Another baseball-related thread.

[GeorgiaCoyote]

Seriously would you expect any less from me. I know most of y'all don't care but this just struck me as down-right laughable. Now being a Braves fan, I have no love for the Mets. Well they done fired Willie Randolph as if all their troubles were his fault. The middle of the season is hardly the time to fire one's manager. Especially given the fact that they are not outta this race by any stretch of the imagination. If anything, this might have a detrimental effect on the team as most of the team had great respect for ole Willie. Third-baseman David Wright (no relation BTW) put it best when he said it's all on us to play better and they are certainly capable of it. Course the hardcore Braves fan in me is rejoicing at the possible negative effects this might have on the Mets but it could turn out to be a catalyst that really gets em going. That's why I like the sport. You just never know what could happen. I mean , come on. Did anyone expect the Braves with their horrific road record to take two of three from the Angels. ESPN sure didn't as one of their jackass commentators on baseball tonight Sunday before the game kept saying it was the Braves trying to avoid a three game sweep when it really was the Angels in danger of getting swept. We didn't end up sweeping the series though but it wasn't for lack of great pitching. That Campillo has been a nice surprise in our rotation. Ok...I think that's all I have to say. For those who care, I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on changing managers mid-season. Peace y'all.

[Ibun]

They ARE completely out of the race. Just like the Braves, Marlins, and Nats. The Phils are gonna run away with this division babby. Wooooo yeah.

[TyVulpine]

Unfortunately, that's the way things are in American sports nowadays. It doesn't matter how bad the players are playing, it's the coach that gets fired. Heck, even if the team is playing GREAT, the coach can still get fired. The Detroit Pistons fired their coach after they lost to Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals. Teams seem to think that nothing less than winning the championship is acceptable.

[Ibun]

Or you know we could be like foreign countries, who murder people and riot when they don't win championships. That is so much better than firing a guy.

[TyVulpine]

Or you know we could be like foreign countries, who murder people and riot when they don't win championships. That is so much better than firing a guy.

Paticularly soccer (football) fans seem to do that.

[Zaaphod]

Unfortunately, that's the way things are in American sports nowadays. It doesn't matter how bad the players are playing, it's the coach that gets fired.

Nowadays? More like "always." Baseball teams changing managers in the middle of a season is hardly unusual. In fact, 2000 and 2006 are the only two years in the last 65 that saw NO team switch managers during the season.

As for changing in the middle of a season being a good idea, well, sometimes it works out quite well. In 2004 the Astros replaced Jimy Williams with Phil Garner and made the playoffs. The Marlins in 2003 replaced Jeff Torborg with Jack McKeon and won the World Series. The same thing happened with the Yankees in 1978 when they canned Billy Martin and replaced him with Bob Lemon (in that case it wasn't because the Yankees were playing poorly - they weren't - but because Martin wouldn't stop shooting off his mouth). There are probably other examples too. Other times it doesn't make a damn bit of difference - the team is lousy both before and after the manager is replaced.

[TyVulpine]

The Washington Capitals were in last place in the NHL, and fired they coach, then when the new coach took over, the Caps turned around and became the first team to go from last place to make the playoffs (though they lost in the first round).

[osprey]

Firing the manager/coach is always a risky undertaking. It can either boost a team to new heights, or it could become apparent that the manager/coach was the only thing keeping the team above rock bottom and they start to suck even more. It's a tough decision for the owner/GM to make, but they always have their reasons you can be sure.

[rabid_fox]

In "Soccerball", the very quaint English sport, the most successful team of the last twenty years have had the same manager for the last twenty-something years.

Teams that chop and change their managers swiftly are, historically, damned to unstable and unsuccessful periods. There are exceptions, of course, of course, but the rule holds true enough to believe.

[GeorgiaCoyote]

Nice points by everyone cept maybe Ibun. I think the Phils can be dealt with though if they keep playing ball like they are now, I can't really refute your stand. It's scary since they always seem to play ten times better in the second half. I don't see how they could play much better than they are right now. Yes it does seem to be the reality of sports in America, especially in the high media centers of New York. You can pretty much gurantee that their GM will be next on the chopping block if they don't turn it around. On a positive note for me, Chipper's still hitting .400 but barely. It would be cool to have another .400 hitter but he even realizes the odds are very much stacked against him. Still if he doesn't keep this awesome consitancy going, it's still one hellavu start.

[TyVulpine]

On a positive note for me, Chipper's still hitting .400 but barely. It would be cool to have another .400 hitter but he even realizes the odds are very much stacked against him. Still if he doesn't keep this awesome consitancy going, it's still one hellavu start.

Been 67 years since Ted Williams hit the last .400 season....

[GeorgiaCoyote]

Been 67 years since Ted Williams hit the last .400 season....

Yup...67 and counting. Chipper put it best when he showcased Ichiro Suzuke setting the single season hit record. Despite that, he would have still needed a bunch of hits (the number escapes me at the moment) to match .400. So it's a difficult task, especially this day in time when...for lack of more colorful way to put it...chicks dig the long ball. Course with all the steroid mess, their are a few of us who are more impressed with good, consitant hitting than with home runs.

[TyVulpine]

Been 67 years since Ted Williams hit the last .400 season....

Yup...67 and counting. Chipper put it best when he showcased Ichiro Suzuke setting the single season hit record. Despite that, he would have still needed a bunch of hits (the number escapes me at the moment) to match .400. So it's a difficult task, especially this day in time when...for lack of more colorful way to put it...chicks dig the long ball. Course with all the steroid mess, their are a few of us who are more impressed with good, consitant hitting than with home runs.

I prefer players like Cal Ripken. Those that don't really excel in either category, but they go out and do the best they can regardless, day in and day out and don't whine about how they're not making "enough money" or demand a trade.

[GeorgiaCoyote]

I prefer players like Cal Ripken. Those that don't really excel in either category, but they go out and do the best they can regardless, day in and day out and don't whine about how they're not making "enough money" or demand a trade.

Ah yes. Gotta love his commitment to the game. It surprise me if Chipper tried to play that many consecutive games. If only he could shake some of the constant nagging injuries. Gotta love the ones, how few their may be, that play the game cause they love to play and compete and they show it. I saw that with the return of releiver Mike Gonzalez. His energy and enthusiasm for the game is something else.

[Zaaphod]

Well, wherever Willie Randolph is he's got a drinking buddy. The mighty Mariners (motto: We're not just awful, we're god-awful) have canned John McLaren and the horrible general manager Bill Bavasi as well. With any luck, this will turn the team around so they'll only lose 90 games as opposed to 105.

And.. I've just noticed the Blue Jays fired their skipper John Gibbons. One more manager needs to be fired so they can have a fourth for bridge.