The two sides to Theo Epstein's return, and other Red Sox musings

Epstein is a certain Hall of Famer, and might have been even before he left the Red Sox and ended up building the Cubs into a champion in that other city of recurring baseball heartbreak. It's impossible not to perceive Epstein as a shield for all of the valid criticism — including the kind expressed in overwhelming boos — that ownership has been receiving lately as it refuses to add high-end, extremely expensive, but necessary talent to a ball club that has finished in last place in three of the past four seasons. The Red Sox have emphasized that Epstein's priorities will be with FSG and he will not be involved with day-to-day operations. The embattled Red Sox brain trust clearly does not mind the perception that Epstein is here to aid baseball operations, even if the day-to-day workings of the team are somewhere far down his list of priorities.

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