I’ve been out with my real job, family stuff, and just a lack of time. I missed my chance to make post season picks (Detroit over New York, Minnesota over Oakland, New York over Los Angeles, St. Louis over San Diego in the LDS; St. Louis over New York and Oakland over Detroit in the LCS). Well, I’m still here and have some quick news and notes.
Baseball Believes in Recycling
“Lou Piniella’s coming to Wrigley Field, agreeing Monday to a three-year contract to manage the Chicago Cubs and accepting a job that has long been one of the most challenging in baseball.” (Cbssportsline.com)
The Cubs definitely screwed up here. They hire a manager similar to the one they just fired; he prefers veterans and isn’t the greatest at managing pitchers. Look at his days in Tampa Bay; he started a struggling Travis Lee over keeping Aubrey Huff at first and openning an outfield spot for one of their young players. While the Cubs won’t be as bad as they were, Piniella won’t be the difference maker they want.
Chicago would have been better off going with Joe Girardi or Pat Listach. Girardi proved he’s a players manager and that he can get the most out of young players. He would have incorporated Felix Pie and Eric Patterson in a way that wouldn’t damage their careers. His catching background would have benefited Mark Prior and Carlos Zambrano, 2 arms that are under great stress. He would also ignore dumb ideas from Jim Hendry.
Listach would have been a good choice since his is familiar with the organization and the players. Listach has coached at Double A for a few years. He managed Ronny Cedeno, Pie, Patterson, and most of the rookie pitchers the Cubs used this past season. He works very well with young players, which are taking over the roster.
Easy Come, Easy Go
One manager comes in, one manager is out the door.
“Ken Macha managed the Oakland Athletics into the AL Championship Series, yet it still wasn’t enough to save his job. Macha was fired by the Athletics on Monday, two days after the West champions were swept out of the playoffs by Detroit..” (Cbssportsline.com)
Macha reportedly had problems communicating with his players. Player said he worried more about the negative that could happen than focus on the positive.
Last season, Oakland sought other options at manager when Macha’s contract expired. A week later, they agreed to a 3-yr, $2.825 million deal. He will still be owed $2.025 million.
While it isn’t know who will replace Macha, it is known that the manager will need to defer to GM Billy Beane. In Moneyball, Beane made it known that he wanted a manager to do what he asks and rely on stats that are important to the front office.
The Other Openings
There are still a few manager openings: San Francisco (fired Felipe Alou), Washington (didn’t renew Frank Robinson’s contract), and Texas (fired Buck Showalter).
