Ex-Red Sox infielder Lou Merloni says that while ownership deserves blame for not supporting Terry Francona, the ultimate fault for the manager's departure lies with the players.
"These players . . they should look in the mirror," Merloni said Friday night, "and they should be ashamed of themselves for losing a manager, a players' manager that trusted them, and expected them to do their job. The bottom line: They didn't do it . . .
"This is the right move for Terry Francona. It's the wrong move for the organization."