Who's Laughing Now? Francona and Epstein Are Back in the World Series

Remember when the Boston Red Sox slumped at the end of the 2011 season, finishing third in the AL East when they appeared poised to make a run at another World Series title? You may recall that Red Sox fans and ownership blamed manager Terry Francona ("The Scapegoating of Terry Francona") and General Manager Theo Epstein ("The (Continued) Unraveling of the Red Sox") for the woes, banishing them from Boston although together they helped break the curse of the "Bambino." But you have to wonder. Who's laughing now? The Cleveland Indians, who are coached by Francona, and the Chicago Cubs, whose general manager is Epstein, are in the World Series. I may be going out on a limb here, but I think it's obvious that neither Francona nor Epstein were the problem back in 2011. So you have to ask yourself: Who's laughing now? It surely aint the Red Sox.