We hear from managers all the time about how they are “hired to be fired.” Well, we’re still early in the 2012 season but here are a half-dozen who already have earned a pink slip and a free pass out of town.
Ozzie Guillen is a head-case. He has been a one his entire career. Combine that with his pro-Castro rant coupled with his penchant for being a loose cannon and his team playing terribly I don’t see him surviving the season — and I believe that baseball will be better without him.
Speaking of head-cases; Bobby Valentine was an epic mistake for the Boston Red Sox unless they were sure this team wasn’t going to be any good. Then hiring him was a genius move, because then they have a built-in scapegoat – all the team’s problems can be blamed on him and injuries. Valentine never had his players’ respect, and called out one of the best people in baseball in Kevin Youkilis earlier this season. Red Sox bloggers are universally against Valentine, the fans in the stands hate him and his players can’t possibly like him. Former MVP Dustin Pedroia already shot back at Bobby’s comments on Youkilis. I don’t expect Valentine to make it to the All Star Game.
Dale Sveum (Cubs), Bud Black (Padres), and Ned Yost (Royals) all need to be put out of their misery. Nobody deserves the headache that is Wrigleyville. Black may be scarred for life from having to watch that offense and defense every day. Yost may be a solid manager, but this is the Royals, and not even Yoda could mentor this many younglings into a winning team. I don’t believe any of them are currently on the burner so to speak, but these are three managers whose teams don’t have any chance of winning and who have little chance to see improvement from their teams’ collective weaknesses.
Then you get to former Manager of the Year award winner Ron Gardenhire in Minnesota. I get to listen to him throw rookies and young players under the bus often while having no accountability for his veterans. He has an incessant need to shuffle his lineups and to use players like Drew Butera, Nick Punto and Matt Tolbert.
Most recently, he plucked Clete Thomas off of waivers. He struck out 16 times in 28 at-bats before being cut for the May Waiver Wire Walking Dead signee, in Erik Komatsu. His roster consists of 13 pitchers and three catchers (one of whom is the third-worst hitting position player in the last 75 years of baseball in Butera on a 25-man roster.
The team went through a four-game stretch last week during which it was no-hit and one-hit and had a total of just nine hits, which Elias Sports Bureau confirmed was a historical achievement for futility. This is not the time to bring up a career .178 hitter with a.220 on-base percentage.
Wednesday night’s game where the Angels’ Jered Weaver no-hit the Twins may have been rock bottom, but the combination of a lack of talent and a coaching staff that has not been getting results over the last couple years could make no-hitters against the Twins a common theme.
I am committing a blasphemous act here in Minnesota by calling for his firing, but I’m not the first. The blog Fire Ron Gardenhire was created in 2005. I don’t think that the injuries were the only reason the team lost 99 games last year and is on pace to do even worse in 2012. His smoke-and-mirrors career is based more on having beaten up the American League Central. His winning percentage against the AL East is pathetic, and against the Yankees alone is 20-53 during the regular season. His record is 6-21 in the post season alone could have netted an axe. When you add his horrible coaching staff, a GM that has cut payroll, and added nothing to the pitching staff, nothing coming up in the minors for another year or two, and an owner that has always cared more about profits than winning, I expect Gardenhire to retire at the end of the season if he isn’t fired. But as a Twins fan I’m hoping to see the axe.
Valentine will be the first because the Red Sox are actually about winning. The Pohlads are clueless. Gardenhire, his staff and Terry Ryan should all get the axe. They have all led to this misery with their lack of intelligence. But you know how I feel Brad. 🙂
I voted for Valentine over Guillen, but I would not be surprised if Ozzie went first. I picked Valentine because Red Sox Nation, as it’s pretentiously known, will go berzerk if the team doesn’t improve right away….if the relationship between Valentine is as poisoned as it seems, the pressure to dump him will become irresistable. Guillen, as poor as his (and his team’s) opening month has been, still has time to turn it around. He has the luxury of a laid back….VERY laid back…fan base. I think the Cuban/Castro statement fiasco can be overcome if the team starts playing better.
There have been some whispers about Charlie Manuel here in Philly. From 2008 thru last season, he had the shield of the World Series trophy. Now, his teflon is wearing off as the team reverts back to it’s pre-championship .500 form, and his curious managerial moves are being scrutinized again. I doubt that the team would fire Charlie in mid season…that would require a complete and utter collapse….but there is some sentiment that perhaps Charlie should retire after this season, win or lose.
Mike, excellent comments as always. Your contributions are much appreciated. I do think that it’s time for Manuel to look at the offseason as an end to a great run. I think that is what will happen here in Minnesota as well, but I became an honorary Philly guy because I have Phillies fan Venom in my blood. I want to see him fired, and his coaching staff removed. After all the boneheaded moves… all the stupid rotations in the middle infield. The stupid excuse of a 3rd catcher who most likely couldn’t get a job as a bullpen catcher for any other team… (he did clear waivers for a reason, and it wasn’t contract size!) The ineffective coaching staff and his loyalty towards them is ridiculous… I know they were there for this or that, but seriously… our hitting coach has not improved a single hitter. No one credits him for anything. Torii Hunter credited Joe Mauer for making him a better hitter. Mauer was pretty much born with the golden eye (and no killer instinct), Morneau was a power prospect long before Vavra… Look at the players who have done well away from the Twins… There is a reason we just set a record for the most pathetic week in baseball history!!! I couldn’t do that on PS3 to a team! Our baserunners are pathetic. Jerry White is our base running coach, and we lead the MLB for being picked off base more times than any other team in the league (by a lot!). He is also our outfield coach, and even with Span who is right below a gold glove guy… the players still take bad routes to balls, over throw cutoffs, and are making mental mistakes that should have been coached out of them. Scott “Ulcering” Ullger is our former hitting coach, former 3rd base coach, and now our bench coach and infield coach. Valencia has regressed to the point where he might be the worst 3rd baseman in all of baseball. Parmalee is no picnic at 1st base, and with the musical chairs approach to the middle infield… consistancy is impossible… and as for brains… there is a reason or 20 that he’s no longer a coach at those other positions… he flat out sucks! The pitching coach… I have never hated on him because polishing turds isn’t exactly a glamour gig, and he’s done that for a long time… but pitch to contact doesn’t work if you have no talent at all… the Twins system is constipated… he can’t even find turds to polish at this point, but coaches are hired to be fired, and by the gods of baseball… these players need a wakeup call. You cannot fire a whole team…
As for Guillen. You have a great point about the apathy in Miami… However, one more outburst and they part ways… a terrible season… 75/25 he’s gone. Valentine is DOA in Boston. That was a horrible decision, and will have terrible results.
I once joked that if Bill Smith (our former GM here in MN) were the GM in Boston… he’d be fired instantly. If he were in NY he’d be fired instantly, and badmouthed for life (like Pavano). If he were in Philly there’d be a search party for him and his family, and the rest of the coaching staff would all be in witness protection for their safety. I’m not advocating violence, but I want to see accountability in Minnesota. There isn’t any. Not in any of our sports right now and it’s sad. Very sad. It’s one of the reasons I love talking about MLB more so than just the Twins, but this piece was as personal as it was professional for me. Someone here needs to stand up and demand more from Minnesota teams… the big guys aren’t doing it. Mackey, Reusse, Paul Allen, LaVelle, and the staff at Twins Daily all have a hand in the pocket so to speak… if they bad mouth the teams it’s going to be harder to get guests, and easy for them to be looked at as difficult. I am difficult, and I’m demanding, and I only have my audience to make happy. I hope I do that just by being me, and saying things exactly as I see fit. When you see me with my Car commercials, my jewelery bits, and everything else… I may have to change… but since that ain’t happening anytime soon… I thank you now, and always.
Brad, there is always pirate radio, you’d be great at it. Hell, if I ever get a hold of a transmitter I’d do it and have you on as much as you’d like
Brad-
I think you hit the nail on the head with this one. I don’t think the Twins organization has the guts to make the necessary changes to rebuild from the top down. Unfortunately, I can foresee a scenario where they continue with the status quo. If that happens, The Twins could turn into the Pittsburgh Pirates of the American League.
PS: I don’t see a contact form to reach you. I’d love to have you do a guest article or maybe an interview. Feel free to contact me through Facebook.
Chris… I’m sorry that I just saw your post today. I’m not sure if it was a glitch on my part or the site, or what have you, but I would be to chat with you. A message was sent to you via facebook from my account.
I sent my resume in to the Pirates for 7 consecutive years to be their GM, but I’ve never even gotten a response. Go figure.
John, hit me up on facebook, and we can discuss it. I’ve often thought that Andy Tellijohn and I would make a solid radio pair… he’s got a good voice for it, and after listening to Reusse I know now that no matter how bad my voice is… I can get through it. http://www.facebook.com/brad.beneke
I think I’ve brought that up to Andy about 5-6 times over the last 10-15 years.
I’ve got a blog on Chipper Jones coming up shortly