Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington and team president Larry Lucchino discussed with the media Thursday afternoon their decision to fire first-year manager Bobby Valentine, reports Alex Speier of WEEI:
"Look at the final record and our place in the standings. That speaks for itself. Beyond that, we’re not going to get into this issue or that issue, this grievance or that grievance. We don’t necessarily feel that’s necessary or appropriate to do any of that. As Ben said, we pressed a reset button," said Lucchino.
"We’re not going to get into what he did right and what he did wrong. We’re not going to go into that dissection of the year. We felt change was a better way to go forward and lead us where we want to be as a franchise."
Cherington added that the disappointment of the 2012 season could not be placed entirely on Valentine's shoulders, but that there were a variety of contributing factors to the team's slide, of which Cherington included himself.
So far as beginning the search for a new manager, Cherington and Lucchino said they do not yet has a list of candidates to take over the position, but that their priorities for what they are looking for have changed.
"I’m not sure the list [of traits being sought] is any longer. It might be a little different, again, because the team is in a little different position," said Cherington. "We’ll start that work more in earnest now."