A Plea To John Henry And The Red Sox: Are You Even Listening?

Are you listening, John?

We're bordering on fantasy now. It's like if someone said before the season, "Hey, could you imagine if the Red Sox are so bad this year that players resorted to high school-style bullying towards Bobby Valentine, or took pictures mocking him?" ... but it's actually happening.

Your players -- your employees -- decided to take a month off and forget about winning, resulting in one of the worst collapses in baseball history ... and most of them are still with this team today.

Are you listening, John?

The most embarrassing month in the history of Boston sports could have been an afterthought with a little thoughtful effort. Instead, it morphed into the most embarrassing season in the history of Boston sports, and certainly the franchise's worst year from a public relations perspective.

Are you listening, John?

You hired a manager, against the better judgement from your baseball people apparently, and then stopped him for being himself, something that could have helped this franchise turn the page. Now, he's a puppet being handled by tone deaf executives who harbor plenty of blame for this atrocity.

Are you listening, John?

You had your CEO, the guy who runs the Red Sox, send out an email to season ticket holders -- the most loyal fans you have -- saying that you've "watched the team coalesce into a close group," and then you told people to come to your ballpark early -- all while you're barreling toward the cellar with one of the highest payrolls in sports.

Are you listening, John?

You said in an email that you're backing a manager for the long haul who is currently piloting this team to its worst year since 1997, and you told telling media that it's "simply wrong" to blame him.

Are you listening John?

One of your longtime players said this was a "sh*thole" town to play in and that it isn't the same.

Are you listening, John?

You're letting a clubhouse full of "professional" players act like they're still in junior high school.

Are you listening, John?

Fans are screaming... No, let me rephrase. Grown men and women are screaming on talk radio stations about how disgusted they are with this group of players, coaches and management.

Are you even listening, John?

If you are listening, John, then would you acknowledge us? A simple comment directed towards fans, saying that you hear us? What about a 140-character tweet? Or is that too much to ask?

Would you say something, anything, to let us know that you hear what we're saying?

This may come as news to you, but we're tired of this garbage. We're tired of all the drama. We're tired of Josh Beckett and John Lackey and Bobby Valentine. We're tired of the same inconsistency since day one of LAST SEPTEMBER. We're tired of all of it. Don't you get it?

If you're listening, John, then how about you start paying attention to your customers? We're smarter than you think -- we know that things can't be turned around overnight, but you haven't even taken the steps toward plugging up the sinking ship, have you? It sure doesn't seem that way.

We're not bad people. We just want you to act like you care about the team that you're asking us to spend our hard earned money on and care about. Is that request so unreasonable, John?

If you don't, your precious empire on Yawkey Way is going to come crashing down. And you'll have no one to blame but yourself. Don't you get it yet, John? It's time to act like an owner, own up to failure, and make changes. Sadly, Craig Breslow and Kelly Shoppach trades don't count.

Do you hear us, John? Are you listening? Or is the volume on the Liverpool game on television in your office turned up way too high to hear us? We want to be heard. Or don't you care at all?

Gethin Coolbaugh is the Editor of SB Nation Boston. Follow him @GethinCoolbaugh on Twitter.