What’s on your mind, Manchester sports fans? Here’s what’s on our radar from the Queen City and beyond in the wide world of sports for Oct. 11, 2017.
Farewell, Farrell
You can make the argument that he was the first Red Sox manager to win back-to-back AL East titles, you can make the argument that he still got 93 wins this year despite a Big Papi-sized hole in the lineup. You could even make the argument that they avoided a sweep in the ALDS.
Yes, you could make all those arguments for Red Sox manager John Farrell to keep his job. Regardless, pretty much everyone saw this coming.
The Red Sox fired Farrell on Wednesday, putting his final record in five years as the Red Sox manager at 432-378, including a World Series win in 2013.
However, that team was very much a carryover from the era of Terry Francona and Theo Epstein. Farrell struggled to return to those heights, following his championship debut with a pair of losing seasons and the early playoff exits this year and last year.
On top of that, there was the Dennis Eckersley controversy unfolding under his watch, worst of the worst challenge rates in the AL, and some decisions so questionable that it was hard to talk of his impending departure on talk radio throughout his tenure. Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski wouldn’t give a reason during today’s press conference announcing the move.
The Darkest Day in U.S. Soccer History
All they needed to do is get either a win or a draw against tiny Trinidad and Tobago, but they couldn’t. The United States will not be going to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals in Russia, losing 2-1 on Tuesday night.
After last week’s 4-0 drubbing against Panama, the USMNT had a 93 percent chance of getting either an automatic slot in the tournament or a chance to earn a berth against the fifth-placed team in Asian qualifying.
This marks the first time the U.S. has not gone to the World Cup Finals since 1986.
Monarchs Sign Joel Lowry
On Wednesday, the Manchester Monarchs announced that 25-year-old Joel Lowry to a Standard Player Contract for the 2017-’18 season.
The 6-foot-1, 181-pound native of Calgary, Alberta, played three games for the Monarchs during the 2015-16 season and recorded one assist. Lowry also skated for the Reign that season and scored 11 points on five goals and six assists in 41 games. The left-shot forward skated in 12 Calder Cup Playoff games in 2015-16, and scored six points on two goals and four assists.
Lowry was drafted by the Kings (140th overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and attended Cornell University. During his time at Cornell, Lowry scored 77 points on 29 goals and 48 assists in 111 games, while adding 155 penalty minutes.
Local High Schools
It was Division II Soccer Derby Day on Tuesday in Manchester, with Trinity defeating West 4-1 on the girls’ side and West defeating Trinity 5-4 on the boys’ side.
The Central girls’ soccer team defeated Merrimack 5-0 and the Derryfield field hockey team defeated Kennett, 2-1.
