| Manager Merry-Go-Round |
Is anyone else sick of the carousel that spins round and round every time a manager is fired? It seems like every vacant job is filled with rumors of erstwhile skippers looking for a fresh start. Now, I understand the argument that you want someone with experience. That is true in any business. But instead of retreads like Lou Piniella, Bob Brenly, Tony Pena, Dusty Baker, et al, why don't teams hire up-and-coming coaches? A young hire could provide long-term stability and breathe life into a franchise. I think the upside is higher. Even if the first-timer fails, it's not like Frank Robinson, Jim Tracy and Buddy Bell, to name a few recent retread hires, would certainly have done better.
Posted by Ted Rossman at 10/13/2006 3:06:00 PM |
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| Angry About Firing Chambliss |
| The Reds fired Chris Chambliss as the hitting coach on Wednesday, a decision that seems just ludicrous. They make a horrific trade, giving away both Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez, with foreseeable consequences. From the Enquirer:
Before the trade: ninth in average in the NL at .263, third in runs, third in on-base percentage (.342), second in slugging (.451).
After the trade: 16th in average in the NL at .251, 15th in runs, 10th in on-base percentage (.328), 14th in slugging (.409).
This raises the question - how much does a hitting coach actually contribute anyhow? The Reds' offense was just fine before the trade (not to mention injuries to Ken Griffey Jr. and Ryan Freel in September) - how was it that Chambliss' coaching methods that caused the offensive slide?
Posted by Jeff Erickson at 10/12/2006 3:33:00 PM |
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| Room under the bus... |
To throw A-Rod under, now that Torre stays...should he stay or should he go? Good luck getting more than 71.8 cents on the dollar, Cashman! And how's George gonna like A-Rod winning MVPs in another uniform?
Posted by Mike D. at 10/10/2006 10:44:00 AM |
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| Torre...the right choice... |
He offers stability and class...two things no new manager was guaranteed to bring to the picnic...As a Red Sox fan of course, I preferred that they let him go and bring on the chaos!
Posted by Mike D. at 10/10/2006 10:27:00 AM |
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| Teflon Joe |
| A typical East Coast the-sky-is-falling fan I know refers to Joe Torre as Teflon Joe because, he says, Torre's mistakes never stick to him, like he's been given a pass by the New York media and by Yankees fans. Now, this guy is a bit neurotic, so I always take his fiery screeds with a pinch or two of salt, but I think he has something with Torre. Has Torre taken any heat for the Yankees' failures these past few years? Or, according to Yankees fans, is it all Arod's fault?
Torre managed the ALDS like it was a four-game road trip in mid-July. In Game 1, he removed Wang in the seventh with two outs and a comfortable 7-3 lead even though Wang was motoring through the lineup. Four batters later the tying run came to the plate. In Game 3, he benched Sheffield because Bernie Williams has better lifetime numbers against Kenny Rogers. Nevermind that the most of those numbers can when Bernie was posting an OPS in .950s, not the .750s. In Game 4, he sat Giambi for Melky Cabrera. Giambi says his wrist was fine, but let's say he was 85 percent. Isn't Giambi at 85 percent still better than Cabrera at 100 percent? And with the season on the line, is Jaret Wright really the guy you want to put your faith in in Game 4? And how does Arod go from batting fourth to eighth overnight?
I'm not saying Torre is garbage and I don't necessarily think the Yankees should fire him. But a little criticism from a city that is supposedly unlrenting on its sports teams would be welcomed.
Posted by Jason Thornbury at 10/9/2006 3:07:00 PM |
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