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Jobless in 2012 – MLB Managers on the Hot Seat from 2011
Saturday September 10, 2011
Rob Bland (Baseball Writer – MLB reports): When a team has a disappointing season, the most likely candidate to lose his job is the manager. So far in the 2011 season, there has already been three managers who have either resigned or been fired. The Oakland Athletics fired Bob Geren on June 9th and replaced him with Bob Melvin. A week and a half later, Edwin Rodriguez resigned from his post as manager of the Florida Marlins. Jack McKeon became the oldest manager since Connie Mack at 80 years old. Yet another week later on June 26th, Jim Riggleman of the Washington Nationals resigned and was replaced by Davey Johnson two days later. With only a few weeks left in the regular season, who are the frontrunners to be replaced after the World Series?
With eight managers being new to their respective teams to start the 2011 season, one would think there can’t be too many jobs to lose. The first criteria I look at in order to predict who will not be returning his club is if the team was expected to contend for the playoffs, and fell short. Another thing I look at is the perception of the clubhouse, ie. if players get along, or if the manager is able to manage egos. Of course, the manager’s ability to create a lineup and manage a bullpen is taken into consideration. Other factors such as injuries and expectations of players are measured as well. The list that follows are my top 3 managers who could be canned after this season.
Mike Quade, Chicago Cubs
It is not oft
en that I would think a first year manager would be fired like this, but there are so many circumstances that make me believe he will be gone. First, there has been grumbling since day one in Chicago that Quade was hired over franchise icon Ryne Sandberg. The Cubs have been packed with talented players such as Carlos Zambrano, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto, Ryan Dempster and Carlos Marmol. Add in Matt Garza and Starlin Castro, and you would think they could at least come close in the terrible NL Central. They are 22 games behind the streaking Milwaukee Brewers, and 21.5 behind Atlanta for the Wild Card. Their record is 62-81 with a 35-40 record at Wrigley Field.
Bud Black, San Diego Padres
With 2011 being Black’s 5th season with the Padres, a 62-82 record and already 21 games behind Arizona for the NL West title, he could be on the way out. The Padres have yet to reach the postseason under Black, however they were involved in a 1-game playoff with Colorado for the Wild Card title in 2007 that many of us will never forget as one of the most exciting games we have ever witnessed. In 2010, the Padres held a 6.5 game lead over eventual World Series Champs San Francisco Giants on August 25th. After a 10 game losing streak, the Padres were still in contention, and were not officially eliminated from the playoffs until the final day of the regular season with a 90-72 record. Those were the only winnings seasons in Black’s tenure and his time in San Diego may be up.
Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins
Is it really fair to say Gardenhire’s job is in jeopardy? Probably not, but it definitely is possible. Over his 10 year career with the Twins, he has amassed an 861-740 record and they have been in the playoffs 6 times. However, they have only won 6 games, 4 of which were in one series, in Gardenhire’s first season; 2002. The Twins have not won a playoff game since 2004, being swept in 2006, 2009 and 2010 in the American League Division Series. This year, Gardenhire has had to deal with crippling injuries of former AL MVP’s Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. Statistically, the best hitter has been Michael Cuddyer, hitting .282 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI. The best pitcher has been Scott Baker who is 8-6 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 131 2/3 innings. Francisco Liriano has not been the same as he was before undergoing Tommy John surgery after the 2006 season, and aside from his no-hitter against the White Sox on May 3, he has been downright awful and is now on the 15-day disabled list. When the best players don’t perform, or are hurt, the manager is forced to do the best he can with what he is given. However a 59-84 record may just be the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back for Gardenhire.
This year, with 3 mid-season changes already, and eight new managers at the beginning of the season, shouldn’t see too much activity. I do believe that with the Cubs’ search for a new general manager under way, Quade’s days are numbered in Chicago. I also believe that Black’s inability to get the always promising Padres to the next level will leave him without a job by November. Gardenhire has not proven to me that he can bring the Twins to the World Series, and that is what the job description entails. Has it ever happened where both Managers of the Year from their respective leagues gets fired the following year? It could happen if Black and Gardenhire are let go.
***Today’s feature was prepared by our Baseball Writer, Rob Bland. We highly encourage you to leave your comments and feedback at the bottom of the page and share in the discussion with our readers. You can also follow Rob on Twitter.***
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Athletics Fire Geren and Hire Melvin- The Beane Friday Faceoff
Friday, June 10, 2011
MLB reports: The Oakland Athletics record sits today at 27-37, fourth place in the AL West. So it should come as no surprise that after weeks of speculation, General Manager Billy Beane on Thursday came down with the verdict. Bob Geren is out. Bob Melvin is in. Two former catchers. Two guys named Bob, as part of the changing of the guard in Oakland.
I could be humorous and refer to the whispers that a manager in Oakland is essentially a puppet/pawn for Billy Beane. For anyone that read Moneyball, the idea is clear that Beane calls the shots and the manager complies with his moves. As long as Beane is talking to “Bob” on the telephone, it is irrelevant whether it is Geren or Melvin on the other line. But we will touch upon that shortly.
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It felt like at this point a change was necessary,” was Beane’s immediate comments following the announcement. “It got to the point where the emphasis was on the status of the manager on a daily basis and no longer on the field. When that starts to happen, you need to shift the focus to what’s really important, which is performance. Bob Melvin will inherit some of the challenges that Bob had. Bob lost four starting pitchers in the space of three weeks. That was a tough body blow for the team. That was very difficult from Bob’s standpoint.” So begins the Oakland managerial career of Bob version 2.0.
The 49-year old Bob Geren completed his five seasons in Oakland with a 334-376 record, good for a .470 winning percentage. Despite his deep friendship with GM Billy Beane, the time was right to cut the cord as the highest the A’s finished under Geren was 2nd place in 2010, with a meager .500 record. Five years playing and five years managing in the majors represents the MLB career of Geren. The A’s tried taking a fresh approach by hiring him as their manager, but clearly he was not right fit for the role. Given his track record as manager, Geren may not find another managerial role very easily. But with his knowledge of the game, he will likely find a scouting or coaching role in the future. With Geren gone, Bob Melvin became the interim “man” in Oakland.
The 49-year old Bob Melvin (see a trend?) coached for seven years in the majors prior to joining Oakland. Two years in Seattle, five years in Arizona. In Seattle Melvin had a lifetime managerial record of 156-168 and in Arizona 337-340. The Diamondbacks originally had hired Wally Backman to manage the team before Melvin, but after legal issues came to light, Melvin got the job. Melvin enjoyed success in Arizona, including a 90-72 record in 2007 and 1st place in the division, together with being named NL Manager of the Year. Coupled with his 93-69 record in 2003 for the Mariners, Melvin apparently gets his teams firing on all cylinders when he first joins a squad. Nicknamed the “Mad Scientist”, Melvin is known to be a very-hands on manager who is not afraid to try anything and everything to pull out wins. After ten seasons of catching in the majors and seven managing, the A’s have themselves experience and a proven track record by hiring Bob Melvin.
By making this move, Billy Beane moved from inexperience to veteran leadership
behind the bench. The million dollar question being asked by industry people today is whether Beane will finally let go of the reigns and give full autonomy to his “chef in the kitchen.” After years of watching Bob Melvin play and manage, it is hard to believe that he will agree to be Beane’s puppet. My gut feel is that this marriage will not last long, as Beane may let ease up for some time when the ball club starts winning, but he will take control again before long. Leopards do not change their spots and Beane is unlikely to change his approach in running the Athletics. Melvin surely went into this role with eyes wide open and realized the dangers of taking this job.
As the “interim” manager, Melvin will likely light the fire that is needed to get the A’s going in 2011. The A’s will almost definitely finish with a better record this season under Melvin as compared to Geren staying in the same role. With the “Moneyball” movie due out this fall, Beane had to save face and put a winning product on the field. Despite his assertions that the upcoming movie did not play a role in his decision to change managers, a genius GM played on the big screen by Brad Pitt would look much better to an audience if his team was successful at the same time. Beane did what he had to do to win today and gave his team to a proven winner in Bob Melvin. The danger will be retaining beyond this season. A good short-term move but one that will not work in the long run for the team. The Mad Scientist meets Mr. Moneyball. Let the show begin.
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