In a lot of ways, managing a baseball team is remarkably easy, compared to coaching other sports. The action is fairly linear: there aren't 11 defensemen or five matchups to keep an eye on at once, and a lot of the actual "coaching" is farmed out to the coaches. Plus, there's the 100-year-old unwritten "book" that tells you how to do your job, and if you stick to the book, you have a defense against criticism.

With that said, sometimes there are decisions that defy explanation. Like yesterday, in the Sox' 2-1 loss to Toronto. Now, we'll set the scene: it's 2-1, bottom of the ninth. You desperately want to score a run to tie (ideally, two, of course) and not saddle Josh Beckett with an ill-deserved loss. What three Red Sox do you want going to the plate to score that run?

If you said, "Eric Hinske, Doug Mirabelli and Julio Lugo", you're either mad, or Terry Francona. With potential pinch-hitters J.D. Drew and Jason Varitek trying on batting gloves and raring to go (if a bit bruised and sore), Tito sent Hinske (.196), Miracle (.185), and Lugo (.210) up against Jeremy Accardo, who sent them right back.

So a fine job by Beckett (8 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 8 K, 118 pitches) goes for naught, and the Sox finish the Toronto series with a split. Bah. Now the Royals come in, who are as bad as usual, but let's not forget it was a sweep in Kansas City last season that turned the Red Sox from contenders to trainwreck. KC sends Brian Bannister to the mound tonight against 2-0 Kason Gabbard.

Picture of younger, hairier, skipper from baseball-almanac.com.