Ah, how many times had we done this over the years. Once? Never?
It was just (un)like the good old days.
Maybe Dan's trying to get into heaven, I wondered. Maybe he's
doing the Bill Russell thing, suddenly becoming accessible. Maybe he's like all those ballplayers of whom it was written, ''He finally learned how to say hello just when it was time to say goodbye.''
While Dan was making small talk with his media pals, we laughed about the booing of Jeremy Jacobs, Mike O'Connell, and Harry Sinden on Ray Bourque Night.
''It was worse than what you got on Cal Ripken Night at Fenway,'' I told the Duke.
''I hope you are going to write that,'' he said (already done). ''What do you think would happen if you were introduced?''
Easy. They'd boo me. Everybody hates the media. And in October of 2001, loyal Sox fans have turned on Duquette in a big way.
The Red Sox Disgrace Across America Tour closes tonight in Baltimore. Boston fans are angry and the Duke said he's experienced their wrath.
''You wouldn't want to walk down the ramps during the last homestand with your wife and kids and hear some of the things said to me,'' he said. ''But that's part of the territory of being Red Sox general manager.''
Wow. In eight years I'd never heard him make such a statement. It was honest, almost candid. I asked him if he thought he'd still be GM of the Red Sox next spring. His first answer was totally unrelated to the question - a standard Duke technique. Finally, he said, ''I can't answer that question. My aim is to put together a Red Sox ball club that fans can be proud of.''
Like this collection of babies and quitters?
''There's been too much whining and not enough winning baseball,'' he said. ''I plan on addressing these issues in response to team chemistry in the offseason in a number of different ways that will be evident in spring training.''
Which would imply that the Duke thinks he'll still be on the job in February. He obviously plans on selling himself to the next ownership group - or better yet, hanging around because John ''No Accountability'' Harrington won't sell the team.
''I've made some mistakes, but I've also done a lot of good things for the Red Sox,'' Duquette said. ''A number of people like to personalize the personnel decisions, but a number of those decisions are economically driven.''
Duquette said he always makes the final road trip of the season. He planned to return to Boston last night and attend the funeral of legendary switchboard operator Helen Robinson today.
He said he wants to be back at Camden Yards for the final curtain tonight.
He said he thinks the media have ''villainized'' this team. Asked about Carl Everett, he said, ''Boston fans are great and people care. Some players can handle that and others can't.'' He added, ''I'm not going to publicly criticize people or players in the organization,'' but he did tell the Washington Post's Tom Boswell, ''Ripken played every day for 16 years. We've got guys who can't make it through the weekend.''
Reverting to Dukespeak, he talked about how only the Indians and Yankees have a better American League record in his eight-year tenure. He cited attendance records and TV and radio ratings. He said this year's team spent more days in first place than any Sox edition since 1995. He said, ''We have fielded an interesting and competitive team for our fans. And our fans are more interested in how our players do on the field. Red Sox fans know what's going on. The general feeling I get is that our fans expect us to contend through October. It's time to win a pennant.''
Manager Joe Kerrigan sounded equally clueless when asked about the anger of the fandom.
''I haven't seen any evidence of that,'' said the skipper. ''Nothing of that nature. Our fans know what's going on.''
Does Kerrigan expect to be back?
''No question,'' he answered. ''None whatsoever. That hasn't even entered my mind. I have a contract in front of me that says I'm the manager of the Boston Red Sox. I'm looking forward to putting a structure together. I'm going to go and visit our players in the winter. I'll be on tour.''
He didn't say whether he'd stop by Everett's house in Tampa as part of the tour.
There you have it. Clueless Joe and the Duke. Making plans for 2002.
They are right about one thing. Sox fans do indeed know what is going on. And they are mad. That's why the Duke hears words he never heard in the Bible when he walks the ramps of his own ballpark.
By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist, 10/6/2001 This story ran on page
G1 of the Boston Globe
on 10/6/2001
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company