MLB: Who Is to Blame for the Historic 2011 Boston Red Sox Collapse

The 2011 Boston Red Sox were supposed to be one of the best teams in the MLB this season. They even had a nine-game edge over the Tampa Bay Rays on September 2. However, the Red Sox finished the month with a 7-20 record and a loss on the final game of the season to the Baltimore Orioles.

This Red Sox team is the first ever team in MLB history to not make into the postseason after having a nine-game lead or larger in September. This historic collapse is one that every media outlet in the world, especially the Boston area, will be looking at until spring training begins in spring 2012.

Now, who is to blame for this breakdown in the month of September?

Is it the conditioners and trainers for their lacking of conditioning before the season, reported by Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe?

Is it Theo Epstein, who did not get any major deals done for pitching, besides Erik Bedard, at the trading deadline?

Is it manager Terry Francona, who just sat idly by while the players and pitchers he put out there underperformed down the stretch?

None of these are the right answers, because all the blame should go on the players. Sure, they played their hearts out, but some players specifically did not live up to their expectations coming into the season.

Left fielder Carl Crawford is the prime example as he only hit .255 with 18 stolen bases. Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury were supposed to run rampant on the base paths, but only Ellsbury looked like he could run the bases and field his position.

Crawford blew a catch he normally could make that gave the Orioles the 4-3 victory in Game 162. There is no excuse for that.

Also, base runners were constantly trying to do too much.

Marco Scutaro trying to score from first on a double in the late innings of the final game should not have happened, especially since he stopped at second to make sure the ball would get down for a hit. Other times, they would be lazy and not take the extra base.

September is what all baseball fans, players and analysts call the stretch, and the Red Sox looked as if they could not stretch out any leads in September.

Another thing the Sox need to blame is their pitching. Boston had terrible pitching throughout the month. Their supposed ace, Josh Beckett, could not keep a lead against the Orioles Monday.

John Lackey is the one starter on this team who needs to do something because his ERA was 6.41. Lackey needs to pitch better in 2012 or else he will be traded.

The Sox have one key question this postseason—How will they improve their pitching staff?