Real MLB Thread

[Jockey]

I think its more common in baseball.  With varying degrees of success, Brad Ausmus, Gabe Kapler, and Craig Counsell all went into managing positions without any experience.  Alex Cora in Boston was a bench couch for just a year.  Joe Giradi got his job with the Marlins without any experience managing, same with Aaron Boone and the Yankees.

I think there is a lot less dynamic in-game tinkering that needs to be done, so you can get a pretty good feel for it as a player and there isn't a huge learning curve to handle the core of it after. Similar to soccer where you see a number of players move right to managing after.  Football and basketball have tons of play calling and strategy on the fly that can take time to get the hang of.

I disagree with the one statement that I bolded. The guys you named were all considered students of the game. I expect Ross will hire an experienced bench coach to help him with the learning curve.

Your inference that the job of the manager is changing is spot on, though. He needs to have the skills of working hand-in-hand with the front office and working with analytics for player development. Heck, some teams are starting to want their coaches versed in SQL so they can run some of the analytics on their own.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

https://twitter.com/CraigMish/status/1187019049349406721

Where have I heard about this before...

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/10/29/bruce-arians-was-bothered-by-several-developments-in-2013-interview-with-bears/

[buckchuckler]

https://twitter.com/CraigMish/status/1187019049349406721

Where have I heard about this before...

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/10/29/bruce-arians-was-bothered-by-several-developments-in-2013-interview-with-bears/

I get that motivation is part if it, but that seems like a ridiculous thing to have in an interview.

[Jockey]

Any sports executive who doesn't realize the difference between giving a pretend speech to executives and giving a real speech to the men that you are going into battle with is simply a dim-witted buffoon who is in the wrong business.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Any sports executive who doesn't realize the difference between giving a pretend speech to executives and giving a real speech to the men that you are going into battle with is simply a dim-witted buffoon who is in the wrong business.

Baseball’s form of Cuddles.

[MU82]

The double-switch isn't rocket science.

The two most important things for a manager these days IMHO are ego management and ability to make good bullpen decisions. And the latter will be influenced strongly by the mix the GM gives him.

Without knowing squat about the depth of Ross' knowledge, the fact that he's been something of a bench coach and a TV analyst, as well as a catcher for a long time leads me to believe he'll do OK figuring out the bullpen as well as most others would.

Agree he would benefit from a savvy bench coach. Is Jerry Wainwright available?

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Any sports executive who doesn't realize the difference between giving a pretend speech to executives and giving a real speech to the men that you are going into battle with is simply a dim-witted buffoon who is in the wrong business.

Keefe? That you?

[Cheeks]

This was my comment the last few days...what was the intent.  Looks like their GM is saying the same thing.  We get it, some people assume auto-guilt.  I just don't. He might be, but I would want to know why he did it and what the intent was.



Astros GM Jeff Luhnow Breaks Silence On Taubman Incident
 
Astros President of Baseball Operations & GM Jeff Luhnow today "apologized for the actions" of Assistant GM Brandon Taubman but "intimated 'we may never know' Taubman's intent with his expletive-filled tirade." In a previously scheduled radio interview with Houston based KBME-AM, Luhnow offered his first public comments on the issue, saying, "Brandon has apologized [for] inappropriate behavior and I think, from my perspective, clearly something happened that he regrets. What we really don’t know is the intent behind the inappropriate comments he made. We may never know that because the person who said them and the people who heard them, at least up to this point, have different perspectives." Luhnow fielded "only one question about the allegations during the 12-minute interview" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/23).

[wadesworld]

This was my comment the last few days...what was the intent.  Looks like their GM is saying the same thing.  We get it, some people assume auto-guilt.  I just don't. He might be, but I would want to know why he did it and what the intent was.



Astros GM Jeff Luhnow Breaks Silence On Taubman Incident
 
Astros President of Baseball Operations & GM Jeff Luhnow today "apologized for the actions" of Assistant GM Brandon Taubman but "intimated 'we may never know' Taubman's intent with his expletive-filled tirade." In a previously scheduled radio interview with Houston based KBME-AM, Luhnow offered his first public comments on the issue, saying, "Brandon has apologized [for] inappropriate behavior and I think, from my perspective, clearly something happened that he regrets. What we really don’t know is the intent behind the inappropriate comments he made. We may never know that because the person who said them and the people who heard them, at least up to this point, have different perspectives." Luhnow fielded "only one question about the allegations during the 12-minute interview" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 10/23).

Very cool.

So we should not pass judgement or be critical of anyone unless they explicitly state their intent to do harm or damage.

Somebody shoots up a school? Don’t pass judgment unless the shooter is stating their intent to have hurt and killed as many people as possible.

Someone sexually assaults another person? Unless the assaulter states they meant to ruin a person’s life let’s leave them alone.

After all, how can we ever know the intent of a person who hasn’t told us?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I love the whole "we may never know his intent" line. 

He's alive and he works for you.  Why don't you ask him?

[buckchuckler]

Verlander is 0-4 with an ERA over 5 in World Series games.

[tower912]

But, 1/2 inning later, all square.  See which pitcher rights the ship first.

[buckchuckler]

But, 1/2 inning later, all square.  See which pitcher rights the ship first.

They're both dealing right now.

[tower912]

Both managers are probably grateful to not have to worry about when to pitch hit for these guys.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

The double-switch isn't rocket science.

The two most important things for a manager these days IMHO are ego management and ability to make good bullpen decisions. And the latter will be influenced strongly by the mix the GM gives him.

Without knowing squat about the depth of Ross' knowledge, the fact that he's been something of a bench coach and a TV analyst, as well as a catcher for a long time leads me to believe he'll do OK figuring out the bullpen as well as most others would.

Agree he would benefit from a savvy bench coach. Is Jerry Wainwright available?

What I think you are seeing here with the Cubs, like Counsell with the Brewers, is a shift in how teams are now managed.  At first, I didn't quite understand why Counsell moved from the front office to the manager role with no coaching experience in between.  But now I get it.  You want your manager to be in sync more with the front office on how players are deployed.  Making in game switches and pitching changes are likely laid out well ahead of time given the scenarios in play.  The era of a manager being an "independent decision maker" is ending.

So I'm not saying the role of the manager is diminished, but it is now more in sync with what the organization is trying to accomplish from top to bottom.

[🏀]

What I think you are seeing here with the Cubs, like Counsell with the Brewers, is a shift in how teams are now managed.  At first, I didn't quite understand why Counsell moved from the front office to the manager role with no coaching experience in between.  But now I get it.  You want your manager to be in sync more with the front office on how players are deployed.  Making in game switches and pitching changes are likely laid out well ahead of time given the scenarios in play.  The era of a manager being an "independent decision maker" is ending.

So I'm not saying the role of the manager is diminished, but it is now more in sync with what the organization is trying to accomplish from top to bottom.

The days of Art Howe are dead.

[MU82]

What I think you are seeing here with the Cubs, like Counsell with the Brewers, is a shift in how teams are now managed.  At first, I didn't quite understand why Counsell moved from the front office to the manager role with no coaching experience in between.  But now I get it.  You want your manager to be in sync more with the front office on how players are deployed.  Making in game switches and pitching changes are likely laid out well ahead of time given the scenarios in play.  The era of a manager being an "independent decision maker" is ending.

So I'm not saying the role of the manager is diminished, but it is now more in sync with what the organization is trying to accomplish from top to bottom.

OK. I'm not disputing any of that. I actually agree that Ross probably will have little problem whatsoever with the in-game decision-making stuff. You probably could do pretty well in that regard, too. I'm talking more about the personal-relationship side of it.

Counsell, Boone, Kapler, Ausmus, etc, did not go from teammate to manager in a short period of time.

Many of the guys Ross considered buddies are still playing for the Cubs: Rizzo, Hayward, Baez, Bryant, Lester, etc. For some, it's a difficult enough transition to go from assistant coach to coach or manager -- as Majerus and many others would attest. To go from peer to boss can be really tough, especially given that ego management is probably the single most important job for a manager. How will Ross handle it if, say, Contreras, a buddy, short-circuits? How will he deal with it if Lester becomes a cruddy pitcher? We can't know that kind of stuff yet.

Maybe I'm overstating all of this and it will be a super-easy transition for the guy his pals call "Rossy." We'll see!

[wadesworld]

OK. I'm not disputing any of that. I actually agree that Ross probably will have little problem whatsoever with the in-game decision-making stuff. You probably could do pretty well in that regard, too. I'm talking more about the personal-relationship side of it.

Counsell, Boone, Kapler, Ausmus, etc, did not go from teammate to manager in a short period of time.

Many of the guys Ross considered buddies are still playing for the Cubs: Rizzo, Hayward, Baez, Bryant, Lester, etc. For some, it's a difficult enough transition to go from assistant coach to coach or manager -- as Majerus and many others would attest. To go from peer to boss can be really tough, especially given that ego management is probably the single most important job for a manager. How will Ross handle it if, say, Contreras, a buddy, short-circuits? How will he deal with it if Lester becomes a cruddy pitcher? We can't know that kind of stuff yet.

Maybe I'm overstating all of this and it will be a super-easy transition for the guy his pals call "Rossy." We'll see!

He killed his mock Spring Training pep talk.  I'm certain he'll have the respect of the locker room.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

OK. I'm not disputing any of that. I actually agree that Ross probably will have little problem whatsoever with the in-game decision-making stuff. You probably could do pretty well in that regard, too. I'm talking more about the personal-relationship side of it.

Counsell, Boone, Kapler, Ausmus, etc, did not go from teammate to manager in a short period of time.

Many of the guys Ross considered buddies are still playing for the Cubs: Rizzo, Hayward, Baez, Bryant, Lester, etc. For some, it's a difficult enough transition to go from assistant coach to coach or manager -- as Majerus and many others would attest. To go from peer to boss can be really tough, especially given that ego management is probably the single most important job for a manager. How will Ross handle it if, say, Contreras, a buddy, short-circuits? How will he deal with it if Lester becomes a cruddy pitcher? We can't know that kind of stuff yet.

Maybe I'm overstating all of this and it will be a super-easy transition for the guy his pals call "Rossy." We'll see!

We will see.  I think it depends on the clubhouse culture he can build.  If everyone buys in and appreciates their roles, I don't think the move would be as difficult as you think.  Workplaces are changing.  Baseball is no different.  Of course someone has to be in charge, but IMO these days culture and mutual accountability are more of a factor than anything else.

[MU82]

We will see.  I think it depends on the clubhouse culture he can build.  If everyone buys in and appreciates their roles, I don't think the move would be as difficult as you think.  Workplaces are changing.  Baseball is no different.  Of course someone has to be in charge, but IMO these days culture and mutual accountability are more of a factor than anything else.

Agreed.

Based on what we know, he seems like a decent guy. I wish him well.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Manager no 'matta (did I do that right?).

The last time the White Sox were above .500, Robin Ventura was their manager.

[Jockey]

MLB has another PR problem:

Major league umpire Rob Drake tweeted “I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020”,


Time to fire his ignorant a$$.

[wadesworld]

MLB has another PR problem:

Major league umpire Rob Drake tweeted “I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020”,


Time to fire his ignorant a$$.

We don't know his intent though.

[JWags85]

"Cival"

[Jockey]

"Cival"

  obviously the guy isn’t the brightest bulb in the ump’s locker room.