Allen: The end of an era

I was shocked at how quietly the Dr. Charles Steinberg Era ended here in Boston . In case you missed it, the good doctor — the public-affairs maven of the Red Sox, accepted an offer from the Dodgers for a similar position (and a large raise). His departure brings to a close an era of pomp and circumstance the likes of which the Sox franchise has never seen.

Under the Yawkey/Harrington regime, getting information of any sort from the team was like getting blood from a stone. Since Steinberg joined Larry Lucchino and the rest of the new Red Sox management, the team has been a reporter’s dream — there’s always been something to write about involving the Red Sox, almost every day, even during the offseason. Steinberg has been rightly lauded for his tributes and ceremonies, including the tribute to Ted Williams in 2002 (really the first time we got to see the magic of Dr. Charles) and the one honoring the 2004 World Series championship.

In his never-ending quest for Sox-related publicity, Steinberg was always available for a comment or thought, no matter how small the situation. When Tom Brady was spotted wearing a Yankees cap in New York City , Steinberg gave a statement. The accusation was made at times that events such as press conferences and announcements were scheduled in an obvious attempt to take attention away from one team (the Patriots being a frequent foil) and back onto the Red Sox. Steinberg kept up with everything that was said about the team: one time I made an offhand reference to something having "Dr. Charles written all over it” on my web site. The next thing I knew, I had an email from Steinberg himself, respectfully assuring me that he had nothing to do with the incident.

Steinberg’s departure is a bit curious on a couple of fronts. He’s worked closely with Larry Lucchino for three decades now; this move ends that working relationship. While Dr. Charles might be eager to strike out on his own, (the raise probably doesn’t hurt either), it makes you wonder why he was willing to cut ties right now, with another Red Sox World Series banner set to be raised in April. The move to the Dodgers does coincide with the 50th anniversary of the team moving to the west coast, which will provide plenty of ceremonial moments, but there could be other factors at work here.

There were rumors that Steinberg fed Dan Shaughnessy the details of the Theo Epstein/Lucchino feud when Epstein ended up leaving the Sox for a short period of time prior to the 2006 season. Epstein was said to be furious that the details were leaked, and it should be safe to conclude that things were uneasy in the front office when Epstein did return. The fact that Epstein now has two World Series titles under his belt during his reign as GM should also give him increased juice in the front office. That could be a factor in Steinberg’s departure. Epstein signed a three-year contract which if it hasn’t been extended, expires after the 2008 season. John Henry has already demonstrated his affection and loyalty for Epstein, which could result in even more power for the GM in a new contract. It also makes you wonder about the future of Lucchino with the Red Sox. Could he also be headed out of town in the near future?

Perhaps Dr. Charles saw the writing on the wall. It might’ve been time to move on before he had overstayed his welcome.