2 World Championships
6 Playoff Appearances
Millions of eternally grateful fans

Thank you for the amazing collapse of 2011, which started a new championship drought for the Red Sox. Thank you for having Lackey, Beckett and Lester guzzle beer and pig out on chicken during ballgames...It made the Yankees stronger and the Red Sox weaker. And Tito, I hope you find a job...working at McDonald's! And Theo, you will NEVER get the Cubbies to the World Series. You'll be a failure in Chicago.
Here's hoping the Red Sox (and Yankees) have a championship drought so long nobody will even care about the rivalry! Good riddance.

I'm late getting this thank you out to you two. Surely, someone has already put into elegant words the thanks you deserve. And thanks to Fred and the great people at TANK for making this thank you train possible!

Your legacy will live on for generations. Thanks for making it happen during my life time, and my father's. It's something we'll cherish together forever.

Go Sox!

Rick J.

Thank you Theo. THanks for drafting all the great players like Ellsbury, Pedroia, thanks for the two rings. You're the greatest Red Sox GM ever. I wish you would've stayed, but everybody has to move on at some point.

Thank you, I hate that people are trashing you.

Why must this site be sanitized? Theo ran out of town after handing contracts to Crawford and Lackey that pay them about as much as the Angels will pay Pujols and Wilson this year. Meanwhile, the Sox are unable to make any moves and Theo gets to start with a clean slate. Sure he deserves thanks for his part in 04 and 07, but he just as well deserves admonishment for what he left behind.

How ya doin Tito? Well I hope. You deserve the best of the best and surely hope you get it. Thank you for taking the bitterness out of Sox fandom and giving us all years of good gamesmanship and hope! I look forward to your wit and baseball smarts - it will be a nice change....Aloha

You da man, thanks Tito. Winning that first World Series is an amazing memory for me!

I hate the way it ended but thanks for all the hard work and dedication. 04 and 07 were special.

No matter how things went in the end, the good memories will be cherished forever. For that, I thank you both.

Thanks for making a believer out of a little kid in NY. 2004 hooked me for life

Dear Theo,thanks for bringing us great joy during you tenure with our sox.we will miss your steady hand at the wheel here though your shortstop aquisitions were sort of funny,yoir only failing.For what ist worth my brother isa succsfull atty,in fact argued a case in the US supreme court at young age,you were the only person he has ever admitted to being in awe of and envious ,this was back in 2005 when he told me.Rock on Theo ,and maybe return back home.

Tito, you were a great manager and showed yourself to be even greater human being. Thank you for bringing two championships to Boston. Thank you for being honorable in all your doings. God bless you, and your family, and may your son come home safely. Semper Fi to him from an old Marine.

You took misery out of my life. Thank you.

You took misery out of my life.

Thanks for the chips fellas!

Thank you for what you have done for Red Sox Nation! These past few years have been some of the best baseball seasons of my life. You put together an amazing run!

I just wanted to thank you for how great of a job you did as the Red Sox Manager. In my opinion, people are going so crazy over this Septermber thing, but aren't saying what needs to be said. You managed the team to two World Series wins. You'd been with the team so long, I feel like my Aunt got divorced and I'm losing my cool bald uncle.

Best Wishes

Thanks, guys.
You guys made it possible for my friends in Boston to get on with their lives.

Thanks so much. Will never forget these years.

Thank you Theo and Tito for 2004 and 2007. Your tireless work and dedication to the RedSox, the city of Boston and the fans will NEVER go unnoticed. Good luck in your future endeavors.

Thanks much, Tito.

You did a great, incredible job.

Here's to you enjoying your time off and broadcasting.

We owe you a lot and you will be missed.

Thanks Theo for invoking your arbitrary 10, umm, make that 9, year rule after the most craptastic month of your tenure, and one of the worst months a contending Boston team ever endured. Thanks for leaving when the chips were disgustingly down.

You did a lot of awesome in Boston. Incredibly, astoundingly awesome. We owe you massive thanks for that. Thank you for that. Really, truly, thank you.

But your departure sucked and don't think for a second that people buy your stated reason for leaving.

You helped give me and all Red Sox fans one of the most thrilling, joyful, and cathartic moments of our lives. One million times thank you.

Hello guys, I know this may be corny and a bit over the top to have a site just to say thank you but after all it is Boston and we're over the top about all our sports. I really sincerely want to thank you gentlemen for mending one of the most deeply broken hearts for the 2003 season and many years prior. No one they bring in will replace what you've done for the organization and the people of Red Sox Nation. This a heart felt thank you to both of you and best wishes in your next opportunities.

Thanks for all the great memories. It was an incredible run and Red Sox fans will always be grateful for the time you spent here. We wish you both nothing but the best in all your future endeavors.

Thanks chaps, from a British fan in London. The long nights watching the Sox were all worth it.

Thousand thanks!

Thank you for allowing me to realize a dream that my father,uncles, and grandfather had for decades with them. Thank you for your professionalism, dedication, and class on the field, and being so easy to root for. Good luck in the future.

I love you guys

Thank you both for an amazing ride. I will never forget anything the 2 of you did for the city of Boston. If I ever see either of you, drinks on me! Cheers

Thank you for all the hard work you guys did for my/our beloved region.

Bob

Thank you very much for everything.

2004. That's all that needs to be said :) THANK YOU!

thanks Tito, my Earthday Birthday Buddy~~

Thanks Theo and Tito for breaking the Curse of the Bambino! Good luck in your future endeavors. And I can't wait for the next time the Sox play the Cubs!

I grew up in Vancouver Canada, but have always been a die hard fan of the great Boston sports teams - starting with the Bobby Orr Bruins and carrying over to the many almost great Red Sox.

But when I watched the ball roll through Buckner's legs in 86, I was convinced that the Sox would never win it all in my lifetime.

In the fall of 2004, I finally had the chance to move to Boston - my favorite city. And while my first weeks in the city of my dreams was a nightmare (I moved in the day before the Yankees series), the comeback and World Series win were an unbelievable welcome to my newly adopted city.

Thanks to Theo and Tito for making my first year (and third year) in Boston such an unbelievably memorable experience.

Thank you both for the huge parts you played in bringing 2 Championships to Boston!!!!

As a Yankee fan, I can say "thank you" for paying a lot more money for Daisuke Matsuzaka than the Yankees were willing to part with. Appreciate it!

I am a diehard Yankees fan, but still offer thanks to Tito for 1) putting together great foils for my boys; 2) being classy enough/in the mode of Torre so that my hatred for the sox could be mitigated with objective admiration; 3) being a beacon of dignity during a sloppy time in baseball's evolution.

Happy trails!

Great job, I respect all you do and wish you the best, forever. I really hope we can hang out again some time, that one time we hit the clubs was bangin'... I'll miss you Theo, and Tito, get well soon man. I know we'll make it through these rough times together. Always your biggest fan and home boy,

John

Thanks for the memories guys. We will continue to be lifelong fans of you both and wish you the best in your next adventure.

I have two children, born '07 and '09, so we'll always remember those Championship years with extra fond memories.

Thanks for making it so easy to love baseball! You guys truly rock!

Thank you from 3 generations of Red Sox fans, I grew up listening to my father say the Sox would never win a World Series in his lifetime. I never believed that when I was younger, but as the years went by and I followed through the tough years, and the near misses, I began to wonder if I would see the Sox win it all. I began to tell my son, that as Sox fans we might never see a World Champion Sox team. Theo, you changed the Sox from top to bottom, and Tito you guided the team that you and Theo built. You shook up the world, or at the very least the Red Sox Nation! I thank you for myself, my son, and most of all for my father, when we won in 2004, I called him and we talked about it for hours, just like when I was a kid.

Thanks!

moved to Boston as a confirmed non-sports dude in 2002, fell in love with baseball and the Sox in 2003 -- you guys are a big part of that. be well.

Thanks for all that you did while in Boston. I wish you two would have stayed and we cut the dead weight from the clubhouse.

My dad and I are life long fans of the Sox, you made our dreams come true twice.

Thanks

Jordan

End of a fantastic run. Best wishes to you both in your future endeavors. You will be missed and remembered as a tremendous tandem.

Thanks for the great last few years and on behalf of the less fickle Sox fans, sorry for how things turned out in the end

Hey guys,
just wanted to add my two pennorth as they say in Yorkshire for what you did for the team. We first caught sight of the Sox in the 86 world series, it was shown over in the UK, and we were enthralled, even if ultimately crushed that the Sox ended up losing (and yeah, sorry, we liked the Rocket back then too). Took me a while to come back to the game just as the 2000's began, have to say the 2003 team probably still ranks as my favourite, and of course that was a pretty shitty waste of a team. Well, you fixed that by firing the chump and bringing in Tito, nothing but class all the way, you really did an outstanding job in the post season particularly but also managing that motley bunch of muppets over all those years, its really a shame they let you down in the end, and its disgusting that the media poked around in your private life and that you couldnt leave the team in the manner which you more than deserved. Theo, I still want to say screw you for trading Nomar, my all time favourite just weeks before I came to Boston for the first time, those games i saw at Fenway were tinged with sadness whenever Orlando Cabrera put his scrawny ass in the box, but I respect that you did what you felt was right, and well, who knows what would have happened, but what did happen is you made a lot of people very happy and then iced it with another just 3 years later. You seem like a cool guy, and all the best to you in Chicago, and certainly hope Tito finds something he enjoys as his next project, I will always be a fan of both of you.
Well done, and cheers.
/Lee

Thank you for organizing teams with spirit enough to vanquish a history of antagonistic burden – it was a delight to follow your teams. Thank you for the good times.

You've allowed me to experience a new emotion as a Sox fan - joy. Thank you.

Thanks for the memories. I'm 30 years old, so I'm nowhere near as old as many Sox fans, but before you guys came to town, all I knew was heartache from losing seasons. You turned it all around and for that I, along with millions of other lifelong Sox fans, am eternally grateful.

Thank you for being the greatest red sox manager of my lifetime. You did a fantastic job entertaining the fans, protecting the players from the media spotlight, dealing with management and producing a consistently winning team. Plus, you did it all while staying humble and true to yourself. We in Red Sox nation will always be in debt to you for all you did for us.

Thanks for giving me the greatest sports memory I can ever have. You will both always be members of the Nation.

Thanks for coming together and forming two of the greatest Red Sox teams in history!

Thanks for the memories fellas! Nothimg can erase the joy that you brought to Red Sox fans over the years. We all wish you well in the future ans wish it didn't have to end like this! "Everything ends badly. Otherwise, it wouldn't end."

I don't think I have the words...except, thank you for EVERYTHING. I will forever treasure the opportunity I had to say that to you in person this last Spring Training.

I will always love my Red Sox, but a piece of my heart left with you.

-- Francine

Thanks for the great years. Boston media reaction does not dictate how the educated fan and most fans will view your years here.


I wish you both good luck in future endeavors...
Theo,
I hope the Cubs get to the World Series every year, and then lose to the Red Sox.

I am Dominican, as the Sox major stars were Dominican at the time of the championships the team had a huge following in the DR. I remember vividly game 4 when Papi hit the extra innings homer to win the game, I was already resigned the Yankees would it it all again. Then the next day Papi hit the walkoff single, two days later they beat the Yankees and the whole country was out on the streets celebrating that night "Carnival style". I also remember 2007 and how magic it was. If it wasn't for Theo pickups and Tito's managing we would still be hearing "1918" chants on games.

Thank you guys

I became a huge red sox fan back in 2003, when theo first came to the team. I was 8 years old. The greatest moments of my life came in 2003-2004. I was very sick back then and had my appendix taken out in 04, but the one thing that got me through all of that was watching the sox win games. I knew who everyone was, and i thought it was so cool that theo epstien was the general manager of the sox and he was from brookline. I cried for days after aaron f**king boone hit that homerun. I was ecstatic to hear little was fired and this guy francona was hired. I had no clue who he was. I loved how he always let players be them selves, because i always loved seeing what crazy thing millar or manny were doing. My greatse moment of my life was game 5 of the alcs, which i had won tickets at while i was in the hospital, and my mom let me skip school to get to the game early. When papi blooped that single in to center, my doesnt, or my self, remember a time when i was so happy. I still feel this way to my day. From then one, the red sox have been my favorite thing in the world. I just hope valentine and cherington can be as half as good as you were. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Phil LeVangie

The post-season run in 2004, most vindicating moment as a life long Sox fan. Cannot thank you guys enough for making the World Series championship a reality. There has never before been a finer GM/Manager combination in Red Sox history. Your legacy will live forever in the city of Boston.

When I was growing up, my father always told me not too get emotionaly involved with the Red Sox, even tho he always did in the end. My Dad never got to see them win but thanks to you we all did - so Thanks and good luck ... John E (loyal season ticket splitter since 87)

Thanks for the memories.

Like the old political slogan said, "Are you better off now than you were 4 years ago." Yes, Red Sox Nation is better now than before you both arrived. Thank you for the vision of success and the dedication you had to see it through. I can't imagine you/we could experience better than winning it all in Boston. Thank you!

Thanks for making lifelong dreams come true. Unfortunately you spoiled us for the time you were here and now the greedy fans can't accept one bad month, too bad Redsox Nation was better with you.

Thank you for being the right people in the right place at the right time. We were lucky to have you, and we will miss you.

Thank you!

In 2003, my 9 year old son cried after the ALCS. As a father I had to live with the guilt of having made him a Sox fan. Living in western Canada, Boston would not have been his natural choice. I was in a semi state of depression for the better part of a year afterwards. Then 2004 happened and after the ALCS we both cried, but for much different reasons, and it made it all worth it. Thank you for letting me witness what I was almost convinced was just never meant to be, and for not making my son hate me for the rest of his life :)

You helped generations of red sox fans avoid suffering the same fate as some of their loved ones, living without witnessing a Red Sox World Championship, that accomplishment alone puts you in the hearts of Red Sox fans world wide. But you didn't stop there, you were able to lead this organization with class while co-existing in the same town as some of the most absurd media personalities there are out there. On behalf of my family, I thank you and I am sure Red Sox nation feels the same.

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, always and forever thank you. Things are always crazy when it comes to the Red Sox, but the two of you anchored a REALLY nice crazy period of time. You both are always going to be remembered for 2004 and the varied generations of fans that never thought it would happen STILL talk about it. May you never feel like you can't go back to Boston for a drink or meal, may you always find success in your careers and happiness in your persona lives. Peace & Best always from Sox fans everywhere (not just the new ones carrying Red Sox Nation cards). The people who rooted for the bottom dwelling team, pre-Pink Hats love you just as much as the people who jumped aboard at the right time. We'll never have a pair like you two again, and are worse off for it.

Hope and Change began and ended with the two of you...Thank You!

Thank you Theo/Tito for giving us the Boston Red Sox we always dreamed of. Good luck in Chicago Theo (though you won't end their curse). Tito, you deserved better. Best Sox Manager ever.

You guys helped change a city/region/fan base. You can't put into words everything that you have done. Thank you both of you, and good luck with everything.

A fat old Yankees fan once asked me how old my grandfather had been when the Sox last won the World Series. He was 4. Fat Yankees fan said "And someday you'll be telling your grandchildren that their great-great grandfather was 4 the last time they won the Series." Thank you for shutting him up, and for giving my granddad a chance to see two more before he passed.

4 No Hitters

You guys led us to the greatest decade in Red Sox history. It's quite clear that our front office is leading us in the wrong direction and we're going to miss having both of you around in a major way.

Theo, I wish you nothing but luck with the Cubs. It is certainly a challenge, but you are definitely the man for the job. I wait for the day you lead them to the World Series and get remembered as one of the top general managers in sports history.

Tito, you were a great coach. Sure, things were not always great, but you handled the job better than anyone could have imagined. It pains me to see Bobby V as your replacement, you are head and shoulders above him. I hope you get back into the game soon, Major League Baseball is better with you in it.

All in all it was a fun ride fellas, best of luck moving forward!

After 2003, I was so desparate and despondent that I almost gave up on one of my true passions in life - the Red Sox. You steadied the ship. You never gave up. I will never forget your post-game comments during the 2004 ALCS. You gave everything you had to the players, the team, the city and the organization. You brought us 2 World Series Championships!!! We will never forget you -- THE BEST RED SOX MANAGER EVER!! good luck and god bless!

Thank you not only for bringing the sweet taste of victory to the long-suffering Nation, but also for providing almost a decade's worth of professionalism, intelligence, and class that made the Sox a joy to root for in ways we'd never experienced before. Individually, you were both superb at what you did; together you made a transcendent team. As Mark Antony would say, "when comes such another?"

Thank you, Theo. Thank you, Tito. You won't need much luck in your future endeavors, but I wish it for you anyway.

You knew we'd run you out of town eventually. Let's forget all this in a few years, Nomar style.

Can't give thanks enough, for everthing. You will be missed, but good luck in the future!

Terry,

Thank you.

You managed a group of men to do what had become nearly impossible.

Then you did it again.

That you did it all with grace and humour in what must be the toughest scrutiny of any sports team in any markets is amazing. That you did that without ever throwing any one under the bus, be that a player, an opponent, management or the fans is next to impossible to believe.

But belief is what you gave us all.

Thank you,

Shep

Thank you for forever extinguishing the "1918" chants. Thanks for changing my life. Thanks for changing my Dad's life and my Grampy's life.

Thanks for everything.

Theo,

Thank you for making this a winning organization at all levels and in many facets. You moved us past our obsession with heartache loss, you weren't afraid to ship the big icons out of town, or put a relatively unknown guy at the helm. You seemed uncomfortable with some things in the executive suite but never once played it out in the press. Every time I count the number of homegrown players we have I am in awe. You delivered on the player development machine and you made the team a place where players wanted to stay.

The last few months has been insane. Let's not let it ruin this moment. You deserve a ridiculous amount of credit for making good on your promise to deliver winning teams to Boston and Championship Trophies to boot. If we got a little obsessed at times, forgive us, you came into it knowing what it would be like. If we became entitled over the years, we have had a wake up call, and hopefully we will learn from this season (and in your absence) to appreciate what you gave us and what we all shared together, which can only be described as the golden era of the Modern Red Sox.

Best of luck to you in Chicago - hope to see you and your new team in the World Series soon, against the Red Sox, what a grand story that would be...

I'm a 57 year old man who had honestly lost hope of ever seeing the Sox win the Series until the miracle of 2004. Even after that, I was still deeply neurotic until 2007. Now I've attained a peculiar mellowness and maturity, at least on matters relating to baseball. For that, I thank both of you (along with the baseball gods that finally let the ball bounce our way when it mattered most). I have no doubt that you'll both continue to achieve great things because, let's face it, you're a couple of truly smart guys. Thanks again.

Thanxz for it all Tito. You guided a team to greatness. The Red Sox are responsible for some of the most joyful moments in my life. Thank you for helping bring those moments to me.

I'm gonna die happy now no matter what! That says it all. Thanxz for helping make it so.

Not your faults. I blame Ortiz.

My best memory of you, Tito, was from a spring training game in Bradenton in 2009. Ramon Ramirez came in to start an inning. Ramirez had been going through a rough spell, and the first batter he faced drilled a double to left center. It was easy to see from his body language that he was pretty discouraged -- but he bore down, retired the next three batters, and escaped the inning unscathed (or at least unscored upon). When Ramirez came off the mound, I saw you come all the way from your perch (behind home plate) down the third-base line to greet him at the far end of the bench, just to give him a pat on the back and tell him, "Good job!" You may not have seen it, but Ramon was visibly pumped up by the recognition and encouragement.

The poor guy wasn't as successful with the Red Sox as we would have liked, but I'm sure he gave his all for a genuinely supportive manager.

I wish I could say that for all of the 2011 Sox.

Theo and Tito,

Thank you so much for making my dreams of a Red Sox World Championship come true! Ben and whoever the Sox hire as manager (Bobby V?) will both have tough acts to follow. I am happy to say that I can say that I really did appreciate what we had in the both of you while you were here. I've been a Sox fan long enough to know that 95 win seasons and World Championships aren't commonplace and that the era was to be savored.

Thanks again and good luck!

It was shortly after Thanksgiving in 2003 when I heard the news on the radio that you and the Red Sox had traded for Curt Shilling. I relayed the message to my 6 year old son Connor, who promptly exclaimed that “Curt Shilling is the most awesome pitcher in baseball! He kills everyone in my game [Backyard Baseball] and has four pitches that he throws for strikes!” I didn’t even know my son knew who Curt Shilling was, let alone had a scouting report on him. Thanks Theo for making that father-son moment possible… and for the more historic memories less than a year later. Good luck in Chi-town; we’ll see you in the Series. Go Sox!

My grandfather died long before either of you became involved with the Red Sox. He once gave me a book full of baseball statistics ("Total Baseball") and wrote on the inside cover, "To Mike, the greatest hitter of them all." That kind of language can only come from someone who grew up watching Ted Williams play. My grandfather didn't live to see the Red Sox win a World Series, but that doesn't mean he didn't see it. On that night in 2004, I could only think of what a special gift the Sox had given him and my entire family: the realization of his dream. I will always appreciate your memorable tenure in Boston - not only your undeniable success, but the grace and patience with which you handled an emotionally charged fan base. Thank you.

Being a girlie girl, I didn't watch much baseball growing up but I did know the Red Sox were pretty much a religion when I was younger. I'm sorry for the years I missed but I can't thank the two of you enough for re-introducing me to the Sox and the game of baseball. I finally understand how you can be so proud of a team, win or lose. It's the way you play --- with all your heart. Bless you both. You will be missed but never forgotten.

I've been a Red Sox fan for over a decade now, nearly half my life. Living in New York sometimes its hard, my whole family is Yankee fans. 2004 was the best moment of my life up to that point. I still talk about it with some of friends to this day. I will be forever grateful to you two. You did something amazing in your years here in Boston and any team you are on will be better with you. Thank you guys and good luck with all your future jobs.

Thank you for the class that you consistently displayed, your humor, your dedication, and your honesty. For managing a group of highly paid, highly competitive, highly talented guys and somehow finding the right balance between simply letting them use their God given abilities and motivating them when it was called for. Thank you for the way that you dealt with the media in a town that can be unfair and opinionated – sometimes dishonestly. Thank you for embracing Red Sox Nation (and allowing Red Sox Nation to embrace you). We care deeply about our team and appreciate it when someone joins the organization that cares too. Thank you for two World Series Championships, for exorcizing the ghosts of the past, for redeeming wonderful players and teams that came so close, and for fulfilling a dream that so many Mom’s and Dad’s shared with their kids (and vice versa). Thank you for the pride that I feel when I wear my Red Sox cap (or shirts, or jackets, or sweat shirts, etc…). For the pleasure it gives me when someone stops me and wants to talk about the team. Winning is great, but you gave us more than that… teams that won the right way, teams that played hard and worked through the grind of 162 games, while still being teams that were fun to watch… “The Idiots”, Dave Roberts stealing second, Manny being Manny, Schilling’s bloody sock, Jacoby stealing home, Tek punching A-Rod, Papi’s smile, Pedey’s f-bombs, Papelbon doing his river dance on the field, Youk’s stance, Gonzo’s swing… In short the teams that you managed were teams that we were proud of. Whatever you do now, I hope it brings you as much joy as you have brought to so many of us.

Theo, I will never listen to another Pearl Jam song without thinking about 2 world series championships and the end of that 86 year drought. You did it. Thanks, Bill

Thank you both for everything. No, really...THANK YOU! Boston will miss you.

Theo, while you made mistakes like everyone does, you most certainly did a lot of good here too. When you were named GM you promised the philosophy of the organization would change, and change it did. Throughout the last decade no one has been more valuable than you in what the Red Sox were able to achieve, so thank you so much for everything you did for this organization. You did far more than write checks; you turned the Sox into a model organization. Let's admit, your free agent track record is ugly, but in other acquisitions, player development and re-building the farm system you thrived. The success obviously speaks for itself, starting with the two World Series titles. My elementary school Spanish teacher and diehard Red Sox fan taught you when you were younger and one day showed us a video project you'd made. I smiled at the sight of the teenage Theo decked out in his Red Sox cap that she said you wore everyday. I know this couldn't have been easy for you, not only leaving an organization after a decade but also your hometown team and dream job. If you feel you needed a change and your time here was up I fully respect that and will remember your time as the GM of the Red Sox very fondly, rather than smear you on your way out like unfortunately some "fans" have done. A million thank yous for what you did and good luck in Chicago and with bringing the Cubbies and their fans what they so deeply covet. They're lucky to have such a smart and savvy individual such as yourself trying to guide them to the promise land.

THANK YOU ...... Thank you for letting me witness something I wondered if I would ever see. Thank you for letting my Father witness what he never thought he'd see ... And Thank you for letting my kids witness something my Grandmother did not see before she left this earth , but what she wished we'd all see !!!!! THANK YOU ..... THANK YOU ..... THANK YOU !!!!! You'll be missed but never forgotten !!!!

Thanks man. You don't have a hoody thing going, like Belichick, or get all angry or red in the face like others, or have an unpronouncable name. Actually you were quite boring in your time here.

But, none of that matters because you did something that even working with Tim McCarver can never take away. You got a bunch of teary eyed men and women and children and old guys and gals the World Series Trophy... not once, but twice. I mean, once really would have been enough too, but twice.

Sad to see you go, but I have no doubt that you'll soon be back somewhere making everyone here wince as you're kicking the Red Sox's butts (that's still how it still works, Championships or no Championships). So. Thanks man! You rock!!

I was 10 years old when you were hired by the Red Sox. I didn’t know what to think of you at first, but after seeing a picture in the newspaper of you and Nomar Garciaparra together at some event, I remember thinking, “Well if my favorite player seems to like him, I’m sure I will, too.” In your first season you managed to accomplish what no one else in the history of the game had, and delivering New Englanders what they craved so badly in the most thrilling, implausible fashion. You finished with the most playoff appearances in team history and the second-most wins, managed personalities and egos with astonishing grace and persistence. The way you always had your players backs spoke volumes about the type of person you are. Tito, you’re a great man and were the perfect person for this franchise. I’m sorry it had to end this way. I’m sorry your players abused your approach that worked for so long; that’s on them, not you. I’m sorry that you feel like you let people down; though I can only speak for myself, I don’t feel let down at all by you; quite the opposite, in fact. You did things here that were unprecedented, and your constant and consistent success, patience and rationality shined through. I truly respected and admired your managerial style and your loyalty and care for your players. Red Sox fans wish you nothing but the absolute best; you will always be immensely appreciated and beloved in Boston, and sorely missed. We will always, always be grateful. Good luck, god bless, and once again, thank you.

This website once again shows the special fanbase that we have in Boston. Thank you Terry, thank you Theo, for completely changing the atmosphere and bringing two championships to our city.

Thanks for 2 championships.good luck in the future.

When I was but a lad (seventeen years old), Calvin Schiraldi and others crushed me. Later that week, I was wearing a Red Sox cap at the local mall in upstate NY. A woman whom I would guess was in her mid-sixties saw me and said, "They may not win it in my lifetime, but they will in yours," So many thanks for proving her right. I hope she was also still alive. We used to salute "One of the 25" as they departed, but now I salute one of the one. You have been special here, I'm sure you know that.

Sadness is not the usual emotion Red Sox fans have when the team's manager loses (or leaves) his job. That's simply another one more reason why Terry Francona was unique.

He accepted the job as Red Sox manager shortly after the abrupt and soul-crushing end to the 2003 season, with the fans' frustration and the intensity of the rivalry with the Yankees at an all-time high. The first four months of the 2004 season were maddeningly ordinary, and he must have been under an unfathomable amount of pressure (in that season, and in every season since).

But we learned he was the perfect man for the job. Francona was open to progressive ideas, he grasped the Nation's connection with the team almost immediately, and although he maintained a close relationship with the front office, he could also be as goofy or irreverent as any of the players. Not living in Boston, I did not hear many of Francona's press conferences, but when I did, his interaction with the media, his responses and explanations and reassurances, were actually calming. He was an essential part of forever changing the way Red Sox fans feel about themselves, their team, and the game of baseball.

Of the Red Sox's 44 managers, Francona's "games over .500" record is the best in team history. And he became a cut-throat, no-bullshit "assassin" in October: 28-17 (.622) in post-season games and 8-0 in the World Series. Joe Cronin managed more seasons and won more games, but Francona is without question the greatest manager in Red Sox history.

He is also firmly on my list of Top 5 Red Sox - again, what long-time fan would have ever thought a manager could be as beloved as Tito - and I will be forever grateful for his steady, competent guidance of "my team". I've long said I wanted him to manage the Red Sox until he no longer wanted the job. Sadly, that day has come much quicker than I expected.

Terry Francona: I wish you as much joy and peace of mind in the years ahead as you gave me (and millions of other Red Sox fans) during those 11 exhilarating and unforgettable and surreal days in October 2004.

I'm grateful I was conscious, present, and accounted for during the entire eight year tour of duty that you managed the Red Sox.

I will never take for granted how great you were in Boston, and with Boston (players, fans, the 'Nation) while handling your job. To hear a manager speak without Bull Durham vagueness and sports clichés - and with directness, candor, passion, humor, and (yes, despite some differing opinions here) toughness and discipline - is extremely rare. And you did it for a goddamn baseball lifetime.

We always chime back to the amazing innings we witnessed in the 2004 post-season. During the comeback from 0-3 against NYY- a moment-to-moment existence where every fan's heart was raw on their collective sleeves, as bloody as Schilling's sock. Hearts that first beat slow at what always inexorably happened in the past, but then quivered as you ground it out, inching us closer to believing in a grand new future with each pitch, swing, inning, and out in those playoffs, until our hearts pounded and burst when you delivered the extraordinary conclusion and catharsis of a world championship in my lifetime.

THAT'S how I will always view you as manager of this team, and this town. You are as much soul and spine of this team as anyone else that wore the laundry.

By my reckoning you left it all out on the field every moment, every pitch, and every night, for damn near 1300 regular season games, most of which I saw, listened to, read, talked about, and posted about. And while I'm sad that I won't take that same journey/odyssey as a fan with a future Red Sox manager ever, ever again, I'm happy I have these eight years as your Boston legacy.

When you became GM it was the first time in my lifetime that I ever had faith in the front office of the Red Sox. I knew what you knew: That the Red Sox had the type of once in a generation superstars that MLB teams win championships with, but after that had little else, something that had occurred over and over throughout the history of the franchise. You immediately changed that, and built a team that challenged, broke our hears, nearly broke our hearts again, and then won in the only way possible to exorcise the demons of this franchise. Living in New York at the time, the next day was the first time in my entire life that with a hat with a red "B" on it I looked a man with a interlocking "NY" on his and instead of returning my gaze with a smug look, he looked at the ground. He looked away, a change I hadn't considered but the second it happened I knew it was seismic. For the next year, when walking across the street, or chopping an onion, I would stop what I was doing and exclaim "I can't believe the Red Sox won the world series!" I would call friends at random times for no reason at all and say "The Red Sox won the World Series!" and we would laugh and hang up. That's the level of joy that you were a vital part in bringing to the city and Red Sox fans all over the world. This wouldn't be a part of my thank you to just any GM, but it is part of mine to you, because I know that you lived and died with this team as I did. This wasn't just a feather in your cap towards a successful career. This was partly personal for you. The look on your face on the field in St. Louis said it all. I don't think I can thank you enough for "getting it", for understanding history, and for doing your best to not repeat the mistakes of the past.

You were the best General Manager the Red Sox have ever had hands down. It's not really even close. You leave behind a franchise in much better shape than you left it, even with your largest mistakes possibly looming. I know that you know that you made mistakes but I was always confident in the processes that went into making those choices. Even if I didn't agree with a move, I could talk myself into it based on thinking "Why does this make sense?" There was always a good argument from that perspective.

With perspective, we may look at you leaving as a good thing for this franchise, but I doubt it. I wish you good luck in your new endeavor, and I hope that eventually you can return to the Red Sox in some sort of capacity as a Senior Baseball Advisor, in order to continue your work of establishing the Boston Red Sox as one of the greatest franchises in all of Baseball.

He was the right man, with the right ideas, in the right job, at the right time, and our lives as sports fans are all better for it. His moves didn't always work out, but just like with Francona, I felt like his decision-making processes were solid enough that I understood the reasoning even when I didn't agree with it. That is a quantum leap ahead of what the Red Sox had been stuck with for decades prior to his arrival.

Thank you, Theo. Thank you for 2004 and 2007. Even though you weren't the only contributor in either case, you made key acquisitions and development decisions that made those titles happen. The circumstances (and perhaps the timing) of your departure leave a bit of a sour taste in one's mouth, but that comes nowhere close to counter-balancing your accomplishments. Despite the less than ideal departure, the franchise is better off now than it was when you arrived, and for that this fan is grateful.

While you may deserve to be known as (along with the ownership Trio and Francona) the man running things during the Golden Age of Red Sox Baseball, I rather hope that you "just" end up being known as the GM when it started, because the alternative is that it is now ending.

The best manager that the Red Sox have had in my lifetime, and my wife's "favorite player" is gone. I really hope the "I just felt it was time for a new voice" bit is legitimate, and not "you're gone, how do you want to go about it to save face for us all?" PR crap.

In either case, I will always be thankful for how Terry Francona managed for the long haul, managed the media, and presented himself as the manager of the Red Sox. Even when we know he absolutely had to be worried internally, he projected calm. Not the "ignorance is bliss" calm of Grady Little, but the "Relax, we've got this" calm of a man who knew that the team would win that day, even when they didn't. All the little added color - the banter with David Ortiz, the relationship with Pedroia, the famous quote about Youk - made following the team just a little bit more enjoyable. I didn't always agree with Francona's moves, but after 2004, I pretty much always trusted him to have *a* reason for whatever he did, and that made me trust him on the "distant but still present" emotional fan level. I appreciated the class of never throwing players under the bus, even when we later found out (or were led to believe) that one or more of those players desperately deserved to get eviscerated. I wish Francona only the best in all of his future endeavors...unless he goes to the Yankees someday, of course, in which case I'll wish him a speedy and blissful retirement.