off waivers from the San Diego Padres.

Brewers’ Narveson has surgery: Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Chris Narveson has had surgery on his left hip and is expected to be ready for spring training. Narveson was 11-8 with a 4.45 ERA this season.

– From Our Press Services