A couple of interesting managerial notes for your Sunday reading pleasure:
- Dusty Baker continues to mull over the contract extension offered by the Reds, writes the Cincinnati Enquirer's John Fay. It's believed that the offer was for multiple years, but Baker won't confirm that. He says that he's focused on winning a division title, not his own future.
- In a piece for MLB.com, George Von Benko writes that Kirk Gibson says he'd like to continue managing the Diamondbacks, but regardless of who's in charge, the organization will be headed in a different direction in 2011.
- Joe Torre called rumors connecting him to the Mets "irresponsible," writes MLB.com's Ken Gurnick. According to Torre, he's had no conversations with anyone regarding his future.
start_wearing_purple
Torre probably doesn’t like the rumors because he wants nothing to do with the trainwreck that is the Mets.
Adam "Prismo"
Hey, the Mets have a better record than the Dodgers.
Guest
LOL. okay?
Guest
LOL. okay?
Cade White
Adam, this could very well be, the post of our generation!
Cade White
“According to Torre, he’s had no conversations with anyone regarding his future.”
His batting order changes ever friggin day and somehow we expect him to remember his 70 year old future?
Dave_Gershman
Someone help me out. I don’t really understand the piece by George Von Benko and what he was saying.
Henry Castellanos
Hey guys. Speaking of managers, the Yankees need a new one. Joe Girardi doesent know anything about the game, has no instincts. For those of you who saw or saw the highlights of the Yanks-O’s game… The game is tied 3-3 right? So Eduardo Nuñez moves to third, on an error by Mike Gonzalez who threw the ball in the stands as a pickoff attempt. So that is also a balk, and Nuñez moves to third. Peña is supposedly up ther batting to move up Nuñez but he’s now on third. Ok, call the squeeze. But no. He pinch hits and brings in Thames. He strikes out. Ok. Then BUCK SHOWALTER(GREAT MANAGER GREAT SIGNING O’S) INTENTIONALLY WALKS TEX AND JETER to get to the walking GIDP Lance Berkman. And what does he do?!?! DO I NEED TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU!?!? I don’t care what hitter is up there, the squeeze needs to be called! That would give the Yanks the lead 4-3, and a chance to close out the game!! And you know what the O’s did the next inning?! Walk off. And you know what made this worse!?! The Rays lost!! We could have picked up a game on the standings, and come into the series 1.5 up! Joe G has no baseball instinct, and is too cowardly to take a chance in a pennant race!! On ther other hand, Buck showalter is a great manager. He walked Tex and Jeter to try and get the DP, and that’s what he got! That’s some great baseball instinct, and it shows Buck has the cojones to take a chance in key situations! And all Joe knows how to do is keep a lineup card! He should have called that squeeze, that situation screamed squeeze! I hope Cashman gets a good manager that can not only keep a lineup card, someone that can use his starters and bullpen efficiently, because let me tell you, Phil Hughes’s arm is going to be ruined by the likes of that yellow toothed, no-smarts, no-instinct manager Joe G! And on top of that, someone who has the cojones to play small ball and take a chance in a pennant race! Once again thanks to the stupidity of Joe G, another key victory is wasted. Because of his idiotic decisions a least a dozen of victories are wasted. Joe G is one of the most horrendous managers I’ve ever seen and I hope he goes to Chicago, and you know what?! Take your beloved Marte and Mitre with you!
dunnetg
I see why you’re upset, when Girardi has them buried all the way back in first place. If it wasn’t for him, they’d have the best record in all of MLB, instead of being stuck where they are, with the best record in all of MLB.
Henry Castellanos
Take your sarcasm somewhere else. The Yanks would have been at least 2-3 Games in front of Tampa, instead of being such a close race.
wickedkevin
When you’re complaining about having the best record in baseball, that means you have too much time on your hands.
Slopeboy
@Henry Castellanos
I’m not thrilled with Girardi either, but in this case you sound like the classic second guess. As a Yanks fan, when was the last time you saw them squeeze? This is a team that barely uses the bunt, their thing is usually the long ball. Thames job in that at bat was to drive the ball, hit the sacrifice fly or a homer. What you say makes sense, but no so much with this team, as it’s made up. Everyone on this team is a hitter or a masher.Very few on the team can even bunt decently. Even Gardner, seldom bunts and he has the speed to utilize the bunt. Granted, Buck’s move worked out, but if Thames hits the fly ball as he was suppose to do, it’s a different game. In reality, the blame goes to Mariano, you can’t let him off the hook. That pitch to Scott was room service.
malcolmec
Agreed. It’s not just the Yankees; players on most teams can’t bunt the way they used to. The squeeze is an extremely risky play, and when there’s a man on third with no outs any offense in baseball should be able to drive him in 80-90% of the time. Girardi isn’t going to expect Thames to strike out or Berkman to ground into a double play–if he didn’t have any confidence in his players he wouldn’t be any kind of a manager either. The Yankees had a golden opportunity to take the lead. They didn’t, so they lost. Stuff happens.
j6takish
Julio Borbon can bunt, but not to break up a no hitter.
BACON!
If I were the reds I would pull that offer asap.
Henry Castellanos
Is it because Dusty has a bad rep of ruining young pitching?
Jake Humphrey
A well-deserved bad rep.
Jay
Hate to break it to you but Dusty is breaking away from his well deserved rep this year.
Examples.
They have been extremely careful with Leake and even shut him down early.
Volquez had a rough patch after coming back and they put him in bullpen and then the minors to get fixed.
Most the Pitchers when they get over a 100 pitches have been taken out this season. With the exception of maybe Arroyo who they let go to 120 sometimes.
Dusty has shipped pitchers in and out of the rotation all season not just cause of little injuries but to keep guys fresh too. same said with the bullpen.
Now has he been perfect no this season probably not there was a few times he might have left guys in a little too long but nothing to the point where they would get injured.
Just my thoughts on the facts of this season.
Jay
Hate to break it to you but Dusty is breaking away from his well deserved rep this year.
Examples.
They have been extremely careful with Leake and even shut him down early.
Volquez had a rough patch after coming back and they put him in bullpen and then the minors to get fixed.
Most the Pitchers when they get over a 100 pitches have been taken out this season. With the exception of maybe Arroyo who they let go to 120 sometimes.
Dusty has shipped pitchers in and out of the rotation all season not just cause of little injuries but to keep guys fresh too. same said with the bullpen.
Now has he been perfect no this season probably not there was a few times he might have left guys in a little too long but nothing to the point where they would get injured.
Just my thoughts on the facts of this season.