Here’s the latest on the job security of a trio of big league managers…
- The Mets have no plans to make a managerial change, a front office source tells Peter Botte of the New York Daily News. There had been some whispers about Terry Collins’ job security in the wake of the club’s underwhelming season, though in fairness to Collins, he has been hampered by a lackluster offense and some key injuries (most notably to Matt Harvey and David Wright). The Mets are 59-58 after today’s victory but they’re just two games behind Miami for the last NL wild card slot, and the Marlins got some bad injury news themselves today.
- Rays owner Stuart Sternberg gave manager Kevin Cash a strong vote of confidence, telling Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that there is “zero” chance of Cash’s job being in danger. The Rays are just 127-151 under Cash, who is in the second year of a five-year deal to manage the club. It was an unusually strong commitment for a first-time manager, yet it was a sign of the confidence Sternberg and team executives had in Cash. Even in regards to the team’s recent struggles, “to go through these sort of times will only make [Cash] a better manager,” Sternberg said. “We knew coming in, he was here as a long-, long-term guy….But he handled things extraordinarily. As I would expect he would. And it makes him even more valuable going forward.”
- Robin Ventura wants to return as the White Sox manager in 2017, though he tells Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times that “you have to have somebody ask you to do it and all that. That’s stuff that happens after the season is over, if you get there.” The Sox are on pace for the fourth straight losing season of Ventura’s tenure, and the skipper is in the last year of his contract.
Terry Collins and Ned Yost making the WS last year as managers should tell you just how little in game managing matters in MLB, Sure optimized lineups, good bullpen decisions, how you manage starter workload does matter, not being the guy to sacrifice with non pitchers matter, but it is minimal effect in either direction. NBA and NFL HC’s have much more effect.
Not saying it doesn’t matter at all, but GM’s and developing players throughout the system not just MLB (and most of the important developing goes on in the minors) are far more important.
Agreed. Though I’m curious what you mean by… “Not being the guy to sacrifice with non pitchers matter.”
Having your cleanup hitter move a guy over is what I’m assuming he meant.
I somewhat have to disagree after watching Buck Showalter keep the Orioles competitive year after year with marginal pitching and streaky hitting.
I disagree. Saying the manager is of little importance in MLB is like saying the teacher is irrelevant to the classroom. Managers are crucial to an organization’s success and, like teachers, the best managers make the game look rather effortless. Staying 2-3 outs ahead of the play, knowing their teams strengths and weaknesses, knowing when to push or lay back, utilizing coaches, communicating with executives & media, understanding 25 players as 25 unique individuals, the team dynamic – it’s all part of in-game management. Were I running an MLB team I’d make hiring the appropriate manager a high priority. All hail Tito Francona.
Of course the Mets have no plans to change managers. TC is constantly making poor decisions and sitting players who are actually hitting. We all understand they have injuries, but all teams have them.
Agreed. Who would want to play Flores everyday when he’s the only one to hit.
Considering the team has been trying to find a replacement for him for 2+ seasons, it seems like no one in the Mets FO wants to play him…
BINGO.
I cannot stand the “what have you done for me lately” philosophy that goes on in the minds of some fans. Terry Collins was in the World Series less than 12 months ago. Winning the pennant should just automatically buy you at least three years of job security. No manager is perfect and disappointing seasons happen. And always remember that a decision is only poor if it doesn’t work.. If it works it’s just highly unconventional. Look at Joe Maddon.
Let’s be honest, Collins has made some bad choices as manager this year, most notably babying Conforto against lefties and his bullpen management, routinely using guys in day games after night ones.
Let’s just use sales as an example…. If you made a huge sale for your company does that buy you 3 years of questionable decision making? Yes he made the World Series but there is also goals and expectations every organization should have on a YEARLY basis. If they don’t meet the goals and expectations the process needs reviewed and potential changes made to the goals and even the personnel. This is a business.
No, but that’s not a good example at all. Making the World Series is not equivalent to one huge sale. A better example would be a sales manager. If your sales department has the best numbers in the region in 2015, but sales take a dip in 2016 due to a couple of your best salespeople missing time for maternity leave or something, then you should still be the sales manager in 2017. No one can be the best at all times and to expect otherwise is foolish.
a thumbs up to you sir. you don’t play 162 games and 2 playoffs series and maybe a wild card game for nothing. these managers may have made some bad calls this year but all do at some point. making a world series happens to 2 managers a year and one guy made the last two. but hey any Joe Blow can do that.
Does a bad left fielder get three years grace period because he started games in the world series?
Ask Carlos Gomez.
It’s not the same thing and YOU KNOW IT.
Sure all teams have injuries, just like all teams have good players. And just like the good players bit, all teams have injuries of different quantity and different quality, managers shouldn’t admit when injuries have hurt the season, but the Mets injuries have clearly effected it and hurt their record.
Maddon is such a great manager, at least according to the heavily North Shore Chicago media. He’s so great that he has yet to win a WS. He’s so great that he bolted Tampa because he knew he had very little chance of winning there, and because Chicago had a mother load of high end, young talent right on the cusp, a 2 time WS winning Theo Epstein running the show,and a club with endless revenue and one of the biggest fan bases in the game. If he was so great, he would’ve had enough confidence to at least honor the contract of the organization that gave him his first crack at managing, and win with them. Instead, he made sure to take advantage of a clause in his contract that allowed him to quit on the team that gave him his chance.Screw him!
Wow smh
This is 100% correct. And the sports media here think he is the second coming of Jesus Christ. And as you said, what has he ever won?
Maddon did honor his contract moron. He had a clause negotiated in it an he used it so what. Before that happened he was staying then Tampa low balled him. Get a clue idiout
Actually, Maddon went to the team that paid him.
You can frame it that way if you want, but he’s not stupid. I’d be willing to bet it would’ve taken SIGNIFICANTLY more than the Cubs were offering to get him to stay in Tampa rather than leaving for Chicago.
The Chicago media does suck and it is so biased towards the Cubs.
Collins let the stupid Met fans change his mind at a crucial moment in last year’s World Series, leaving Harvey the Rabbit in. Shame!!!! Shame!!!!
Glad someone said it, not saying they’d have won it if not for that choice but it definetely ensured they lost it. Best part is they reward him with an extension for it.
the worst manager in the big leagues kevin cash. he wakes up in the 5th or 6th inning waves pitchers in hasn’t called a hit and run play in 2 years. squeeze play left with Maddon.
Let’s get you a cap and a jersey, fill out the lineup card and make some calls- love to see that record
Thank you He Is too worried about stuffing his face with seeds. And never looks at a report or roster And not once have I thought that was a smart move
Dear Robin,
No thank you. Enjoy retirement.
– The Remaining White Sox Fans
Yes again 100%. I wont renew tickets if he is brought back.
All 7 remaining fans.
Hopefully that’s enough to get something done. Otherwise, it’ll go down to about 4 next year.
Count me as 1 proud White Sox fan. It’s Pale Hose till I die, but replacing Robin is a no-brainer. The committment to winning is still strong, but change is needed throughout the organization.
Managers and the % chance I would consider replacing at the end of the year.
Braves – Bryan Snitker (100%)(just a placeholder)
Diamondbacks – Chip Hale (100%)(everyone failed and they need to start over)
Reds – Bryan Price (100%)(worst manager in the league IMO)
Rockies – Walt Weiss (100%)(second worst manager in the league IMO)
White Sox – Robin Ventura (100%) (4 bad years in a row is too many)
Tigers – Brad Ausmus (50%)(basically make the playoffs or else)
Angels – Mike Scioscia (40%)(I’d make a change, but I don’t think they will)
Athletics – Bob Melvin (40%)(probably deserves another year though)
Twins – Paul Molitor (10-20%)(bad year but needs one more season)
Rays – Kevin Cash (10-20%)(same as Molitor but slightly shorter leash)
Everyone else SHOULD be safe in my opinion, but there will probably be a surprise here or there (Girardi? Collins?).
Before I rip TC to shreds I’ll give credit where it’s due. He is a great player’s manager, his teams don’t quit on him (even the bad ones 2014 and prior) and he handles the NY media quite well. Overall seems like a generally nice guy and veteran of the game.
As a strategist, he couldn’t manage his way out of his own office with the lights on and the door flung wide open. Always gave him the benefit of the doubt up until he had a real roster to manager beginning in July of last year. When the Mets started playing meaningful games his lineups and decisions didn’t reflect it (practically immobile Cuddyer starting Game 1 NLDS, Harvey Game 5 WS, and many many more).
The Mets succeed in spite of TC, not because of him. I feel bad for the fans of teams whose managers are worse than TC in game. I wish him well post Flushing, and I really wish the Mets had a real tactician or even a half decent one.
“Cuddyer starting Game 1 NLDS” Geez, remember that game????
I will always admire and have respect for him for retiring before this season. I watched him out in left field many times last season and he could barely move. Thank God he retired or Collins would still be putting him out there!
The Sox need to move on from Robin Ventura. He clearly doesn’t know what he’s doing. I like GM Rick Hahn, but he can’t keep patching up this retread team. If he’s not pushing to fire Ventura and rebuild the roster, he should be let go too. Ken Williams should just resign. The owner won’t fire the guy, so he should do the honorable thing and step away. Bring in some real baseball men who can bring talent and winning fundamentals back to Pale Hose Nation.
Please get rid of cash. He has destroyed what they had built for 8 years if manages next year he will lose 100 games and we will be all the way back to ’98