Let's check out the latest updates from a handful of manager and GM searches….
- The Pirates interviewed Ken Macha and Jeff Banister today for their managerial opening, according to the team's official Twitter feed. As Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes, both men have local ties.
- Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun tweets that Bobby Valentine interviewed with the Blue Jays for Cito Gaston's old job.
- According to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts has interviewed four managerial candidates: Mike Quade, Ryne Sandberg, Bob Melvin, and, as we heard earlier today, Eric Wedge.
- ESPN New York's Adam Rubin says (via Twitter) the Mets are awaiting permission to interview "a couple more" GM candidates, besides the five we already know, though it doesn't sound like Jerry Dipoto is one of them (Twitter link). At least one figures to be a minority candidate, according to Rubin.
- Pat Listach tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he hasn't heard from the Brewers or any other teams looking for managers.
I don’t want either of those guys managing the Pirates. I still want Juan Samuel or Ted Simmons to manage them.
I’m curious as to why you think Juan Samuel would be a good choice as skipper of the Pirates. I would prefer to see him manage the Pirates over Macha and Gibbons, but I didn’t see enough of him during his time w/ the Orioles to impress me. What am I missing?
I think Pittsburgh needs a big name manager to right the ship .. they have promising talent, you need someone behind them pushing the right buttons and getting the most out of them .. seems like there hasn’t been one like that since Leyland left town ..
Honestly I think they need the exact opposite of that. They need a young aggressive manager that wants to make his name along with the team.
They’ve tried that for the past 20 years and it simply hasn’t woked…Lloyd McClendon and John Russell are examples.
I agree with you that that is the kind of manager that they need, but it hasn’t worked.
Hasn’t been talent this promising (McCutchen, Alvarez, Walker, Tabata) all at the same time since Leyland left town, either. Reconciling the young, developing talent with a manager that can best maximize it could be the difference…and some pitching help sure as hell wouldn’t hurt.
The Pirates need to find the next Joe Maddon. I know it kinda seems silly to consider someone like the man whose team just got eliminated from the playoffs, but I think a Maddon clone would be great for the Bucs.
Like Pinella, one of those guys who likes to play veterans over youngsters, take over a young club with a low payroll like he did in TB, then dump them cause he hates losing and like the Pirates have? that is what many of the big name managers like.. BIG salaries and teams that have a chance.
they have promising young talent, but they will trade them away like they always do. they arent going to get a good manager until the ownership/gm have to be willing to stop trading away their talent. basically like the rays have done after stockpiling prospects for so long.
Why would they trade their young talent and since when have they done that? With the exception of Aramis Ramirez, everyone else was traded to either get younger or to cut payroll.
Even A. Ramirez was traded for financial reasons. (and read: Financial = ownership, not management)
Bobby Valentine makes a lot of sense in Toronto. He’s already managed one team to a championship in a foreign land, so he should be able to handle the language barrier with no problem.
I love the idea of Valentine in Toronto. He’ll be fiery and entertaining- in a good way. My perception of the team (based on the few games I’ve seen on TV and what I’ve read) is that they are a bit laid back (maybe its the sit back and wait for the home run thing they have going on). Maybe someone with some charisma will motivate the team to have more energy. I don’t know.
I really think Bobby Valentine will end up in Seattle. The Mariners want a manager with experience, and giving him a 2 or 3 year deal would allow the young players (Moore, Smoak, Ackley, Saunders, Pineda and Cortes) to be exposed to a seasoned veteran manager. 2011 will be a transition year, but you can bet that with bad contracts off the books (Wilson and Bradley/Silva), and improving rookies, that 2012 will be the year to keep an eye on the Seattle ball club.
Keep an eye on Seattle in 2020.
bobby valentine fits in toronto IF the organization is gonna make a run this year imo. looking at the landscape of the AL east, rays are gonna lose some key players, redsox are retooling, dont have much money in the budget to upgrade and the prospects are seemingly a year or 2 away.
there is an opening for the jays to sneak into 2nd place and maybe the wildcard behind the yankees.
I disagree about your thoughts on the Sox, but I do agree that the Jays are on the cusp of contending. The problem is the East is such a beast to deal with. The Rays should not be underestimated with their pitching, and Showater teams are always tough.
I think for a team to beat the Yanks or Sox for the playoffs, you have to be in a position to capitalize when one of the big 2 slips. Every couple of years, 1 of the 2 suffers a bunch of injuries or gets too old. It is one of those years where a near contending team can act aggressively in free agency and slip in ahead of one of them. You have to develop and maintain a solid core of talent. The Rays can’t maintain that core with their budget, but the Jays can.
I can’t imagine Macha is a good choice for a team that was already last in the league in pitching.
Bobby V would be a good fit in Toronto, the Jays are close to being serious contenders. They need to make a couple of solid off-season pitching moves and that might be enough to where they can push NY. Bobby V would add some excitement to the AL East and his teams never quit.
I have a name for you folks (for ANY managerial opening): Trent Jewett.
Pirates fans should know the name, as he was the 3B coach for a couple of years. He has 11 years of AAA managerial experience, and several more years at lower levels.
I’ve just heard many people talk about “he did his time, working his way up to AAA” (Ryne Sandberg), or “he was in the majors coaching” (Van Slyke, Listach). Well, this man has done both, INCLUDING taking the A+ job with Washington, only to be promoted to AAA in 1 year and post a 76-67 there.
Since we’re throwing names out there, I figured Jewett is an interesting one that I haven’t heard ANYWHERE yet.
Will he work Cheap?!!
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