The Red Sox fired Bobby Valentine:

Valentine was not the choice of first-year general manager Ben Cherington. Team president Larry Lucchino engineered the deal after the Red Sox interviewed five other candidates, believing the 62-year-old Valentine would restore order to a team that tuned out Francona and collapsed down the stretch in 2011.

But the situation grew worse. Valentine had almost no allies within the organization beyond Lucchino and a handful of players.

Now the pressure will fall squarely on GM Ben Cherington to reverse the fortunes of a team that has plunged to the bottom of the American League.

I suspect Tim Bogar will get the job. Maybe the Red Sox should find greener pastures for Lucchino as well, or at least stop him from interfering with baseball operations.